Food adventure around Chania on the island of Crete, Greece

I’ve yet to discover the port town of Chania which is located on the largest island in Greece, Crete.

Crete is popular amongst food lovers for its locally grown and tasty produce. Here you can end up going on a food adventure of your own and this is why I’ve put together a fun guide of local places where you can eat and drink to your heart’s content and discover the very best of what Chania has to offer.

Expect a lot of Greek salad, olive oil, wine and incredibly fresh seafood. This will be a Greek food adventure for sure and what better place to do so than in Chania.

Here is what I got up to on my food adventure to Chania on the island of Crete.

Fly with Aegean Airlines to Greece

What better way to start your adventure to Greece than flying with the Greek national carrier, Aegean Airlines. They offer daily connections from London Heathrow airport to Athens airport.

From here you can hop on many of the connection flights to the surrounding Greek islands, such as Olympic air flights to Crete. Start off your trip in style and enjoy the award winning friendly customer service and dining experience in the sky.

Where to stay in Chania, Crete, Greece

For this trip I stayed at Santa Marina Beach Resort Hotel, which is located perfectly on the coast so you can enjoy a stunning sea view during breakfast.

The rooms have loads of cosy space with a balcony to enjoy the view and access to a lovely sized pool for you to enjoy a refreshing dip.

Explore the island of Crete on a safari adventure

What a great way to first discover and get a taste for the island of Crete than going on a 4X4 Land Rover tour of Chania with Safari Adventures Greece.

Start off by driving off road up to the heart of the White Mountains, which offers the best panoramic view of Chania from above.

You will also visit an original shepherd’s hut called a “Mitato” located at 1400 m height where you can feed some local goats and experience the rugged and unique terrain of the mountains.

End your tour enjoying traditional Cretan food and wine at a local restaurant. The safari adventure offers a wonderful introduction to Crete and a chance to see a unique off road side to the island.

Apostolis seafood restaurant for the best seafood in Chania

If you go to the old quater of Chania you have to sample the local seafood dishes which are a speciality and most popular in this old port town.

Apostolis seafood restaurant is a wonderful spot with a great view over the harbour whilst you dine.

The owner and his son offer incredible hospitality and make you feel most welcome but wait until you try the food.

You can choose from a wonderful selection of set dishes to share and you won’t be left disappointed at this location.

Sample some local olive oil and Cretan wines

It would be a crime to travel to Crete and not try the fantastic variety of olive oil and wine that’s on offer on the island. First off visit a local Olive Oil Factory to taste directly from the local source.

It’s said that many local Cretans like to consume around 2 litres of olive oil per month and it’s often the one thing they will travel with in their luggage when going abroad.

I’d recommend also trying the olive oil with a combination of some local lemon juice and sea salt, it will transport you to food heaven.

Also be sure to visit Mavredakis’ winery where you can explore the process of Cretan wine production and sample all the different 16 types of wine that they create on the grounds.

Walk around the vineyards, explore the foothills and sample some local fresh grapes straight from the vine.

Don’t worry, you won’t be drinking 16 glasses of wine but you can sample all the different varieties on offer as you wish and be sure to take home a bottle or two to enjoy the taste of Crete at home.

Head on a guided tour at Chania Old Town

Take a guided tour around the old town of Chania. It’s best to go there just before sunset so you can see the town transform from day to night.

Explore and get lost on all the back alleys and side streets that come to life at night time.

You can discover Turkish, Italian and even Egyptian influences on the architecture around Chania from different time periods, which makes this town unique.

Of course the most popular attraction in Chania is the lighthouse that dominates the Venetian style port and offers a fantastic viewpoint at sunset.

End your night in the old town of Chania and dine at Oinopoiio restaurant, located in the heart of the culinary area.

The whole street comes to life at around 21:00 at night time (late dining is popular on Crete) when locals flock to this spot to grab a bite, drink some wine and catch up over a candle light conversation.

It’s a site and dining experience to enjoy for sure.

Visit a local farm and make some Greek cheese

The Olive Farm which is put together by Hand Picked Greece allows you to connect with local farmers in Chania and put together some local dishes in the locals’ kitchen.

It’s a wonderful hands on experience to walk around the farmer’s garden and see all the different produce that grows on the island of Crete.

Crete is known for its fantastic soil and good weather, which helps to grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables such as lemons, avocados, bananas, clean potatoes and a host of many other varieties.

Eating fresh from the source is always a tasty experience and dining within the farmer’s garden is a must experience on Crete.

You can also attend a cheese workshop where you can create feta cheese for your freshly prepared Greek salad.

It always tastes better when you make it fresh from the garden yourself.

Grab a speed boat for a spot of lagoon swimming

Why not hire a speed boat from Chania port for half a day and see the lighthouse from the water for a unique photo spot as well as the surrounding harbour.

Then you can head out to the close by island of Agii Theodori for a spot of swimming.

You can’t enter the small island but it’s beatiful to look at from the boat and swim around close by. Perfect way to end your time in Chania on the island of Crete, Greece.

Thank you for reading about my adventure to Chania

Thank you for taking the time to read my guide about going on a food adventure around Chania. This blog post was put together with help from Discover Greece.

I hope you found this post useful and you’re looking forward to your next trip to the island of Crete, Greece.

Also be sure to watch my video from Chania