Heraklion or Chania – Which City in Crete is Better?

When you are planning a trip to Crete, your first decision will likely concern your primary location. Crete is a large island and features two popular gateway airports. One is located in the capital city of Heraklion – in the center of the island. The other airport is located on the western side of the island in Chania. You can also reach either city by ferry if you are Greek island hopping. So which of these two major Crete cities is a better base for your time on Crete – Heraklion or Chania?

We recently spent a week in both Heraklion and Chania. And while we enjoyed our time in both places, I do have a preference between the two. So read on to see whether that choice is Heraklion or Chania.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  If you buy something after clicking one of these links, I may earn a small commission.  This does not cost you anything extra and helps support this blog.

First, A Couple Caveats

While Heraklion and Chania are Crete’s two largest cities, they certainly aren’t the only two places to vacation in Crete. Crete is a big island and offers lots of destinations to consider. Rethynmo – Crete’s third largest city – is also a very popular with tourists. So are countless beach resorts along Crete’s many miles of coastline.

As part of our own 3-week itinerary in Crete, we spent a week in the town of Agios Nikolaos in the eastern part of the island. (We were in Agios Nikolaos for Greek Easter, and it is an experience we will never forget! More coming about that in a future post.)

Plus, we never even made it to the quieter south end of the island during this trip.

But regardless, either Heraklion or Chania will likely be part of any Crete itinerary. And ideally you should try to spend time in both. Each is different. Each is worthwhile. We flew into Chania and flew out of Heraklion for example.

However, what if your Crete itinerary only allows for one base? Heraklion or Chania…which city is better?

Let’s take a look…

Venetian Harbor & Walls

Whether you visit Heraklion or Chania, you will discover that both were important port cities during Crete’s period of Venetian rule (from 1205 to 1669 AD). Consequently each city has a Venetian-built harbor, and each was fortified by the Venetians with a circumferential defensive wall.

Chania

Chania’s Old Venetian Harbor is undoubtedly the city’s most popular and most scenic site. And it’s a stunner! I spent time at the harbor every day.

It features calm waters, surrounded by colorful buildings and many restaurants for seaside dining…

It features a historic Turkish mosque built by the Ottomans in 1645 (they ruled Crete after the Venetians). It’s called the Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque… 

And the harbor features a historic lighthouse, originally built in the 1500s by the Venetians (one of the oldest in the world), and then reconstructed by occupying Egyptian troops in 1864. Consequently it now carries the name Egyptian Lighthouse, and it purposely resembles a minaret…

Chania’s Old Town is also surrounded by Venetian walls – originally built to help defend the city. Large sections of these walls still stand and are an important part of the city’s modern landscape. You’ll occasionally find public green spaces along the walls, and you can access the top in some places.

Also, the city features even older defensive walls. Walls built by the Byzantine Empire several hundred years before Venetian rule. As you explore Chania, you’ll discover large remnants of these walls too…which only adds to Chania’s scenic charm.

Heraklion

Heraklion’s Venetian Harbor is also a great place to hang out. And while I visited it often, it’s not nearly as scenic as Chania’s. Heraklion is a busier modern port city than Chania. And so over time, the harbor has been modified more extensively.

It does however still boast an impressive and well-preserved Venetian castle called Koules Fortress as its focal point.

And you’ll find great views out across the Aegean Sea and along the nearby coast, especially from atop its modern-day sea wall.

While you will find a few restaurants near the harbor, they are mostly across a busy street and lack the charm of Chania’s harbor-side dining.

The Venetians also built defensive walls around Heraklion as they did in Chania. However, a large section of these walls were under renovation during my visit and not accessible. But my general impressions was that because “old Heraklion” is less preserved than “old Chania” (see below), the walls really seem more of an afterthought in Heraklion.

The Winner

So…Heraklion or Chania? Which of these two cities has the better-preserved and more scenic Venetian past?

Chania is clearly the winner here.

The Old Town

As I mentioned earlier, Heraklion and Chania are Crete’s two largest cities. And both have modern neighborhoods that surround each historic center. But what about those historic centers? Which Old Town will you enjoy exploring most…Heraklion or Chania?

Chania

Despite damage that occurred over time due to past earthquakes and WW2 bombings, old town Chania still retains a lot of its original character. And like the adjacent Venetian Harbor, Chania’s Old Town is very scenic. Regular readers know how much I love to wander scenic back alleys. And I found plenty in Chania!

In fact, Old Town Chania is subdivided into several different small historic neighborhoods, each with their own character – a Christian Quarter, a Jewish Quarter, and a Turkish Quarter.

As you wander these various sections of Old Town Chania, you’ll discover quaint squares, small museums, Orthodox churches, old mosques, and even an active synagogue. Plus lots of shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants.

Heraklion

Heraklion wasn’t so lucky with the past earthquakes and WW2 bombings. A large percentage of the historic buildings in Heraklion’s Old Town were destroyed over time. And so Heraklion’s center is generally much more modern than Chania’s. And consequently much less charming.

The focal point of Heraklion’s Old Town is its 16th century Venetian fountain – the Lion’s Fountain.

A handful of other Venetian structures remain too. But for the most part, Heraklion looks and feels like a modern Greek city.

The Winner

So…Heraklion or Chania? Which city has the better Old Town?

I guess it probably depends on your preferred vibe, but for me the winner is Chania by a very large margin.

Ancient History

One of my favorite things about traveling in Greece is that you are constantly surrounded by amazing ancient history. And this is especially true in Crete. Crete was home to the Minoan Civilization from about 3100 BC to 1100 BC. The Minoans are considered the first civilization in all of Europe after the Neolithic Period.

After the Minoans, Crete was ruled by Ancient Greece during the 1st century BC, followed by the Roman Empire for several centuries. Consequently, Crete has a wealth of ancient history. And whether you visit Heraklion or Chania, you will have plenty of opportunities to see some of this history.

Chania

During Minoan times, Chania was the location of an important city called Kydonia. As you walk around Old Town Chania, you will come across several small sections of ruins from Minoan Kydonia. The largest section of ruins is located only a few blocks from the harbor. It is the foundation of a large house that was rebuilt over centuries of Minoan settlement. These foundations range in age from 3000 BC – 1400 BC. Yes, they are four to five thousand years old!

The largest archeological site near Chania is the ancient city of Aptera. This city reached its peak of power under Greek rule during the 4th-3rd centuries BC, but remained an important city during Roman times too. There is a lot to see at Aptera and it’s well worth a visit. It is easiest to reach by car (a 20 minute drive from Chania).

Chania also has new Archeological Museum located in a suburb of the city. This is a great place to view some of the Minoan treasures from Kydonia, as well as artifacts from the Greek and Roman periods of Chania too.

Heraklion

But, ancient history is where Heraklion finally beats Chania in this battle of Heraklion or Chania. The most important city and port in all of Minoan Crete was located here – a city named Knossos. And this is where the Minoans built their greatest structure – Knossos Palace. Today Knossos Palace is the second most-visited archeological site in all of Greece, behind only the Acropolis in Athens.

Knossos Palace was a large complex of buildings constructed in about 1900 BC. Minoan palaces were not royal residences. Instead, they served a multi-faceted function – residential, administrative, and religious.

Several such palaces were constructed across Crete, but Knossos was the largest and most important. It is also the best-preserved.

Knossos is located only a few miles outside Heraklion’s city center and can be reached by car or public bus. We took the bus without any difficulty. Ultimately I’ll be writing a dedicated blog post about our visit to Knossos.

You will also want to visit the Heraklion Archeological Museum in the city center. It’s considered one of the very best museums in Greece. This is where you can see many of the artifacts recovered from Knossos.

Personally, I thought this museum was a jaw-dropper, and I actually enjoyed it even more than the famed National Archeological Museum in Athens. The Minoans created some pretty amazing things 4000 years ago. I’ve actually never taken so many photos inside any museum before. It’s now one of my all-time favorites.

The Winner

So…Heraklion or Chania? Which city offers the best look at Crete’s Ancient History?

This category handily goes to Heraklion. If you love ancient history, then you can’t miss Heraklion.

OK, But What About The Beach?

Lots of people go to Crete for its beaches. However, we visited Crete in April. It was not beach season and so I’m not at all qualified to offer a full opinion on this topic based on personal experience.

It think it’s safe to say however that both cities offer relatively easy access to plenty of nearby beaches if you choose to rent a car. And you can also get to several popular beaches by public bus from either Heraklion or Chania.

However, here are two points to consider that may sway you towards Chania…

Elafonissi Beach, located in southwest Crete, is frequently ranked as the best beach in Crete. In fact, Travel & Leisure has recently named it the Best Beach in the World! It’s about an 80 minute drive from Chania (significantly closer than Heraklion)

And if you aren’t interested in driving or taking a bus to a beach, Chania’s Nea Chora Beach is within a few minute’s walking distance of Old Town.

Heraklion’s city beach (Ammoudara Beach) isn’t within reasonable walking distance from the center, though it did seem like it would be a great place to spend some time.

Overall then, I would say Chania gets the nod here.

And What About Surrounding Areas?

This is a category without a clear winner. Whether it’s Heraklion or Chania, both are well-located for seeing other worthwhile parts of Crete.

We spent our weekends in each city exploring the nearby countryside.

We visited scenic Cretan villages like Drakona near Chania…

And Archanes near Heraklion…

We visited wineries and olive farms – tasting the local products at both…

And we dined in several countryside Cretan tavernas, where we always had some of the best meals of our trip…

In fact, I’ve written a dedicated blog post about one such dining adventure…Dining at Ntounais: A One-of-A-Kind Food Experience in Crete

These activities were possible for us because we rented a car for a few days in each city. But many popular locations near these cities are also connected by local bus. Or you can take organized day trips from either city with various tour operators found through services like Viator.

And if you want to spend time exploring Rethynmo (Crete’s third largest city), it is located roughly equidistant between the two – about 90 minutes away from either on public transportation or quicker by car.

Getting Around Each City

So that brings me to my last topic…Transportation. Which city is easiest to get around – Heraklion or Chania? Since we generally depend on public transportation for our particular style of slow travel, that’s always a very important question for me

And again, there is not a clear winner here. Whether you are visiting Heraklion or Chania, you’ll find that both are very walkable cities. Their Old Towns and Harbor areas are located within a compact area in both cases.

Both cities have an easy-to-use public bus system if you need to go a little further. We used the bus to get to the Chania Archeological Museum and to Knossos Palace.

We also used Crete’s island-wide bus system to travel from Chania to Heraklion – a three hour journey. These buses are very comfortable and convenient. In fact, I’ve written an entire blog post all about our experience using the bus to get from Chania to Heraklion.

Uber is not available anywhere on the island of Crete, but it’s not hard to find a taxi stand if you want one. And prices to common destinations are often fixed and easily found.

And as I mentioned above, we did rent a car for part of our time in both Heraklion and Chania. While we don’t commonly rent cars when we travel, I did determine that it was essential for the full Cretan experience. The Cretan countryside is gorgeous and so I would recommend that you not limit your time to beaches and the bigger cities.

Fortunately, car rental is quite inexpensive in Crete. And some of the local rental agencies offer outstanding customer service. In fact, both of my car rental experiences in Crete were the best that I’ve ever had anywhere. So a shout out to the great care we received from Go Car Rental in Chania and Niki Cars in Heraklion. I will also be writing a future blog post specifically about driving in Crete.

So….Heraklion or Chania?

If we add up the scorecard from all my categories then we get:

3-1-2 in favor of Chania

And so yes, I would recommend that you choose Chania if you can only base yourself in one city. But if you can fit both cities into your Crete itinerary, then you definitely should. The final tally was pretty close after all.

We loved our time exploring everything that the beautiful island of Crete had to offer. It truly exceeded our expectations….and our expectations were actually quite high.

Beautiful harbors, scenic Old Towns, ancient ruins, quaint villages, mountains, vineyards, beaches, ocean views, and spectacular food. Crete has it all!

If you would like to read about some our other experiences traveling the Greek Islands then check out these posts:

Things To Do In Syros Greece – A Cyclades Charmer

Things to Do In Paros Greece – The Greek Islands at Their Best

Riding The Blue Star Ferry To A Greek Island