Crete - Chania
Chania is located on the northwestern coast of Crete and posesses a Technical University. The town itself and the beaches around offer a lot entertainment for tourists, and it is easy to reach Chania, because it has an international airport very close, the airport of Heraklion is about 120 km (2 hrs) away. Coming from sea, a sailor can see the big lightmasts of the stadium and use this landmark for navigation the port of Chania.
There are some rocks and a reef with a light mast to ease navigation
in front of the port´s entrance, so one should be careful
while
navigating
direction
to the
harbour.
Inside the harbour, the right hand old harbour in front of the old venetian
city is not in use except for some fisherboats and excursion boats for
daytrips. There is anyway a lot of swell even at calm conditions and really
waves shake the dayboats already at little wind.
Lefthanded, bb-side, there is another entrance to the Yacht Club´s port, and this is really sheltered and safe. However - the wind mostly comes from W, so mooring directly behind the first wall in front of the Port Police office means having the wind all the time from the side, and it is recommended to have everything ready for mooring.
The 2 places directly behind the wall are reserved for a "yellow Submarine" boat for daily excursions and a fisherboat (as it can be seen on the foto). It is possible to go there alongside, but only for a very short time, because the dayboats come back in the afternoon. The Port Police immediately asks to leave from there and search for another place.
Usually, one can find a place in front of the buildings as seen on the foto. There are mooring lines, but these are in disorder, and the strong wind from the side requires stout-heartet maneuvering! Port Police office is in one of the buildings, there is electricity and water, which must be paid at the Yacht Club Office next door.
A little further, there are some pontoons, where the places are give, but it is possible to moore there as well.
The
street passing the quai has only a little traffic and in the evening
it is for pedestrians only. It is only a few steps right around the
cornder to reach the harbouside Tavernas, Cafes, Shops etc. 
Must see ist the old Market hall, which is about 10 minutes walk. Leave your boat and go left, then cross the small place (after 30-100m) where you can find a nice Taverna and beside it a beautiful italian restaurant, then go right and follow that small street. There are scooter- and car rentals and other small shops. At the end of that little street there is a traffic light, the market hall is about 200m right handed, can be seen from there.
If you need a haircut, just before you reach the traffic light at the main street on the left, there is a very good hairdresser for men and women: PMD, owned by Dimitris (it is necessary to make an appointment)
The main street´s name is Skalidi Road and one can find all kinds of shops there. As well a Yachtshop and shipchandler named Malinakis Yacht- & Watersports . From the traffic light go right about 300m.
Staying in Chania allows to make some nice saytrips to the very beautiful "outback" of Crete´s western parts, the peninsula Chersonisos Akrotiki (with the airport), or Chersonissos Rodopou (chersonisos means peninsula) or the "White Mountains".
Recommended
is a mountain walk from Theriso (about 16 km south of Chania direction
"white mountains"), which is the birthtown of the famous freedom-fighters
Eleftherios Venizelos and the brothers Halides, to Zourva. Just follow
the road with only a few cars even in high season. Wonderful views and
even in summer not too hot.
Attention: there seems to be a way indicated in the map,
that looks nearly same distance from Zourva back to Theriso - but it
is not, because that is the old path and going steep up and down, so
it is very ardously and a much longer way which needs much more time
than the normal road!
Zourva
has a nice typical cretan Taverna, where you van have a drink or lunch and
then walk back the same way, you came or get a lift from one of the cretans
passing by with their cars - don´t worry, when your seating neighbour
might be a goat - that´s cretan naturality!
The beaches west of Chania are normal tourist places. Chania is full every evening from the tourists, that stay outside all day and come to town to party. But in the old town there are a great number of really beautiful restored old houses used as hostels and hotels, with terraces, gardens and often with street cafes.
Tavernas and Restaurants in Chania
Directly on the opposite side of the Port Police quai there is a small Restaurant/Taverna on the outside wall of the harbour, that looks very nice and it can only be reched by a little boatshuttle crossing the harbour. We have not been there, but we heard, it is very nice, good food and relatively reasonable prices.
We tried a greek/turkish place called TAMAM in Chania´s old town Zambelious street, which lies parallel behind the main harbour promenade. Coming from Port Police go right and follow the promenade until you see the sign to the POST OFFICE, follow it and make right on the first narrow lane, that´s Zambeliou. After about 100m there is TAMAM, which has an airconditioned inner restaurant space and only a few small tables outside. One should make a reservation and go there early, because from 7:30 on there are people queueing and waiting for tables to become free. And they are right! The food is excellent, the waiters were very attentive and even in highest stress friendly and fast! We were really inspired and recommend that place with a very good memory!
Another, typical greek - cretan place we enjoyed, was the greek Taverna that lies in the narrow street, one reaches walking back from Tamam the first alley right - unfortunately, I forgot the name of it... but you find it easy, because the whole street has places with the same name and after entering the lane, after about 50m on the left there is a big gardenarea with tables. Very nice atmosphere, some singers, trees, realy to enjoy a nice greek evening!
Finally, we want to recommend the website of the town of Chania