The Prefecture of Chania is on the west end of Crete which is Greece’s largest island in the southern part of the country. The prefecture is divided into five provinces (Apokoronas, Kissamos, Kydonia, Selino, and Sfakia). Its capital, Chania, is a picturesque spellbinding city. The prefecture’s terrain is mostly mountainous as most of its surface is covered by the spectacular, awe-inspiring White Mountains which captivate visitors with their pristine beauty, snow-capped peaks, and spellbinding vistas.The entire prefecture Chania county is characterized by a rich variety of landscapes - inaccessible canyons, cliffs, caves, mountains and forests of exceptional natural beauty, streams and inviting beaches with crystal clear water.

For visitors, a tour around the villages of Chania is a once-in-a-lifetime experience: the prefecture is literally dotted with countless, traditional housing clusters which, untouched and unchanged by Time, retain most of the characteristics of yore, showcasing strongly those cultural elements that make Crete a land like no other. Cretan hospitality, Crete’s distinctive and vibrant cuisine, and traditions handed down from generation to generation, all promise an unforgettable experience. Chania’s history is a long and significant one, with a great number of archaeological monuments and extant structures corroborating to Chania’s absorbing and varied past. Chania enjoyed great economic power during the period of the Minoan civilization, followed by the Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman occupation.The city of Chania is the capital of Greece and has preserved its centuries-old historical legacy almost intact. Many have been the scientists, philosophers, poets, and artists who, drawn by the city’s magical ambiance at one time or another, turned it into a cultural hub.

Just like the rest of Crete, Chania is inextricably linked to the celebrated Mediterranean Diet. It is a blessed, practically autonomous, land with a vast diversity in its flora and fauna. It is that very diversity which, extending its bounty to Chania, has turned into the very model of the Cretan diet. Wholesome products of the finest quality create the base of the area’s traditional cuisine where the flavors of the local dishes’ ingredients are not compromised by the excessive use of spices and condiments. The key elements of the Cretan diet are extra virgin olive oil, wild greens, vegetables, legumes, fish, meat, wine, and tsikoudia. To that, a bewildering variety of artisanal cheeses such as Cretan graviera yellow cheese, anthotyro soft white cheese, and mizithra are added. Yogurt and honey come to complete this health-oriented fare which, delicious and wholesome, calls out for visitors to sample it again and again