Akrotiri scenic drive: Chania Old Town and Souda Bay

The Akrotiri scenic drive is the perfect first day in western Crete, and it begins the moment you collect your hire car, because Chania Airport sits right on the Akrotiri peninsula itself. In a single unhurried day you can wander the beautiful Venetian harbour of Chania old town, stand in two of the finest monasteries in Crete, walk down a wild gorge to an abandoned cliff hermitage, pay your respects at the moving Souda Bay War Cemetery, and swim at the golden beach where Zorba the Greek danced.

The cruise excursions rush this in a hurried morning. With your own car you can do it properly, and this guide shows you how.

The Akrotiri scenic drive from Chania is compact and endlessly varied, a loop of the Akrotiri peninsula just northeast of the city with an easy run into the old town. It mixes history, faith, wartime memory, wild nature and a beach swim, all within a short drive of the airport and the city. Here is the Akrotiri scenic drive at a glance before we take it stop by stop.

The Akrotiri Scenic Drive, Stop by Stop

1. Chania Old Town and the Venetian Harbour

The Akrotiri scenic drive begins in Chania old town, which many consider the most beautiful in all of Crete. Its glory is the Venetian harbour, a graceful curve of waterfront presided over by a 15th-century lighthouse, one of the oldest surviving in the world, with the White Mountains rising behind. Behind the quay, a warren of narrow lanes threads between crumbling Venetian and Ottoman houses, artisan workshops, tavernas and the covered market. Despite heavy bombing in the Second World War, the old town survived as Crete’s loveliest urban quarter.

On the Akrotiri scenic drive, park in one of the signed car parks on the edge of the old town, as the centre itself is largely pedestrian, and give yourself a couple of hours to wander the harbour, the lighthouse mole and the back streets. An early start here, with a harbourside coffee before the day-trippers arrive, is one of the quiet joys of Chania. Then it is a short drive round to Souda and onto the Akrotiri peninsula proper.

2. Souda Bay War Cemetery

A short way into the Akrotiri scenic drive, in a quiet, beautifully tended garden on the shore of Souda Bay, lies the Commonwealth War Cemetery, and it is one of the most moving places in Crete.

Here rest more than 1,500 Allied soldiers, many of them British, Australian and New Zealand, who fell in the Battle of Crete in May 1941, when German paratroopers descended on the island in the first great airborne invasion of the war. The rows of white headstones, immaculately kept and set against the blue of the bay, ask for only twenty quiet minutes, and they repay them many times over.

This is a stop on the Akrotiri scenic drive the rushed cruise excursions almost always skip, and that is a shame. You do not need a family connection or an interest in military history to be touched by it. For British visitors especially, it is a place of genuine pilgrimage, and having your own car means you can stop here in your own time, in the reflective quiet the place deserves, rather than being hurried past on a coach.

3. Agia Triada Monastery

North onto the peninsula on the Akrotiri scenic drive, through olive groves and cypress trees, stands the monastery of Agia Triada Tzagarolon, the largest and one of the most beautiful in Crete. Founded in the early 17th century by two Venetian-Cretan brothers, it is a serene, fortress-like complex of golden stone, with an ochre church of three domes set around a peaceful courtyard, a library of rare books and a small museum of icons. The monks still produce excellent wine, olive oil and honey, which you can buy at the gate, and the tasting is well worth it.

On the Akrotiri scenic drive there is a small admission fee at the monastery, and modest dress is required, so cover shoulders and knees. Allow forty-five minutes to an hour to take it in unhurried. It is only fifteen minutes from Chania, yet it feels a world away, wrapped in the stillness of the countryside.

4. Gouverneto and the Walk to Katholiko

Four kilometres further north on the Akrotiri scenic drive, the road climbs to the remote, fortress-like monastery of Gouverneto, older still and wonderfully atmospheric.

For the energetic, this is the trailhead for one of the finest short walks in Crete: a stone path descends through the wild Avlaki gorge, past the cave church of the Bear and down to the astonishing abandoned monastery of Katholiko, carved into the cliffs of a ravine and reached by a stone bridge, before continuing to the sea. The full walk down and back takes two and a half to three hours and is steep in places, so it needs proper shoes, water and a reasonable level of fitness, but it is unforgettable.

If the hike is too much, Gouverneto itself rewards the short drive up, and you can simply turn back from the monastery. This is the kind of add-on that only the independent driver can manage; no coach tour will ever give you three hours to walk down a gorge to a hermitage and back.

5. Stavros: The Beach Where Zorba Danced

End the Akrotiri scenic drive with a swim at Stavros, on the northern tip of the peninsula, a near-circular bay of shallow, calm water beneath a great bare mountain. The best-loved stop on the Akrotiri scenic drive, it was here that Anthony Quinn danced the famous sirtaki in the closing scene of the 1964 film Zorba the Greek, and the setting is instantly recognisable. Known affectionately to locals as the bath tub for its sheltered, shallow shape, it is perfect for a gentle late-afternoon swim, and there are tavernas right behind the sand for a well-earned meal.

From Stavros it is a short and easy drive back to Chania, the airport or your base, closing a loop that has packed history, faith, wartime memory, wild nature and a film-star beach into a single, satisfying day.

Where to Eat on the Akrotiri Drive

Chania old town is the gastronomic heart of the Akrotiri scenic drive, its harbour and back streets lined with everything from smart seafood restaurants to tiny family tavernas serving Cretan classics like dakos, boureki and slow-cooked lamb.

On the peninsula the choice is simpler but rewarding: the taverna at Agia Triada and the village tavernas around Kounoupidiana do honest, good-value food, and at Stavros the beachfront tavernas serve fresh fish with your toes almost in the sand. Wherever you eat, look for the Akrotiri monasteries’ own olive oil and wine, a genuine local product with centuries of tradition behind it, and leave the wine tasting for a day you are not driving.

What to Take and Know Before You Go

A few things make the Akrotiri scenic drive smoother. Dress modestly for the monasteries, covering shoulders and knees, and carry a light scarf or wrap for the purpose. Bring cash for the small monastery admissions and to buy the monks’ wine and oil, and for the beach tavernas. If you plan the Katholiko hike, wear proper walking shoes, take plenty of water and a hat, and set off early, as there is little shade on the descent.

Bring swimwear and a towel for Stavros, and reef shoes are handy on the rockier beaches. The monasteries close for a couple of hours in the middle of the day and have seasonal hours, so check before you set out and consider doing the old town or the cemetery during the midday closure. Fuel is easy to find around Chania and the airport, so top up before you head out to the quieter northern tip of the peninsula.

When to Go and How Long to Allow

Allow a full day for the Akrotiri scenic drive, though the compact distances mean it never feels rushed. Spring and autumn are loveliest, with wildflowers on the peninsula, comfortable walking weather for the gorge and warm but not scorching days for the old town. In high summer, do the monasteries and the cemetery in the morning, escape the midday heat with lunch and the old town’s shaded lanes, and save Stavros for a cooling late-afternoon swim. The peninsula is exposed, so it can be breezy, which is a blessing in July and August.

Making More of Western Crete

The Akrotiri scenic drive is the ideal introduction to the Chania region, and it links naturally to more. West of the city lie the long beaches of Platanias and Kolymbari, and beyond them the wild Rodopou peninsula. South rise the White Mountains and the Samaria Gorge, and the beautiful south-coast villages of Loutro and Sfakia. With a hire car and a few days based in or around Chania, you can pair this gentle Akrotiri day with the mountains, the gorges and the western beaches for a full and varied western Crete holiday.

Getting There: Your Gateway

The Akrotiri scenic drive could not be better placed for its gateway, because Chania Airport sits right on the Akrotiri peninsula, so you are on the route the moment you collect your car. Pick up a hire car at the airport and Agia Triada monastery is barely ten minutes away, with the old town twenty minutes down the road.

A small car is ideal for the peninsula’s lanes and the narrow final stretches to the beaches. For prices, suppliers and the full lowdown on collecting your car, see our guide to cheap car hire at Chania Airport, or browse the full car hire in Crete guide.

Driving Tips for the Akrotiri Peninsula

The Akrotiri scenic drive is easy, rewarding driving. The roads across the Akrotiri peninsula are in excellent condition, well surfaced and well signposted, linking the airport, the monasteries and the beaches without difficulty. The one exception is the final descent to Seitan Limania, a spectacular cove beyond Stavros, which is steep, narrow and full of switchbacks, so if you add it, take it slowly and be especially careful on the climb back up.

Parking is straightforward at the monasteries, the cemetery and the beaches, though Stavros fills up in peak season, so arriving earlier helps. In Chania old town, use the edge-of-centre car parks rather than trying to drive into the pedestrian lanes. Drive on the right, and take the peninsula’s few narrow village streets gently. For the official rules of the road and current requirements, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office keeps an up to date summary on its Greece travel advice pages.

What Most Guides Do Not Tell You

Three things about the Akrotiri scenic drive the cruise tours miss. First, the Souda Bay War Cemetery: almost every coach excursion drives straight past it to the monastery and the old town, yet for many visitors, especially British, Australian and New Zealand ones, it is the most affecting stop of the day. Drive yourself and give it the twenty quiet minutes it deserves. Second, the Katholiko walk: the gorge hike from Gouverneto down to the abandoned cliff monastery is one of the loveliest short walks in Crete, and no coach tour can ever fit it in.

Third, the timing of the old town. The cruise excursions descend on Chania harbour at midday, when it is at its hottest and most crowded. If you drive yourself, do the harbour early or late, when the light is soft on the water and the lanes are quiet, and spend the middle of the day out on the peaceful peninsula instead. That simple reversal, easy in your own car, transforms the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is there to do on the Akrotiri peninsula?

On the Akrotiri scenic drive, the peninsula just northeast of Chania and home to its airport offers the historic monasteries of Agia Triada and Gouverneto, the moving Souda Bay War Cemetery, the gorge walk down to the abandoned Katholiko monastery, and lovely beaches including Stavros, where Zorba the Greek was filmed. It makes a superb full-day scenic drive from Chania.

How far is Agia Triada monastery from Chania?

On the Akrotiri scenic drive, Agia Triada monastery is about 9 miles from Chania, a straightforward fifteen-minute drive onto the Akrotiri peninsula, and only around ten minutes from Chania Airport, which sits on the peninsula itself. Public buses are very limited, so a hire car is by far the best way to visit.

Can you visit Souda Bay War Cemetery?

Yes, the Souda Bay Commonwealth War Cemetery is open to visitors free of charge, in a peaceful garden setting on the bay east of Chania. More than 1,500 Allied soldiers of the 1941 Battle of Crete are buried there. It is well worth a reflective twenty-minute stop, and easily reached by car on the way onto the Akrotiri peninsula.

Where was Zorba the Greek filmed?

The famous sirtaki dance scene in the 1964 film Zorba the Greek was filmed at Stavros beach, on the northern tip of the Akrotiri peninsula near Chania. The near-circular bay beneath its bare mountain is instantly recognisable and makes a perfect swimming stop to close the Akrotiri scenic drive.

Do you need a car to explore Akrotiri and Chania?

A hire car is much the best way, as public transport on the Akrotiri peninsula is very limited and does not link the monasteries, the cemetery and the beaches. With Chania Airport on the peninsula itself, you can collect a car and begin exploring straight away, at your own pace, which no cruise excursion or coach tour allows.

Download the Akrotiri Drive Guide

Drive the Akrotiri Peninsula for Yourself

The Akrotiri scenic drive gives you a Venetian harbour, two great monasteries, a wild gorge walk, a moving war cemetery and the beach where Zorba danced, all in one gentle day that starts the moment you land. Skip the rushed cruise excursion and take the peninsula at your own pace. Pick up your car at Chania Airport, right there on Akrotiri, and the day is yours.

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