Chania, What you need to know about kayaking in the region
Sea kayaking in Chania region is divided mainly into 3 sections; the west, the north and the south.
The most exposed in sea conditions is usually the north west while the calmest the south.
The south part been the nicer too. Especially the Sfakia region has a magnificent coast line to paddle with many caves and superb beaches away from the massive tourism.
The less nicer to paddle is the coastline close to the popular city of Chania.
Apart from the old Venetian port is not something interesting to discover with sea kayaks.
On the other hand the south coast or the far north west part (near to Gramvousa island) is a lovely paddle. Having said that is quiet often to have big swell & waves along with strong winds especially during the summer months thus making a safer choice to paddle anywhere in the south part of the island.
Ilingas beach, south Chania
A big part of the south Chania is part of the Samaria national park and the most remote of the island. From Ilingas beach next to the small village of Chora Sfakion and for quiet few nautical miles there are no roads; a kayak paradise day or night!
The Milky was as seen from Ilingas beach during July
A true paradise for the night photographer too!
Getting to the south from Chania city can be either by bus, taxi or rental car. The bus arrives around 9:45 am every day during the summer months giving you enough time to join a kayaking trip.
Taxi is also a faster option but much more expensive. You have however many options as lots of companies operate in the area and can offer a transfer for up to 9 or more persons which make it more cost effective. You can have a look at price rates in this link to get an idea.
For rental car you can choose any of the many companies on the island. From personal experience and also from many others that I got feedback I highly recommend to book with crete-car-rental.com.
I hope you enjoy your stay and see you soon in any of our trips in the south of Chania!