Activities such as horse riding, hiking and cycling can also be found nearby.
Spend some time at various entertainment venues with go-karts, bowling, children’s entertainment venues, parks, and cinemas – all within close distance from Santa Marina Plaza Hotel.
Crete island and especially Chania region offers several places of rare natural beauty and interest. The combination of sun, sea, mountains, wild rivers, gorges, narrow trails, and the many small Cretan villages; all create this undiscovered sports paradise in the Southern part of Europe and they wait to be explored.
Watching the environmentally protected sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach of Kolymbari (about a 20 minute drive from Santa Marina Beach Hotel). This takes place towards the end of August/ beginning of September each year. The process only lasts about 15 days with eggs hatching every 4 to 5 days within that time. Remaining environmentally friendly and in continuous cooperation with Archelon – the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece – great care is taken to ensure that these remain protected and are unharmed by beach activities, locals and visitors.
Take a sailing trip with a private skipper. Individually designed routes and duration make this a tailor-made experience.
Water sports such as jet-ski, surfing, scuba diving, paddle boats, canoe, windsurfing, banana boat and parasailing can be found at around 300 meters from sister hotel Santa Marina Beach Hotel.
For those who enjoy cave exploration, there are several nearby caves to visit on the mountain at Kolymbari. Also other caves can be found at the Akrotiri peninsula and on the south coast of the island.
Agricultural August is an event held at the Chania Old Venetian harbor every August. Locals from each village set up kiosks with their local produce. This is a good place to sample and buy Cretan pastries, ‘dakos’ (the local barley rusks), olive oil, cheese and other dairy products as well as handmade textiles. Several events are held during this festive time and feature Greek and Cretan live music and dancing.
Visit the olive tree in Vouves village – it is known to be the oldest olive tree in the world (estimated at 4000 years old) and still produces olives today. Here also is the Olive Tree Museum of Vouves – a small museum housed in a traditional home. For more info have a look at: olive museum vouves
Visit an olive oil production and bottling plant where extra virgin local olive oil is produced and bottled.
Visit wineries where you can, other than viewing the wineries and sampling Cretan wines also participate in wine picking (possible only at certain times of the year. The making of local tsikoudia can also be viewed (usually in September month).
See the sheep shearing (usually April and October months) is a several days event that takes place in nearby small villages.
Visit a local fabrics and textile manufacturing plant. Here you can see how the traditional linen and carpets are made.
Naval Week is held annually in July at Souda Bay (the port of Chania) and features exhibitions and events (also tours on a military war ship).
