Nea Chora Beach

The neighborhood immediately west of Old Town Chania is called Nea Chora, which means “New Town.” The name is actually quite old - this was the first part of the city built outside the Venetian fortification walls. I was curious to see Nea Chora, so we decided to wander in that direction for one of our walks.

At the Venetian Harbor, we walked left to Firkas Fortress, which sits across from the lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor. On the other side of the fortress, the dry moat now functioned as a small park.

We continued past Firkas Fortress, along the water. Most of the buildings on this stretch of road were under construction. So we looked out at the water, and enjoyed the shade provided by a long row of tamarisk trees with green feathery leaves. Tamarisks are also known as salt cedar trees, and are common on Greek beaches because of their salt tolerance. These trees must have been quite old, because their trunks were wonderfully gnarled.

It wasn't long, just ten minutes or so, before we arrived at Nea Chora Beach. The sand was soft, and the water was shallow and relatively calm - a great beach for kids. This late in the year, it wasn’t crowded, though there were plenty of families out enjoying the warm day. The promenade was lined with beach chairs and umbrellas on one side, and cafes and seafood restaurants on the other. One establishment displayed a couple of freshly caught octopuses, to lure hungry diners. (Fun fact: the word “octopus” has Greek roots, not Latin, so the plural is technically “octopodes,” not “octopi".”)