The village of Megala Chorafia is a small village not far from the sea and the beaches and around the corner from Chania. It is situated in a green and quiet area. In Megala Chorafia there are crossroads to several destinations in Crete. although Megala Chorafia is only very small it has three nice taverns, a kafenion and a minimarket (that actually sells a lot, including vegetables and fruit and fresh bread, but also things like batteries). We tried two out of the three taverns and then heard later that the third one (the smallest one behind Cretan Corner and opposite the kafenion) is the best of the three. Megala Chorafia depends on the tourists that come to visit the old town of Aptera, which is very nearby, and the Turkish castle of Izzedine.

When you enter the village after you have taken the exit that says "Megala Chorafia" the first sign you will see will say that you are in Aptera. This is confusing because you are not yet in Aptera. Aptera is yet a few kilometers away from where you are. You now find yourself in the village of Megala Chorafia. If you came here to have a bite to eat or something to drink or just to admire the views, you can park your car somewhere near the main square. The people that come for the excavations haven't reached their destination yet. You have to follow the signs and turn left. Mind you: on Mondays excavations like this (with a fence around the larger part of is) are closed in Greece.

15 Kilometers east of Chania are the remains of the old town of Aptera. This town has been inhabited since the bronze age. The antique town was destoyed by the Arabs in the 9th century. Archeologists found graves, temples and the remains of houses and fortifications from Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine times. From the town there is a spectacular view over the Bay of Souda end the Turkish fortress of Izzedine. The wide city walls of Aptera are quite impressive. Aptera is the largest Roman site on the island of Crete and the city was extremely important for both the Minoans and the Romans due to its geographical location above the largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean Sea. In the 3rd and 4th century BC Aptera was at its absolute peak and also had his own coins. In 700 AD Aptera was devastated by an earthquake in 823 AD the city was destroyed by pirates.

There aren't really an awful lot of accommodations in the village of Megala Chorafia. Still it's a pretty central place and a good spot for people who like it pretty quiet, and who do not want to be too far from the beaches and from Chania for example. We have stayed here a number of times in a beautiful villa.

For all hotels, apartments, studios and villas in Megala Chorafia - click here.

Pictures do not do this villa justice: you have to see it and experience it. One of my favourites ever. It is an absolute gem and also the perfect get away from it all. The people that own it have turned it into something very special. We visited this beautiful villa in the Apokoronas in October 2008. It is deceptively large: I estimate it is about 175 m2. Downstairs there are three bedrooms (2 doubles and one twin). The double rooms each have their own balcony and the twin room has a door leading to the patio in front of the pool. The last room has a private bathroom with a shower and toilet and there is also a small study incorporated. All the bedrooms have a tv and there is airconditioning. On the ground floor is also one of the most tasteful bathrooms that you have ever seen, with a big bath, double wash basins, a toilet and a washing machine.

Tel.: +302821072040, +306936703473 Fax: +302821079045 - Send an e-mail to Villa Renata
More information and pictures you can find on - this page.

Check availabilities and prices & book Villa Renata in Megala Chorafia - click here.

This beautiful large villa with private pool of 50 m2 is situated on a hill next to the village of Megala Chorafia (near Chania - which is 13 kilometers away - and Kalives, in the north of the island of Crete). It is one of the nicest places we ever stayed. The villa is easy to reach. If you come from the direction of Chania and drive towards the east you will pass the village Megala Chorafia. Just after the exit to the village you can clearly see the sign that says "Villa Amalia next exit 100 m" and here you drive over a narrow but good road into the hills. You can not miss it and you will automatically end up at the villa. Here is a separate parking area where you can put the car.

Phone no. +30 28250 31005 / +30 6978 777299 - Send an e-mail to Villa Amalia
More information and pictures of Villa Amalia you can find on - this page

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Featuring a private swimming pool with a sun terrace, Villa Athina in Megala Khorafia offers unobstructed views of the surrounding valley from its balcony. Free WiFi is available in all areas. The spacious villa includes a living room with a fireplace, flat-screen TV and DVD player.There is also a fully equipped kitchen with dining table, and a bathroom with a shower and hairdryer. Air conditioning and a washing machine come standard. At Villa Athina you will find a garden. Souda Airport is located 9 km away. Free private parking is possible on site.

Check availabilities and prices & book Villa Athina in Megala Chorafia - click here.

Featuring an outdoor pool and hot tub, beachfront Arcolios Epavlis is located in Megala ?horafia in Crete. It includes a garden, terrace and balcony overlooking the sea. The air-conditioned villa has a seating area with a fireplace and sofas. The kitchen is equipped with a stove and oven. The bathrooms come with a bath and shower. Arcolios Epavlis is 15 km from Chania Town centre with its harbour and Archeological Museum. Chania International Airport is 20 km away.

Check availabilities and prices & book Villa Arcolios Epavlis in Megala Chorafia - click here.

Areti aparthotel is established in the picturesque village of Megala Chorafia, east of Chania, on Crete Island. It views the White Mountains to the south and the sea of Souda Bay to the north. Areti Aparthotel has a beautiful and quiet environment full of flowers, vineyards, olive trees and Cretan herbs. The family Aparthotel has been built from stone in traditional style, and offers authentic traditional furniture and decoration, also. All apartments have balcony/verandas to the sea. There is a large fresh water swimming pool with a bar, where guests may relax and refresh. Local taverns with traditional cuisine and a large variety of local wines can be found near by. From here guests may explore the whole island. The closest beach is Kyani Akti of Kalyves (4 km away) and only 10 minutes drive. Just 2 km away there is the ancient town of Aptera.

Check availabilities and prices & book the Areti Aparthotel in Megala Chorafia - click here.

The Cretan Corner Taverna sits at the fork in Megala Chorafia (where you can also take a turn to the the ruins of Aptera). Here in this part of the village you find all the taverns. The Cretan Corner is the largest of the three taverns in Megala Chorafia and it also has the best view. They sell various types of breakfast, vegetarian dishes, appetizers with meat or fish, salads, grilled meat and chicken, omelettes and more. We tried the spinach pies, the cheese saganaki, the fries, the tuna salad and tzatziki. The bread was in one piece and was fresh. The tzatziki could have used some more cucumber and garlic. It was a bit watery. The spinach pies were nice but we thought probably from a a package in the freezer. The tuna salad was with endive, tomatoes, onion, olives and tuna. The fries were pretty crisp but the cheese saganaki was dry and tasted more like a piece of rubber: really dirty. Cretan Corner is a cheap tavern.

Our verdict: reasonable, some dishes were okay, others were really bad, a 7 out of 10.

Actually we have only had a soda here but the people that work here were so overwhelmingly friendly that they deserve a place in the spotlights. We asked for the directions to our next accommodation and before we new it they took out their own telephone to contact the owners of our destination and ask them what road we should take and how to get there. It was also quite cosy. The taverna is situated at the crossroads in Megala Chorafia (it says Aptera as you drive into the village but actually you drive into Megala Chorafia - this is where our confusion started because were already where we wanted to go to). Anyways, no verdict about the food but if that is just as good as the kindness of these people than it is a big fat ten.

Okay, so in 2010 we tested this tavern. They serve a variety of different breakfasts, appetizers (vegetarian and non-vegetarian), various salads, grilled meat and chicken, various cheeses, ice cream and sweets. We tried the stuffed zucchini flowers with fêta, the cheese saganaki, briam (different vegetables and feta from the oven) and the tuna salad. The food came pretty quickly and the service was friendly. The bread came in one piece and was fresh. The dishes looked a bit messy, as if not much care was put into them. The tuna salad had large pieces of vegetables and initially you could not see the tuna and the eggs that were supposed to be in the salad. They were all at the bottom. The presentation could be better here. There was spring-onion, tomato, peppers, lettuce, olives, tuna and egg in the salad. The cheese saganaki was 10 times better here than across the street at the Cretan Corner. The Briam tasted good. Paying the bill took a while because the owner was heavily in conversation with a friend and never looked around any more. We felt invisible.

Our verdict: slightly better than the Cretan Corner, a 7.5 out of 10