Best things to do in Alikianos in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Alikianos is an inland village in the Chania region, in the farming country south-west of Chania city and about 7 km back from the north-coast beaches. Farmland surrounds the village, and the gorges that cut into the foot of the White Mountains start under 6 km away. Alikianos is a working village rather than a resort, so what fills a day here is spread around it: a museum, a winery, a botanical park and two gorges.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport, and it lies north-east of the village beyond the city. Alikianos suits a visitor who wants the Chania hinterland with the resorts still within reach, because the gorges above Karanou sit under 6 km away and the beaches at Stalos and Platanias under 8 km.
Things to do in and around Alikianos
Six outings lie within 6 km of Alikianos, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Visit the olive museum. The Olive and Oil Museum and Dermitzakis Folklore Collection stands 1.7 km from the village, the closest of these outings.
- Taste at Manousakis Winery, 2.2 km away, which puts it within a few minutes of the village.
- Walk the Botanical Park and Gardens of Crete, 4.7 km from Alikianos, which has its own restaurant on site.
- Spend a day at Aqua Creta Limnoupolis, 5.5 km from the village.
- Walk the Kydoni Gorge, which starts 5.6 km away at an old fountain in Karanou village, then drops through a centuries-old olive grove and past the church of Agios Dimitrios, where fragments of old frescoes survive, down to the stream bed. Trees over 20 m tall make it one of the greenest gorges on the island.
- Hike the Boriana Gorge, also called the Karanou Gorge, which begins 5.8 km away in the Boriana quarter of Karanou and runs 1,800 m on a laid path to the Mavropiliotis river. A ruined watermill, caves, a charcoal furnace and the tunnels of the old Averof iron ore quarries line the route, and walkers often pair it with the Kydoni Gorge beside it.
Beaches in and around Alikianos
Alikianos has no beach of its own, and 5 beaches lie between 7 km and 9 km north of the village on the coast west of Chania. They form one near-continuous sandy strip, so the choice is between organised resort fronts and the quieter gaps between them.
- Platanias lies 7.3 km away, an organised Blue Flag beach 11 km west of Chania that runs about 2 km in front of the Platanias resort, facing the islet of Thodorou. Sunbeds, beach bars and water sports sit a few steps from the sand.
- Stalos sits 7.4 km away, the sandy front of Kato Stalos, 7 km west of Chania between Kalamaki and Agia Marina, with full facilities and a blue flag each year. The old village of Pano Stalos stands 150 m further south among green hills.
- Agia Marina runs 7.6 km away, a long organised beach 9 km west of Chania with shallow, calm water and stone piers that keep swimming sheltered on windy days. It is one of the busiest beaches near the city.
- Gerani begins 7.8 km away, a wide, calm stretch of sand and fine pebbles 13 km west of Chania between Maleme and Platanias. Loggerhead turtles nest here between May and September, and long unorganised sections stay quiet in high summer.
- Kalamaki stands 8.4 km away, the beachfront of Galatas village 6 km west of Chania, with fine sand, gentle water, a lifeguard and a small cove at its western edge. It marks the western end of the beach that starts 1 km east at Agii Apostoli.
Where to eat in Alikianos
Eating around Alikianos means cafés and tavernas within about 5 km, several of them grouped near the Botanical Park.
- Enasma Cafe stands 3.1 km from the village.
- Café Agia Lake sits 3.4 km from the centre.
- Botanical Park & Gardens Restaurant is 4.7 km away, inside the park.
- Like Mom’s lies 4.7 km from Alikianos.
Getting to Alikianos
Alikianos is reached on the roads that run inland from the coast west of Chania, and the same roads carry on south towards Karanou and the gorges. The resort strip at Platanias, 6.9 km away, is the nearest place with a full range of shops and late-opening restaurants.
Chania city and Chania airport both lie north-east of the village, Kissamos lies west and Rethymno east. A car is worth having here, because the museum, the winery, the park and the two gorges are scattered across 6 km of countryside.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Alikianos in Crete?
Alikianos lies inland in the Chania region, south-west of Chania city and about 7 km back from the beaches at Stalos and Platanias. The village sits on the plain between the coast and the White Mountains.
Does Alikianos have a beach?
Alikianos is an inland village with no beach of its own, but 5 beaches lie within 9 km. Platanias, 7.3 km away, is the nearest, and Kalamaki at 8.4 km is the closest to Chania city.
Can you walk a gorge from Alikianos?
Two gorges start at Karanou, under 6 km from Alikianos. The Kydoni Gorge, 5.6 km away, runs through dense woodland from an old fountain in the village, and the Boriana Gorge, 5.8 km away, covers 1,800 m past a watermill and old quarry tunnels; the two run parallel and are often walked on the same day.
What is there to do in Alikianos with children?
Aqua Creta Limnoupolis and the Botanical Park and Gardens of Crete are the two nearest family outings, 5.5 km and 4.7 km from the village. The shallow, sheltered water at Agia Marina, 7.6 km north, suits younger swimmers.
Which airport is closest to Alikianos?
Chania (CHQ) is the closest airport to Alikianos. It lies north-east of the village, on the far side of Chania city.
Where Alikianos is
Best things to do in Alikianos in 2024 is located at Alikianós. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
