Best things to do in Tersanas in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Tersanas is a small coastal settlement on the Akrotiri peninsula, north-east of Chania city in the Chania region. Our page for Maherida, the cove 700 m away, places that beach 14 km north-east of Chania, and that is the nearest road figure we publish for this stretch of coast. Five beaches lie within 7 km of the village, and they run from an undeveloped white-sand cove to an organised resort bay.
Chania airport (CHQ) is the nearest airport to Tersanas. The peninsula around the village mixes commuter settlements built by people leaving the city with small resorts that grew out of fishing hamlets, so the coast here has tavernas and sunbeds in places and nothing at all in others. Two gorges and two monasteries sit further out on the cape, which gives the area more to do than swimming.
Things to do in and around Tersanas
Six outings lie within about 10 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Swim at Maherida. The cove 700 m away has white sand and turquoise water in a calm south-west-facing bay closed in by sharp rocks. Maherida carries no sunbeds, umbrellas or tavernas, and its shallow clear water suits swimming and snorkelling.
- Spend a day at Kalathas. The seaside village 1.6 km away sits in a natural bay with fine sand and shallow water, and a small island opposite is close enough to swim to. The main Kalathas beach is organised with umbrellas, water sports, restaurants, lifeguards and mini markets.
- See the Zorba beach at Stavros. The camel-shaped Vardies mountain above Stavros, 2.8 km away, was the backdrop for Anthony Quinn’s Sirtaki dance in the 1964 film Zorba the Greek. The village beach lies east of the houses at the foot of the mountain, beside the harbour, in a protected semi-circular lagoon of white sand.
- Hike the Avlaki Gorge to the sea. The 2 km route starts at Gouverneto Monastery, 6.3 km from Tersanas, and drops 280 m in about an hour on a difficulty rating of 2 out of 10. Walkers pass caves, hermitages and the abandoned Katholiko Monastery, which is why Avlaki is also called the Katholiko Gorge.
- Look into the Diplohahalo Gorge. The canyon 9.6 km away near Chordaki village is technical rather than a walk, with six descents and rock shelters under steep slopes. A cave about 20 m deep, hung with stalactites and stalagmites, opens halfway up the 38 m waterfall inside the gorge.
- Walk the Chania old town. The capital of the Chania prefecture keeps Venetian and Turkish monuments, a harbour and a lighthouse, and the winding streets of its old town hold hotels, eateries and shops inside historic buildings. Chania is the second most populated city on Crete.
Beaches in and around Tersanas
5 beaches lie within 7 km of Tersanas, and they differ sharply in how developed they are. The list runs from nearest to furthest.
- Maherida lies 700 m away and is also spelled Macherida, a secluded white-sand cove 1 km west of Chorafakia village. The name comes from the Greek machairi, meaning knife, after the knife-like rocky cape at the northern end of the bay; a second theory traces it to the gladiolus flower. The cove is family friendly and nudism friendly.
- Kalathas follows 1.6 km away, in a bay that is open to the north winds. West of the main bay, beyond the rocky end, a second sandy bay stays secluded and unorganised.
- Agios Onoufrios sits 2.8 km away, a quiet sandy beach in a deep bay beside a small port, well protected from the wind. It has sunbeds, parasols, showers, changing rooms, a lifeguard and two volleyball courts, and local people come here for the landscape and the tavernas. Fuel tanks stand to the north-west of the beach.
- Stavros lies at the same distance, 2.8 km away at the farthest point of Cape Akrotiri, once a fishing hamlet and now a busy resort with hotels and tourist facilities. The village has two beaches, and the main one forms a sheltered lagoon under the Vardies mountain.
- Katholiko Bay opens 6.7 km away and is reached on foot down the gorge rather than by road. The bay once served as the port of the Katholiko Monastery, where the monks docked and mended their boats, and pirate raids on that position led the monks to abandon the monastery in the 16th century.
Where to eat in Tersanas
Eating around Tersanas means tavernas, beach restaurants and bars spread along the peninsula, the nearest under a kilometre away.
- Amaka does breakfast, a pool and a sunset bar, 800 m out.
- Ramblers Restaurant & Bar stands 1 km from the village.
- Irene’s Tavern does taverna cooking, 1.2 km out.
- Lena Beach Restaurant sits on the coast, 1.8 km away.
- Methexis lies 2.4 km out, towards Agios Onoufrios.
- Yiasemi is 2.7 km from Tersanas.
Getting to Tersanas
Tersanas is reached from Chania by the road that climbs onto the Akrotiri peninsula. Chorafakia is the nearest inland village, 1 km east of the cove at Maherida, and Kounoupidiana lies close to the beach at Agios Onoufrios. A car is worth having, because the beaches, the gorges and the monasteries spread over the whole cape.
The neighbouring settlements are close. Kalathas lies 1.6 km away, Stavros and Agios Onoufrios 2.8 km each, and the city itself is a short drive south-west. Souda, the port of Chania and the arrival point for ferries from Piraeus, sits about 6.5 km east of the city centre at the head of Souda Bay.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Tersanas in Crete?
Tersanas lies on the Akrotiri peninsula, north-east of Chania city, in the Chania region of western Crete. Chorafakia village lies about 1 km east of the neighbouring cove at Maherida.
What beaches are near Tersanas?
Maherida is the closest beach, 700 m from Tersanas. Kalathas follows at 1.6 km, Agios Onoufrios and Stavros at 2.8 km each, and Katholiko Bay at 6.7 km, which makes 5 beaches inside 7 km.
Which airport is nearest to Tersanas?
Chania airport (CHQ) is the nearest airport to Tersanas. The transfer stays inside the Chania region, and the drive reaches the village by the Akrotiri peninsula road.
Where was Zorba the Greek filmed near Tersanas?
The Sirtaki dance scene was filmed at Stavros, 2.8 km from Tersanas. Anthony Quinn danced in 1964 below the camel-shaped Vardies mountain that rises over the village beach.
Can you walk a gorge from Tersanas?
Yes, the Avlaki Gorge starts 6.3 km away at Gouverneto Monastery. The walk covers 2 km, drops 280 m to Katholiko Bay, takes roughly an hour, and stays generally dry.
Where Tersanas is
Best things to do in Tersanas in 2024 is located at Tersanas. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
