Why choose Chania as a digital nomad in Crete

Arriving in Chania and getting around
 

Chania is both the name of the city and the regional unit of western Crete, and getting there couldn't be easier. There is an international airport, around 14km from Chania city centre, with daily domestic flights to Athens and international flights, especially in the summer months. Arriving by boat, the main port is Souda, about 6km from the town centre, with regular ferry services to Piraeus and other Greek islands. There are bus services and taxis from both the airport and the port, or you can hire a car, which is useful for visiting the wider area or exploring other regions of Crete. If you prefer not to drive, there are bus services between cities in Crete (eg Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos) and many villages and tourist landmarks, although these are less frequent.

The legendary Greek weather
 

The climate is at the top of anyone's list of reasons to work from Crete. As Greece’s southernmost island, it has an average of 300 sunshine days a year and is a dreamy 22–35°C (sometimes higher) in the summer… hot, sunny and dry, with cooling sea breezes if you’re by the coast. Everything you’d expect from a sun and beach destination. But you might not be aware that the goldilocks seasons in Greece are spring and autumn, when daytime temperatures typically range from 15-25°C… mild to hot, with lots of sunshine and minimal rain and flowers and fragrant herbs in the countryside. It’s still warm enough to swim, especially in autumn when the sea has retained its summer warmth. There’s no better time to go on excursions and do outdoor activities.

Embracing the Mediterranean diet
 

Cretan food is often described as the original Mediterranean diet and nothing captures the essence of Crete like extra-virgin olive oil, from olive groves throughout the countryside. It brings communities together during the autumn harvest and is drizzled over all kinds of food, from home-cooked oven dishes to salads (like Crete’s famous dakos salad) and seasonal vegetables (beans, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, fennel, tomatoes, squash, broccoli, beetroot, avocado etc). Wild greens (horta) are an accompaniment to many meals, delicious but also packed with vitamins and minerals. 

The list of local products is a long one and you’ll never tire of adding them to your shopping list: cheeses like graviera kritis (hard and nutty), mizithra (smooth and creamy) and xigalo (soft and tangy) to name just three, and cured meats like synglino and apaki (salted pork tenderloin, marinated in mountain herbs, olive oil and vinegar and then smoked).

The point is, you’ll eat like a king or a queen and Cretan food will become part of your life. We’ve put together a food tour of Chania and a foodie guide to Crete to whet your appetite or help you out if you’ve already made the leap to become a digital nomad in Chania. They include traditional dishes, tips for wine tasting and vineyard tours, visiting an olive oil press, or arranging a cooking lesson with a local.  

Where you’ll live and work
 

Living in the city of Chania, you’ll enjoy all of the amenities of home, with shops, restaurants, supermarkets and street markets, as well as pharmacies and other speciality shops. There is a great choice of bars and cafes and it is safe and welcoming. The cost of living is low and there is a good choice of accommodation, with fast and secure internet and WiFi and everything else you need to set up and work from home. But a popular choice for digital nomads in Chania is to hook up with other remote workers from around the world.

You’ve heard of Greece’s S’s… sun, sea and sand. Well, now you can add the three C’s for digital nomads in Crete… community, collaboration and coworking! The WorkHub is a popular coworking space that doesn’t just provide modern and enjoyable working conditions, with desks and meeting rooms, but also helps organise events and tours.  

If you’re looking for a break from city life, there’s also the option of setting up as a digital nomad in one of Chania’s traditional villages. The Apokoronas villages are a collection of settlements in the shadow of Crete’s White Mountains, around 30 minutes away from Chania town by car. The largest of these villages, Vamos, has set itself up to not only attract tourists but also digital nomads looking for a complete change of pace in Crete.

What happens when work is over
 

What about the all-important question of what spare time looks like for a digital nomad in Chania? Among your first experiences has to be a walking tour of Chania Old Town. All of Chania’s history is packed into its cobbled streets and seafront, where the legacy of the Arabs, Venetians and Ottomans is on show. You’ll walk through the narrow streets of the former Jewish and Muslim quarters, past fantastic tavernas and trendy bars, as well as souvenir shops and museums. Some highlights of Chania Old Town to put on your radar include the Venetian Harbour and Egyptian Lighthouse, the Kucuk Hasan Mosque and Arsenali shipyards, and the Topana district, famous for its 17th and 18^th-century Venetian architecture and Turkish bathhouses and for being Chania’s Greek quarter during Ottoman times. The more you explore, the more you’ll find when it comes to walks around Chania.  

Now for the really good stuff… day trips and excursions around Chania. Do we really need to mention the beaches? Some beaches in the region of Chania, like Balos and Elafonisi, are world-famous and rightly so, but they can suffer under the weight of visitors in the summer months. So being a digital nomad in Crete is the perfect opportunity to visit them in the quieter months. You’ll quickly find your favourite swimming spots wherever you’re based, whether that’s an organised beach or a remote bay. But here are some of the best beaches in Chania to get your swimming juices flowing.

Other excursions include village hopping and visiting the south coast of Chania, where you can take a boat trip to Loutro, a village that is only accessible by sea. Boats to Loutro leave from Chora Sfakion, from where you can also hire a private boat from companies like Notos Mare to reach Loutro and explore the south coast. If you stay in or visit Vamos in the Apokoronas villages, Vamos Village can help with both accommodation and activities within Vamos and surrounding villages, a one-stop shop that also promotes sustainable tourism. They can arrange cooking classes, olive oil tasting and more. And in another Apokoronas village, tiny Litsarda, The Olive Farm offers cooking lessons, as well as cheese tasting, yoga and more.

There are plenty of great hikes you can do in Chania but hands down the most epic is the spectacular Samaria Gorge, the longest canyon in Greece and part of the European E4 hiking trail. It runs for 16km from a plateau beneath the White Mountains to the Libyan Sea. There are experience providers (such as Trekking Hellas) that offer guided tours of Samaria Gorge and other private or joint excursions.

Other experiences include wine tasting at Manousakis Winery in Vatolakkos village and Karavitakis Winery in Pontikiana village, and at other vineyards close to Chania town. You can visit a raki distillery, such as the I.F. Petroulakis Distillery in Xirosterni village, and a traditional stone-mill cold olive press, like Biolea, which offers olive oil tasting. There is a choice of experience providers who can help you organise your excursions, including Let’s Crete and Unchartered Escapes. Your weekend just got an upgrade.

Becoming a digital nomad in Chania

Being a digital nomad in Chania is a great way to achieve the work-life balance you’ve always wanted. If you’re interested in finding out more, Workfromgreece.gr offers advice and information on how to set yourself up and connecting with digital nomad communities already in Crete.

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