Souda Bay, Greece

Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. It is formed between the Akrotiri peninsula and Cape Drapano, and runs west to east. The bay is overlooked on both sides by hills, with a relatively low and narrow isthmus in the west near Chania.

Near the mouth of Souda bay, between the Akrotiri and the town of Kalives, are a set of small islands with Venetian fortifications. The largest island is Souda Island, giving its name to the bay. The Venetians held on to these strategic islands for over thirty years after the fall of Crete to the Ottomans Souda is now an important port for freight and ferries to Pireaus, and a strategic NATO base particularly suitable for submarines.

Souda Bay is now a popular tourist destination although there are no real public beaches due to the presence of the naval base. Villages such as Megala Chorafia and Kalives afford fine views of the bay, and house-building, particularly for foreigners and tourist companies, is spreading along the bay.

Things to See & Do

* Choria
* Megala Chorafia
* Allied War Cemetery
* Kalives
* Sfakia

General information

Cruise Season – Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language – Greek
Land Area – 45 km²
Population – 635,000 Crete
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC plus two hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 30

Port Location - The port is located at Souda Bay.

Travel Links - The airport is at Sternes on the Akrotiri peninsular, about 14kms to town. Ferry boats come in to the port of Souda from Athens every morning, departing again every evening. Ferry services also run to and from south west resorts like Sfakia, Loutro, Agia Roumelli, Sougia and Paleochora. Boats also go from Kastelli to Gramvoussa on the north coast.

The main bus terminal is in Kydonias street in Chania, providing a service to destinations all over Crete. Car hire outlets and taxi ranks are located all over town.