Palaiochora is a small coastal town about 70 kilometers in the south-west of Chania, built on a peninsula and between two bays. The settlement is on the ruins of the ancient Kalamidi city and the Selinos Venetian fortress is in the south of the town.

The small and green hills surround and protect the town in the north. A hospitable and fertile plain is in front of those hills. The town is built between the plain and the beautiful Libyan Sea.

Palaiochora is a beautiful town with rooms to let, pharmacies, banks, cafeterias, post offices and shops. The Akriton of Europe Museum is in the center of the town.

In the nights its streets become a large pedestrian road. The central roads are closed to cars and the chairs of the shops are put on them in order the locals and the visitors to enjoy their coffee and food.

In the area there are E4 paths that end in beautiful beaches. One of the E4 paths connects Paliochora with the ancient Lissos city and ends to Sougia. Water sports take also place in the area like surfing, Jet Ski, sailing etc.

In Paliochora, there are boats that set off to Sougia, Agia Roumeli, Loutro, Chora Sfakion and Gavdos.

BEACHES

There are two bays, the western and the eastern, that are very different to each other. The Pachia Ammos (i.e. with sand, in Greek) beach with the beautiful man-made port and the lighthouse in the Schistonisi Island is in the western bay. It is a sandy, very clean, organized and about 1 kilometer long (the longest in the area) beach.

The eastern Chalikia beach is pebbly. There is a pier where the boats to Sougia, Agia Roumeli, Loutro, Chora Sfakion, Gavdos and Elafonisi loom.

Some other interesting beaches are also in the coast line of Paliochora. The beaches of Psilos Volakas (pebbly, not-organized), Plakaki (pebbly, not-organized with rooms to let and taverns) and Karavopetra (with sand and pebbles, not-organized) are in the west. The two magnificent beaches of Grammeno are 4 kilometers in the west of Palaiokastro.

The two Grammenos beaches are not organized but there are many tamarisks for sun protection. The one is pebbly and the other one is sandy. An organized camping is in the area and a beautiful cedar forest is above the beaches.

All these beaches are next to the central road that connects Palaiochora with Kountouras.

The beautiful and isolated beaches of Gialiskari are about 4 kilometers in the east of Palaiochora. In order to visit the area, you should follow the dirt road after the camping of Palaiochora. There are three beaches in Gialiskari, two in the west and one in the east. There are no trees in the area and no natural shade. There are umbrellas in the western, pebbly beaches. The eastern beach is called Anidroi as the exit of the gorge (starts from the Anidroi village) is there. The beach is sandy and not organized.

HISTORY

The area has been inhabited from the ancient years as the Palaiochora town was built on the ruins of the ancient Kalamidi city.

In 1834 it had not any residents according to an English traveler. Its inhabitance started again in 1866.

During the Cretan Battle (in the World War II) the town was destroyed by the Germans.

The development of Palaiochora started after the union of Crete with Greece. After the tomato and olive oil production and the tourist development in the 1970s, the town was inhabited during the whole year.

FESTIVITIES

Many cultural festivities take place in Palaiochora. Apart from the feasts, the Paliochoritiko Carnival, the International Chess tournament and the Cycling Tour of Palaiochora are held in the town.