- Region
- West Chania
- Distance
- 36 km west of Chania
- Population
- About 4,300 (2021)
- Port
- Boats to Balos; ferries to Kythera and Piraeus
Beaches in town
Telonio beach runs along the seafront promenade. Mavros Molos, west of the centre, is a long sandy beach with shallow water and tamarisks. Damialis is a small pebbly cove reached by a passage under the road.
Roman Kissamos
The modern town sits on the ancient city, which flourished in Roman times as the port of western Crete. The Archaeological Museum, in a listed building on the main square, covers prehistory to the early Christian period; its highlights are mosaic floors from Greco-Roman villas.
Pieces of the Venetian Castel Chissamo, which gave Kastelli its name, survive among the houses. The hilltop site of Polyrrinia is about 7 km south.
Boats and ferries
Excursion boats to Gramvousa and Balos leave in season from the port at Kavonisi, a few kilometres west of the centre. Seasonal ferries link Kissamos with Antikythera, Kythera, Gythio and Piraeus.
Base for the west
Balos is about 17 km away by road (the last part a dirt track), and Falasarna about 17 km west. Kissamos has tavernas, supermarkets and rooms, and feels like a working town rather than a resort.
Questions before you go
Where do Balos boats leave from?
From Kissamos port at Kavonisi, a few kilometres west of the town centre.
Is Kissamos a good base?
Yes, for Balos, Gramvousa, Falasarna and the Rodopos peninsula.
What is in the Kissamos museum?
Finds from prehistory to early Christian times, especially Roman mosaic floors.
