Chania

The old Venetian harbour is the heart of Chania: a crescent of pastel facades, tavernas and 16th-century arsenals around a pedestrian basin. Perfect for an on-lead stroll early in the morning or at sunset, when terraces happily welcome dogs.

The Venetian lighthouse, remodelled by the Egyptians in the 19th century, closes the harbour at the end of a long stone jetty. The breakwater walk is open to leashed dogs and offers the finest view of the old town and the mountains.

Chania's old town is a maze of Venetian and Ottoman lanes: the Topanas quarter, the old Jewish quarter of Evraiki, the leather-workers' street. Shaded and largely pedestrian, it lends itself very well to wandering with a leashed dog, especially outside the hot hours.

The Samaria Gorge, a spectacular 16 km descent through the Lefka Ori national park, is western Crete's great day hike. Dogs are not allowed inside the national park: arrange day care or choose a nearby unprotected gorge such as Agia Irini instead.

West of the city, this string of sandy pine-backed coves is one of the most pleasant swimming spots near Chania. With a dog, aim for the ends of the coves and off-peak hours: in summer the supervised central beaches are closed to dogs.

On the Prophet Elias hill, the graves of Eleftherios Venizelos, Crete's great statesman, overlook the whole bay of Chania. The pine-planted park around them makes an easy on-lead walk with one of the finest viewpoints in the region.