Chaniá city, is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania Prefecture. It lies along the north coast of the island, about 70 km (43 mi) west of Rethymno.Built on the site once occupied by ancient Kydonia, Chania represents a combination of styles.
The old town is situated next to the old harbour and is the matrix around which the whole urban area was developed.The Historica remains near  the harbour area , keep the memories of the past  alive. The centre of the modern city is the area extending next to the old town  towards the south. The official population of the municipal area is around 60.000.With 4,248.1 inhabitants/km², the municipality is the most densely populated in Greece outside the Athens and Thessaloniki metropolitan areas.
Chania prefecture, often informally termed as the 'West Crete', is a beautiful and in many parts unspoilt part of the island. Some notable villages in the Chania prefecture are: Hóra Sfakíon,Paleochora,Kissamos, Vrisses ,Vamos, Sougia Kalives and Georgioupolis.
The natural park of Samaria Gorge, a major tourist attraction and a refuge for the rare Cretan wild goat "kri kri", is in the South of the prefecture of Chania. The White Mountains(Lefka Ori) through which the Samaria, Aradena, Imbros and other gorges run, are the limestone peaks topped by snow until May that occupy much of Chania prefecture. They contain more than 40 peaks over 2,000 meters high. The highest peak in this area is Pahnes, at 2,453 meters above sea level.
Western Crete is popular for its spring flowers that bloom on into early May in the mountains. Birdwatching is also popular, with the lammergeier and golden eagle especially sought for. As an island, Crete has many endemic species of plant and animal.
The freshwater lake of  Kournas, is in the prefecture close to  Rethymno town. It is relatively large, with a perimeter of 3.5 km.