The Koum Kapi sea front, which extends eastward from the Porta Sabbionara (“Sand Gate”) at the end of the Venetian Harbour in Chania, has a laid-back vibe which is appreciated by both visitors and locals. Less frenetic than the Venetian harbour at peak times, it is mainly the haunt of local Haniots, who throughout the year come to drink coffee at the many cafés along the promenade, meet friends, play tavli, and soak up the (winter) sun.
In summer, Koum Kapi beach is a popular bathing spot for locals, but suffers from erosion which over the years has reduced it to a narrow strip of sand, disappearing altogether when (as now) weather conditions raise the water level. At the same time northerly winds can provoke heavy waves, which are often braved by the regulars but can cause swimmers unfamiliar with the currents to get into difficulties.
One result has been the gradual dilapidation of on-shore installations, with broken paving stones and collapsing lamp standards which regularly require temporary repairs, lending an air of neglect to the area. Accounts in Haniotika Nea of the latest such incident are invariably accompanied by calls for an overall restoration and upgrading of the sea front, and on Monday the paper was able to report that some progress is within sight, with a restoration plan first drawn up a decade ago finally being put into action:
Remodelling of Koum Kapi to be tendered in 2027
The President of the Municipal Port Authority of Chania, Manolis Kotsifakis, estimates that works for the restoration of the Koum Kapi beach front will be put out to tender within 2027, implementing the Tsakalaki plan which has been in suspension for over a decade. “I am sure that the plan will be tendered and we will have a contractor within 2027,” Mr Kotsifakis told Haniotika Nea, noting that in addition to the restoration, the plan also envisages substantial works to protect the shore from erosion.
On the basis of the plan, three breakwaters will be constructed off Koum Kapi roughly on the lines of those at Kolymbari, so as to stop the waves from eating away at the beach. Mr Kotsifakis attributed the major delay at the Environment Ministry in approving the Environmental Terms for the plan to “bureaucratic reasons which held back the project,” adding: “Now the Municipality’s technical service is in the process of compiling the dossier for the tender. We have sent all the documents to the Decentralised Administration in Heraklion, which will carry out the final check.”
“I truly believe that the difficult stages have passed! There were major difficulties and the Municipality’s technical service has worked very hard for us to reach the point we are at today,” he said.
Breakwater at the Venetian Harbour
Progress is also being made towards tendering the plan for reconstruction of the breakwater outside the Venetian Harbour, which has been inoperative for many years.
Also proceeding are the plans for renewing the paving in the Venetian Harbour, dealing with the cavities which are undermining the quays, and instituting standardised sun shades for all the cafés.
(Haniotika Nea, 26/10/26)