Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour near the town of Souda on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akrotiri peninsula and Cape Drapano, and runs west to east. The bay is overlooked on both sides by hills, with a relatively low and narrow isthmus in the west near Chania.
Souda Bay inlet, with the Izzeddin Fortress in the foreground
View of Souda bay by Jan Peeters, 1690
French nautical chart of Souda Bay in the 18th century.
The arrival of the first High Commissioner in 1898
Souda is a town and former municipality in the Chania regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chania, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 22.007 km2 (8.497 sq mi). It is an important ferry and naval port at the head of Souda Bay.
The cliff of Souda bay
View of the islet of Leon, from the Venetian fortifications on the islet of Souda, within Souda Bay.
View from the walls of the Souda fortress.