Lasithi Province

Clinging to the craggy foothills of the Dikti range, Kritsa is one of the oldest and prettiest mountain villages in eastern Crete. The upper village with its web of narrow, car-free lanes is especially atmospheric. Along the main strip, Kritsotopoulas, you'll find charming cafes, shops slinging local products and surprisingly sophisticated boutiques. Away from the village, rugged Kritsa Gorge, the romantic ruins of Ancient Lato and the church of Panagia Kera, with its stunning Byzantine frescoes, are all worth your attention.

Note that in season Kritsa is often clogged with tour buses and day trippers, so come early or late in the day to avoid the worst crowds.

Ancient Zakros, the smallest of Crete’s four Minoan palatial complexes, sat next to a harbour and was likely engaged in sea trade with the Middle East, as suggested by excavated elephant tusks and oxhide ingots. Like Knossos, Phaestos and Malia, Zakros centred on a courtyard flanked by royal apartments, shrines, ceremonial halls, storerooms and workshops. While the ruins are sparse, the remote setting makes it an attractive site to nose around. Information panels help spur your imagination.

The beach at Vaï, 24km northeast of Sitia, is famous for its large grove of Phoenix theophrasti (Cretan date) palms. With calm, clear waters, it's one of the island's most popular strands and its tightly spaced rows of umbrellas and sunbeds often fill by 10am in July and August. Jet skis kick into gear shortly thereafter. Snack bars and a reasonably priced taverna provide refreshments. Two buses daily make the trip from Sitia (€3.30, one hour) between May and October.

Tiny Spinalonga Island became a leper colony in 1903 and catapulted into pop-cultural consciousness thanks to Victoria Hislop's 2005 bestselling novel The Island and the subsequent Greek TV series spin-off To Nisi. Boats departing from Elounda, Plaka and Agios Nikolaos drop visitors at Dante's Gate, the 20m-long tunnel through which patients arrived. From here, a 1km trail takes you past such ‘sights’ (mostly ruined) as a church, the disinfection room, the hospital and the cemetery.

According to legend, Rhea hid in this cave to give birth to Zeus, far from the clutches of his offspring-gobbling father, Cronos. A slick and vertiginous staircase corkscrews into the damp dark, passing overhanging stalactites, ethereal formations and a lake. From Psyhro it's a steep 800m walk to the cave entrance, via a rocky but shaded natural trail or the sunny paved path starting near the car park.

Ierapetra is the launch pad for boat trips to uninhabited Chrissi Island (also known as Gaïdouronisi or Hrysi Island). It is famous for its golden beaches, clear water shimmering in myriad shades of blue, cedar forest, traces of Minoan ruins, and Belegrina, a beach covered with a mountain of shells. There are usually a couple of morning boat departures that give you 4½ hours on the island. Tickets are sold online and by agents around town. Bring a picnic or buy refreshments on board. One company that will take you there is Cretan Daily Cruises (28420 20008, www.cretandailycruises.com boat trip adult/child €25/12, mid-May–Oct) ); their vessels carry 200-400 passengers.

In splendid isolation on a windswept plateau, 15th-century fortified Moni Toplou is one of the most historically significant monasteries in Crete. Its defences were tested by everyone from pirates to crusading knights to the Turks. The church brims with superb icons, although the main magnet is the intricate Lord Thou Art Great icon by celebrated Cretan artist Ioannis Kornaros. It depicts scenes from the Old and New Testaments, including Noah’s Ark, Jonah and the Whale, and Moses parting the Red Sea.

Tucked into the far southeastern corner of Crete, Xerokambos is an indie traveller's dream. There's little to do here but relax on the beach, feast in the tavernas, explore local caves and gorges, and scan the skies for the falcons that breed on the offshore Kavalli Islands.

The village itself has no real centre, as homes, apartments and a clutch of mini-markets and restaurants lie scattered over a sprawling area. The big attraction is the beaches, 14 in all, strung like pearls across 4.5km. Take your pick from sandy ribbons to snug coves, some backed by cliffs, sand dunes or wetlands. Outside July and August, many of them are often footprint free.

Next to the 'central beach', such as it is, are a couple of tavernas with sunloungers (free if you consume something), but that's pretty much it for seaside infrastructure.

Getting to Xerokambos is half the fun. Coming from Zakros, the road corkscrews for about 9km through a muscular mountainscape occasionally scarred by rugged gorges until it opens up to the showstopping panorama of the big, blue Libyan Sea. Another road serpentines down from Ziros in about 18km, delivering brake-worthy views after every hairpin turn.