Lasithi Province
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…
Must-see attractions in Lasithi Province
Elounda
Tiny Spinalonga Island became a leper colony in 1903 and catapulted into pop-cultural consciousness thanks to Victoria Hislop's 2005 bestselling novel The…
Ierapetra
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…
Lasithi Province
The fortified hilltop city state of Lato is one of Crete’s best-preserved non-Minoan ancient sites and worth the trip for the rural serenity and stunning…
Lasithi Province
In splendid isolation on a windswept plateau, 15th-century fortified Moni Toplou is one of the most historically significant monasteries in Crete. Its…
Lasithi Province
This tiny triple-aisled church on the main road shelters Crete's best-preserved Byzantine frescoes. The oldest in the central nave (13th century) depict…
Lasithi Province
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…
Lasithi Province
The Late Minoan settlement of Gournia lies 19km southeast of Agios Nikolaos. Comprising a small palace and residential areas, it was built between 1600…
Lasithi Province
This is a compact showcase of archaeological finds from eastern Crete spanning the arc from Neolithic to Roman times, with an emphasis on Minoan artefacts…
Lasithi Province
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…
Lasithi Province
This endearing museum opens a window on Crete's rural past, with exhibits spread over a 19th-century stone farmhouse and a slightly younger neoclassical…
Elounda
On the eastern shore of Spinalonga Island, Kolokytha is a small but lovely sandy cove with a view over to Kolokytha Island. Tour boats drop their…
Lasithi Province
About 15km east of Malia, Milatos Cave is easily reached and fun to explore, although you'll need a torch (flashlight) and good shoes to explore the…
Agios Nikolaos
The myth of the Phoenician princess Europa being abducted by Zeus in the guise of a bull finds expression in a monumental statue at the end of a ho-hum…
Ierapetra
The fine yellow-sand beach in the Analipsi township at the eastern end of Makrygialos stretches for about 1km and is one of the best on the southeastern…
Lasithi Province
Hiona Beach, 2.5km east of Palekastro, is a quiet sweep of of coarse sand and pebbles backed by clumps of tamarisk trees. It's overlooked by two excellent…
Lasithi Province
Kouremenos, about 7km south of Vaï and 3km northeast of Palekastro, is a long, grey sand-and-pebble beach with good shallow-water swimming, although it's…
Ierapetra
A popular place for locals to unwind at summer weekends, this coarse-grey-sand cove lapped by tranquil waters and backed by cliffs and tamarisk trees lies…
Agios Nikolaos
Walking along the waterfront on Akti Koundourou, keep an eye out for a superb perspective mural depicting the Minotaur on a zigzagging staircase (next to…
Ierapetra
The village of Koutsounari, some 7km east of Ierapetra, boasts one of the longest beaches in Crete (4.5km). It's great for sunbathing in relative solitude…
Lasithi Province
Wedged into a crescent bay about 12km east of Agios Nikolaos, this ribbon of fine golden sand is lapped by shallow and usually calm, Caribbean-clear water…
Lasithi Province
Sitia's city beach has mostly greyish sand and is lapped by crystalline, kid-friendly waters. Since it extends a couple of kilometres south of the town…
Lasithi Province
North of Vaï and reached on foot or by car, Itanos is a trio of small, pretty beaches watched over by the ruins of the ancient Graeco-Roman town of Itanos…
Lasithi Province
About 3km north of Vaï, vestiges of the Graeco-Roman port of Itanos overlook a trio of beaches. Itanos was once an important settlement in eastern Crete…
Lasithi Province
About 2km southeast of Sitia on a low hill overlooking the sea is the site of an important Minoan settlement. You can see the remains of two houses from…
Lasithi Province
Next to the church, this small museum houses the private collection of a late teacher who sparked the area's archaeological digs after stumbling upon…
Lasithi Province
Approaching Tzermiado from the south, look for the sign pointing to the Kronios Cave, reached via a path leading to a series of stairs. Excavations have…
Ierapetra
Overlooking the fishing harbour, the crenellated Venetian fort dates from the 17th century but was built atop an older defensive structure reputedly built…
Ierapetra
Inland from the fortress is the labyrinthine old quarter, where you'll see a Turkish fountain, the restored mosque with its minaret, Napoleon's house and…
Lasithi Province
Looming high on the hillside above the port, Kazarma (derived from the Italian Casa di Arma) was built by the Venetians in the 13th century but destroyed …
Lasithi Province
Anybody curious about traditional life in Sitia should spend half an hour or so nosing around this two-storey museum in a handsome 19th-century building…
Ierapetra
Dominating a triangular plaza at the northern edge of the old quarter, this yellow-sandstone mosque was built by the Turks in the late 19th century and…
Lasithi Province
You don't come to Plaka for the beach, but if you need your tan-and-swim fix, head towards the northern end of the village. There, next to a big car park…
Lasithi Province
Tucked away in a backstreet and signposted from the main road, this compact and well-presented museum occupies a traditional Cretan manor house, with…
Agios Nikolaos
This modest museum near the lake houses a well-curated collection of traditional handicrafts (especially textiles, costumes and embroidery), alongside…
Lasithi Province
A short distance past the village square en route to Kato Zakros, this little museum shines a spotlight on local flora and fauna through modest displays…
Lasithi Province
Just below Agia Ekaterini, the main church, look for a Venetian building that was once the administrative base of a French garrison based in Sitia during…
Ierapetra
This is where Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have stayed incognito with a local family when his ship anchored in Crete for one night in 1798 en route to…
Ierapetra
Built in 1856 atop a much older church possibly dating to the Venetian era, this handsome house of worship is dedicated to St George, the patron saint of…
Agios Nikolaos
Right in the town centre, Agios Nikolaos' main church is a three-aisled Byzantine construction dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The mosaic above the main…
