Zakros Minoan Palast Site, Crete, Greece was the fourth largest on the island, but with a strategic important position on the west coast for the trade with Egypt and near east.

Shutterstock / Peter Maerky

Zakros Palace

Top choice


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.

In Minoan times the main palace entrance would have been in the northeastern corner facing the sea, but today's visitors enter from the south, first passing vestiges of workshops that may have been used to produce pottery and perfume. This path leads to the Central Court, which measures 30m by 12m and was the focal point of the entire palace.

Flanking the western side of the courtyard were two fancy halls, dubbed the Banquet Hall and the Hall of Ceremonies; the bull's-head rhyton (ceremonial drinking vessel), now a star exhibit at Iraklio's Archaeological Museum, was discovered in the latter. The cluster of small rooms west of the halls includes the archive room, where Linear A record tablets were found, as well as a shrine and a lustral basin. Also here is the treasury, so called because it yielded dozens of imported jars, rhyta and other objects.

The north wing contained the kitchen and an upstairs dining hall – you can still spot the column bases that supported the two-storey building. As in the other palaces, it is believed that the royal apartments were located in the east wing, which was fronted by a portico. A covered section shelters a lustral basin, which was once decorated with frescoes and abutted the queen's bedroom. These types of rooms probably served as a ritual cleaning space for those entering a shrine. Note the ledge and a niche in the southern wall that may have held ceremonial idols.

Unlike the other Minoan palaces, the east wing had three water features. The largest is the Cistern Hall, which featured a round basin surrounded by a colonnaded balustrade. Seven steps lead to the floor of the cistern, which may have been a pool, a bath or even an aquarium. The two wells located just south of the cistern may have supplied the workshops with water.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Zakros Natural History Museum

2.66 MILES

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…

2. Hiona Beach

6.96 MILES

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…

3. Folk Museum of Palekastro

6.97 MILES

Tucked away in a backstreet and signposted from the main road, this compact and well-presented museum occupies a traditional Cretan manor house, with…

4. Kouremenos Beach

7.45 MILES

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…

5. Moni Toplou

8.94 MILES

In splendid isolation on a windswept plateau, 15th-century fortified Moni Toplou is one of the most historically significant monasteries in Crete. Its…

6. Petras Archaeological Site

10.78 MILES

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…

7. Vaï

10.84 MILES

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…

8. Sitia City Beach

11.11 MILES

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…