Eastern Crete
Greece Travel Secrets’ potted guide to Eastern Crete and why you should
consider it for a holiday, including seeing Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, Vai Beach
and Zakros.
The Lasithi Plateau in Eastern Crete
Eastern Crete has seen some of the densest tourism
development on the island, particularly in the north between Irakleio and Agios
Nikolaos on the Gulf of Mirabello, where bustling resorts have gobbled up the
coastal landscape.
Beyond the gulf, however, the far eastern region holds some
of the most stunning scenery on the island, from rugged mountains to an
unexpected palm beach.
North-Eastern Crete
Crete’s main centre of package tourism lies east of the
capital, Irakleio, stretching along the north coast to Malia. Here a string of
resorts have all but usurped the old villages with cheek-by-jowl hotels,
apartments, restaurants, bars, travel agencies, and souvenir shops.
Agios Nikolaos in Eastern Crete
Around Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos, set prettily around a little lake, is
another bustling centre. Amid this hedonistic coastal strip, the ancient palace
of Malia and the Minoan town of Gournia anchor this changing landscape to the
past.
Where to Stay in Agios Nikolaos
Far Eastern Crete
A short drive inland takes you into another world. The
provincial hill town of Neapoli is a gateway to the windmills and timeless
farming villages of the Lasithi Plateau, High in the Dikti Mountains is the
Diktean Cave, birthplace of the Greek god Zeus. At Kritsa, the fresco-covered
Church of Panagia Kera is an artistic jewel.
The Panagia Kera Church in Kritsa
Sitia and Beyond
A stunning coastal drive, not to be missed, brings you
further east to Sitia, with its attractive waterfront and relaxed pace. From
here you can strike out across a starkly beautiful mountainous landscape to
reach the monastery of Moni Toplou, the palm-fringed Vai Beach, and the remains
of the Minoan palace at Zakros.
Zakros
South-Eastern Crete
Ierapetra, Europe’s southernmost town, is the largest on the
south coast, with some fine beaches in small untouristy resorts on either side.
Here on the south coast it’s a total contrast to the busy resorts on the north
coast.
Where to Stay on Crete
Other Crete pages
Rethymnon is the third-largest city in Crete and has a Venetian fortress, Archaeological Museum, Old Town area and Venetian harbour,
Greece Travel Secrets suggests where to stay in Eastern Crete with our favourite hotels in Zakros, Elounds, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos, Istron Bay, Myrtos, Neapolis.
Hiking the Samaria Gorge on Crete, one of the best things to do on Crete, by Greece Travel Secrets.
Margarites is known on Crete for its pottery, with ceramics shops and workshops lining the streets of this charming small town not far from Rethymnon.
Agios Nikolaos is a pretty and popular town on the north coast of Crete and this page on Greece Travel Secrets covers its history, museums and beaches.
Malia on the north coast of Crete is renowned for its nightlife and beaches but also has the Minoan Palace of Malia, one of Crete's many archaeological sites.
Maleme near Chania is where the people who died during the battle of Crete are buried, in the German War Cemetery with the Commonwealth War Cemetery nearby.
Crete’s wildlife and landscape are two of the island’s attractions, including gorges for hiking, rare raptors like the lammergeier, wildcats and ancient trees.
This Rouvas Gorge walk starts and ends in Zaros in southern Crete and should take three to four hours with a distance of eight kilometres or five miles.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Central Crete including hotels in Matala, Ayia Galini, and Zaros.
The Stilianou Winery near Knossos on Crete uses only Cretan grape varieties, with every bottle numbered, and aims for quality rather than quantity.
Greece Travel Secrets eats at Vegera in Zaros and finds a cheap but wonderful feast of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes cooked daily with fresh local food.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Eastern Crete including restaurants and tavernas in Elounda, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, and Kato Zakros.
Greece Travel Secrets page on Phaistos or Faistos, the site of one of the finest Minoan palaces on Crete and is where the mysterious Phaistos Disc was found.
The Battle of Crete during World War 2 inspired several books and took place with an airborne invasion over Maleme on the north coast of the island.
This Lasithi Plateau drive on Crete starts in Neapoli and ends in Malia, covering a distance of 80 km (50 miles) and taking two to three hours.
For a Crete olive oil tour Greece Travel Secrets visits Biolea, one of the few olive oil factories on Crete that you can visit.
Western Crete has some wonderful golden sand beaches as well as mountain villages, monasteries, caves, and archaeological sites to discover.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Zacharioudakis Winery near Ancient Gortina in southern Crete, and does a vineyard tour arranged by our guide from Go Crete.
Ancient Gortina is an archaeological site in southern Crete famous for the church of Ayios Titos and for the Law Code inscribed here, the first in Europe.
These shopping tips for Crete include advice on buying souvenirs like ceramics, icons, jewellery, leather, weavings, wood carvings, and food and drink.
The Dalabelos Estate offers luxury eco-tourism accommodation on Crete in the hills near Rethymnon with its own farm, vineyard and olive groves.
Studies have shown the Cretan Diet as one of the healthiest in the world, involving lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh fish, and moderate amounts of wine.
This olive grove walk from Limnes to Vrises on Crete also takes you through orchards and gives close-up views of some of the island’s windmills.
This Amari Valley drive in southern Crete starts and ends in Ayia Galini, takes four to five hours and cover 100 kilometres or 62 miles.
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