Sitia
Greece Travel Secrets discovers Sitia, the main town in eastern Crete, with its relaxing waterfront, inexpensive hotels, good food, and nearby ancient sites.
We loved Sitia right from our very first visit. We'd driven there from the wonderful Istron Bay Hotel, which we were sad to be leaving as we think it's one of the best hotels on Crete. It's only an hour's drive but it's a beautiful one with good winding roads and views of the mountains and occasionally the sea.
We'd booked a room for a few nights at the Elysée Hotel, right on the waterfront. Its two-star rating didn't bother us as we know that in Greece you don't judge a hotel by how many stars it has. Two-star hotels can be just as good as three-star and four-star hotels, and much cheaper.
The Elysée was perfectly clean and comfortable, we got a room at the front with a balcony overlooking the sea, and the owner immediately took us under his wing, introducing us to his delightful wife and young children. It was the Easter weekend and he invited us to watch some of the processions with him and his family, giving us a better insight into Greek Easter customs.
Where to Stay in
Sitia
The Elysée was excellent and we'd definitely recommend it, but to be honest there were two other two-star hotels along the same seafront promenade - the Itanos and the Flisvos - and I bet we'd have been happy in either of them.
We were soon wandering along the seafront and looking forward to having Sitia as our base for a while. Even though it was Easter, the town seemed very quiet, certainly compared to bigger places like Agios Nikolaos, where we'd been earlier in the week. Sitia has a much more-laid back and relaxed feel to it than most places. It's got a bit busier since we were first there, but not much.
What to Do in Sitia
Archaeological Museum
Sitia's Archaeological Museum is excellent, helped by the fact that there are a number of fine Minoan sites in the area. That's another reason we chose to stay there for a few days, as Sitia makes a good base for touring this part of Eastern Crete.
There's information about the Palace of Zakros, too, which is about an hour's drive from Sitia on the east coast. It's one of our favourite spots on Crete.
Folklore Museum
This was founded in 1975 and is in a beautiful building. It's worth a look-in to see its collections of traditional costumes, textiles, icons, kitchen items, furniture and especially (for us) musical instruments.
Where to Eat in Sitia
Our absolute favourite place to eat in Sitia was a restaurant called The Balcony, but we won't tell you how good it was because it closed not long ago. Very sad.
When we didn't eat at The Balcony we simply walked along the waterfront and checked out the menus and daily specials. We liked Sitia because no-one was standing outside the restaurants trying to persuade you to come in, which can become an irritation in bigger and busier places like Chania and Rethymnon.
Sitia Tourist Office
Karamanli Street
Tel.: +30 28430 28300
Some other Crete pages
Chania, in Western Crete
Chania is the main city in Western Crete with a lovely setting and a beautiful harbour as well as several museums.
Samaria Gorge
The Samaria Gorge is one the longest gorges in Europe and doing the hike is one of the best and most popular things to do on Crete.
Agios Nikolaos
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.
Hiking in Southwest Crete
Greece Travel Secrets goes hiking in southwest Crete with Ramblers Walking Holidays based in Paleohora and hiking the E4 footpath and to Anidri and Azogires.
Paleohora and the South-West Coast
The area east from Paleohora along the south-west coast of Crete includes resorts like Agia Galini, gorges like the Imbros Gorge and quieter towns like Sfakia.
Battle of Crete
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.
Kritsá, Lato, and Panagía Kerá
The Byzantine Church of Panagía Kerá near Kritsa and not far from Ayios Nikolaos is one of the most famous in Crete, and close by is the site of Ancient Lato.
Crete Botanical Gardens
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Crete Botanical Gardens near Chania and finds a wonderland of colourful plants, trees, and flowers filling a lovely valley.
Where to Stay in Irakleio
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Irakleio, the capital of Crete, including nearby beach resort hotels and accommodation in the city centre.
Sir Arthur Evans, archaeologist at Knossos on Crete
Sir Arthur Evans is the archaeologist famous for the excavations he made at the royal palace of Knossos on Crete.
Where to Stay in Central Crete
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Central Crete including hotels in Matala, Ayia Galini, and Zaros.
The Snails House on Crete
The Snails House in Plouti near Phaistos in southern Crete serves the Cretan delicacy of snails, cooked in several different ways.
Best Beaches on Crete
Greece Travel Secrets chooses ten of the best beaches on Crete including the beautiful beaches at Vai and Elafonisi.
Crete's UNESCO Sites
The largest of the Greek islands, Crete has four ENUESCO sites, which are Sitia, Psiloritis, Asterousia, and the Gorge of Samaria.
Stilianou Winery near Knossos
The Stilianou Winery near Knossos on Crete uses only Cretan grape varieties, with every bottle numbered, and aims for quality rather than quantity.
Central Crete in Three Days
Driving central Crete in three days gives you time to see the highlights including the Minoan palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, the beaches and the Diktean Cave.
Matala Beach
Matala Beach on Crete is a guest blog for Greece Travel Secrets from the We Love Crete website, inviting you to Awaken Your Inner Hippy in Matala, Crete.
Western Crete in Five Days
Western Crete in five days allows time to visit Chania and Rethymnon, enjoy the beaches, hike the Samaria Gorge and see the monasteries at Arkadi and Preveli.
Cretan Music
Cretan music is part of the island’s soul and visitors will hear live music wherever they go, with several distinctive Cretan musical instruments and songs.
Margarites
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.
Airbnb near Chania
This Airbnb in the quiet village of Malaxa, a 30-minute drive into the hills above Chania, is a peaceful retreat with a delightful and thoughtful artist owner, with wonderful views and amenities.
Ancient Gournia Minoan Site in Eastern Crete
Ancient Gournia is a Minoan archaeological site between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia in Eastern Crete where the visitor can see evidence of a maze of back streets.
Knossos
Visiting Knossos near Iraklion is one of the best things to do on Crete, and this page has a history of the site with visitor information.
Olive Grove Walk
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.
Latest Posts
-
Greece Welcomes Parthenon Fragments Returned by the Vatican
Greece welcomed three sculpture fragments from the Parthenon, which were returned following an intervention by Pope Francis by the Vatican Museums, during a reunification ceremony in Athens. The fragm… -
PM: Greece to Hold General Elections on May 21
Greeks will be going to the polls on May 21 after the country’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced the news on Tuesday. -
Transavia to Fly Direct to Kefalonia from Paris in Summer 2023
Low-cost Dutch airline Transavia, part of the Air France-KLM group, this summer will operate direct flights between Paris and the Greek island of Kefalonia two times per week, according to the Greek N… -
Greece Among Europe’s Top 10 Most Desired Destinations for Easter
Greece is among the 10 most searched for destinations in Europe, according to travel intelligence provider ForwardKeys, as intra-European air seat capacity is set to recoup pre-pandemic levels this Ea… -
Elefsina’s Archaeological Museum Reopens After Refurbishment
The Archaeological Museum of Elefsina, one of the first archaeological museums in Greece, has reopened its doors to the public after completing maintenance and improvement works. The upgrade focused o… -
Athens’ Iconic Lykavittos Theater to Reopen in Fall
The historic Lykavittos open-air theater atop Lycabettus Hill in central Athens, will be reopening to the public following a complete revamp, announced Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis this week. The po… -
Passengers Rank Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport Among Best in Europe
Thessaloniki “Makedonia” Airport has been named one of the top in Europe at the 2022 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards by the Airports Council International (ACI) World and travel technology compan… -
Greece on Top 20 List of Best Countries for Entrepreneurs and Startups
Greece is among the top 20 countries for entrepreneurs and startups, according to a recent study conducted by Compare the Market, a UK-based insurance comparison website. -
Travelers from Poland Already Booking Greek Summer Holidays
Demand from Poland is growing with 30 percent of Polish travelers having already booked their holidays to Greece, according to feedback collected by the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) duri… -
Europe’s Highest Growth in February Airbnb Demand was in Greece
Demand for Airbnb-style rentals in Greece was the strongest in Europe last month despite historically being the least busy period of the year, marking a 60 percent increase compared to 2022, said anal…
Why not join our Greece Travel Secrets Club? As a member you'll get emailed our regular Greece Travel Secrets Magazine for news, information, and inspiration for planning your travels in Greece.
As a welcome gift you'll also get a free e-book, Heaven on Earth. This contains 19 of Mike's favourite stories that he's written about travelling in Greece for newspapers and magazines over the years.
You'll find it over at Substack. Check out one of the Archive issues to find the Subscribe button.
CHECK OUT THESE COOL SANTORINI SANDALS!
BUY A JOURNAL TO RECORD YOUR OWN GREECE TRAVEL SECRETS!
FOLLOW OUR GREECE VIDEOS
ON YOUTUBE
Best Greece Guide
Of all the many guides to Greece we've seen, this is the one we recommend as best of all:
Greece Travel Inspiration
Buy our book of inspirational travel stories from our travels in Greece over the years.
Take a Look at Our Corfu Guide
FTC Disclosure : If you make a purchase via a link on this site, we may receive a small commission on the transaction - at no added cost to you. Thank you!
Latest Posts
-
Greece Welcomes Parthenon Fragments Returned by the Vatican
Mar 29, 23 11:28 AM
Greece welcomed three sculpture fragments from the Parthenon, which were returned following an intervention by Pope Francis by the Vatican Museums, during a reunification ceremony in Athens. The fragm… -
PM: Greece to Hold General Elections on May 21
Mar 29, 23 11:28 AM
Greeks will be going to the polls on May 21 after the country’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced the news on Tuesday. -
Transavia to Fly Direct to Kefalonia from Paris in Summer 2023
Mar 29, 23 11:28 AM
Low-cost Dutch airline Transavia, part of the Air France-KLM group, this summer will operate direct flights between Paris and the Greek island of Kefalonia two times per week, according to the Greek N… -
Greece Among Europe’s Top 10 Most Desired Destinations for Easter
Mar 29, 23 11:28 AM
Greece is among the 10 most searched for destinations in Europe, according to travel intelligence provider ForwardKeys, as intra-European air seat capacity is set to recoup pre-pandemic levels this Ea… -
Elefsina’s Archaeological Museum Reopens After Refurbishment
Mar 27, 23 12:11 PM
The Archaeological Museum of Elefsina, one of the first archaeological museums in Greece, has reopened its doors to the public after completing maintenance and improvement works. The upgrade focused o… -
Athens’ Iconic Lykavittos Theater to Reopen in Fall
Mar 27, 23 12:11 PM
The historic Lykavittos open-air theater atop Lycabettus Hill in central Athens, will be reopening to the public following a complete revamp, announced Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis this week. The po… -
Passengers Rank Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport Among Best in Europe
Mar 27, 23 12:11 PM
Thessaloniki “Makedonia” Airport has been named one of the top in Europe at the 2022 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards by the Airports Council International (ACI) World and travel technology compan… -
Greece on Top 20 List of Best Countries for Entrepreneurs and Startups
Mar 27, 23 12:11 PM
Greece is among the top 20 countries for entrepreneurs and startups, according to a recent study conducted by Compare the Market, a UK-based insurance comparison website. -
Travelers from Poland Already Booking Greek Summer Holidays
Mar 27, 23 12:08 PM
Demand from Poland is growing with 30 percent of Polish travelers having already booked their holidays to Greece, according to feedback collected by the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) duri…
No words or images to be used without prior permission.
We do not sell personal information: see our Privacy Policy.
California Consumer Privacy Act - CCPA: Sale Of Personal Information
Greece Travel Secrets does not sell any information it gathers for any reason. It has not collected or sold any personal information in the last twelve months or ever in the past.
This website was built using Site Build It!
