Sitia
Greece Travel Secrets discovers Sitia, the main town in eastern Crete,
with its relaxing waterfront, inexpensive hotels, good food, and nearby ancient
sites.
The Harbour at Sitia in Eastern Crete
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.
Hotel Elysee in Sitia in Eastern Crete
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.
Mountain Scenery near Sitia in Eastern Crete
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.
Our Pick of the Crete Guides
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.
Scenery near Sitia in Eastern 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.
Taverna Tables in Sitia
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 Cat
Sitia Tourist Office
Karamanli Street
Tel.: +30 28430 28300
Some other Crete pages
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.
Greece Travel Secrets tours the Lyrarakis Winery on Crete and learns about Crete grape varieties such as plyto, dafni, vidiano, vilana, mandilari and kotsifali.
The largest of the Greek islands, Crete has four ENUESCO sites, which are Sitia, Psiloritis, Asterousia, and the Gorge of Samaria.
Crete (Kriti) is the largest Greek island and its main attractions include the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the Samarian Gorge, Chania and Rethymnon.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Central Crete including hotels in Matala, Ayia Galini, and Zaros.
Western Crete has some wonderful golden sand beaches as well as mountain villages, monasteries, caves, and archaeological sites to discover.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Western Crete with tavernas and restaurants in Chania, Rethymnon, and Paleochora.
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.
This tour around central Crete lists some of the area’s highlights such as the traditional village of Arolithos, Minoan remains at Tilisos, and Agioi Deka.
This drive along the west coast of Crete and inland from there will take a whole day and starts and ends in Kastélli Kissámou, west of Chania.
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.
What was daily life as a Minoan like on Crete, living in palaces like the ones at Knossos, Malia, Phaistos, and Zakros, and what were their religious beliefs?
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.
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.
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.
Is someone from Crete a Greek or a Cretan? They are both, of course, but most will tell you that they are Cretan first and Greek second.
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.
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.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Eastern Crete including restaurants and tavernas in Elounda, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, and Kato Zakros.
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.
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.
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.
We visit and tour the Manousakis Winery on Crete with a wine-tasting and a chance to buy their tsikoudia, sea salt, olive oil and other goodies.
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.
Chania is the main city in Western Crete with a lovely setting and a beautiful harbour as well as several museums.
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