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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Our Hire Car in Crete
The travel tale Our Hire Car in Crete describes what it’s like when you go driving in Greece and get off the beaten track, resulting in kindnesses.
Lonely Planet Crete
Lonely Planet Crete is an excellent and thorough guide of almost 300 pages to the largest of the Greek islands.
Rouvas Gorge Walk
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.
Gortina ancient archaeological site in southern 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.
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.
Phaistos Minoan Palace on Crete
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.
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.
Diktean Cave, the Birthplace of Zeus near Psychro on Crete
The Diktean or Diktaean Cave, also known as the Psychro Cave, near the village of Psychro in eastern Crete, is said to be the birthplace of Zeus.
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.
Amari Valley Drive
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.
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.
The Icon Painter
Icon painting is a centuries-old tradition in Crete and the rest of Greece, and Greece Travel Secrets meets a modern-day icon painter in Elounda on Crete.
Irakleio
Crete's capital and largest city is Irakleio, also called Iraklion or Heraklion, a large and busy place with good restaurants, museums and historical buildings.
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.
Lasithi Plateau Drive
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.
Where to Stay in Central Crete
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Central Crete including hotels in Matala, Ayia Galini, and Zaros.
Crete’s Wildlife and Landscape
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.
How to Make Petimezi
How to make Petimezi, the sweet Cretan syrup made from wine must, is explained to Greece Travel Secrets.
Crete
Crete (Kriti) is the largest Greek island and its main attractions include the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the Samarian Gorge, Chania and Rethymnon.
Maleme and the German War Cemetery on Crete
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.
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.
Hiking the Samaria Gorge
Hiking the Samaria Gorge on Crete, one of the best things to do on Crete, by Greece Travel Secrets.
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