The village remains exempted from the mass tourism. Still the main business of the app. 1100 inhabitants is agriculture. They cultivate olives and wine, there a still a few fisherman. Commercial fishing however is hard these days due to the substantial over fishing of the Mediterranean Sea. Tourism is supplementary income and it probably will remain.

At the east edge of the village visible from far away there’s the flat hill called Kastri. This mountain gave Palekastro its name in the middle ages when the region was dominated by the sovereign power of Venice. On the flat summit they had established a fortress. In the course of the centuries the stones were cleared away and used by the people of the region to build houses. Take a walk up there (app. 30 minutes from Chiona or Kouremenos) and enjoy a unique view over the village, the beaches and the mountains.

See the Palekastro area photo gallery..

We guide you off the beaten paths, in Crete’s rich flora and fauna and on mountainous villages to meet the “authentic” Cretans and our traditions.

1. Palekastro-Palm Beach Vai
2. Palekastro-Skinias-Karoumes
3. Zakros-Kato Zakros (E4)
4. Zakros-Ziros (E4)
5. Palekastro-Toplou Monastery

…and many more…

See the Palekastro area photo gallery..

• Itanos Beaches 8 km (far from Ostria Hotel)
• Palm Beach Vai 6 km
• Psilli ammos Beach 6 km
• Maridati Beach 4 km
• Kouremenos Beach 2 km
• Hiona Beach 2 km
• Skinias Beach 6 km (6km by hiking)
• Karoumes Beach 12 km (3km by hiking)
• Kato zakros Beach 26 km
• Xerokambos Beach 28 km

See the Palekastro area photo gallery..

Come to Palekastro in summer and you will find everything your windsurfer’s heart could possibly desire – especially if you have been infected with the surfer virus for some time.

East Crete area stands for strong winds. The meltemi blasts in from the north between the hills, with forces of 7 – 8 no rare occasion in summer. Kouremenos has the position, where the meltemi is at its most reliable and strongest. The Municipality of Itanos placed some showers along the beach.

It lies south of Agios Nikolaos and southwest of Sitia and is an important regional centre. With its 15,400 inhabitants (2001) it is the most populous town in the prefecture of Lasithi, and the fourth town of Crete. Ierapetra is popularly known as the southernmost town of Europe, nicknamed “bride of the Libyan Sea” because of its position as only town on the south coast of Crete.

The town is one of the economic centers of the Lasithi region. The earliest settlement of the town dates back to Minoan times; excavations in the neighbouring site of Petras have unearthed architectural remains that date back to the end of the Neolithic period 3000 BC and continue throughout the Bronze Age 3000-1050 BC. According to Diogenes Laertius, Sitia was the home of Myson of Chen, one of the Seven Sages of Greece.

The town was later expanded and fortified by the Venetians who used it as a base of operations for the Eastern Mediterranean. During the Venetian occupation, the town was destroyed three times: by an earthquake in 1508, by a pirate attack in 1538 and finally by the Venetians themselves in 1651 so as not to fall into the hands of the Turks. After the Venetians moved out of Crete, the town was abandoned for two centuries until it was resettled by farmers in 1869. The main remnant of the Venetian occupation is the Kazarma (from Italian casa di arma), the old fortress overlooking the harbor.

Sitia has not experienced the effects of mass tourism; even though there is a long beach along the road leading to Vai and several places of historical interest, the town is visited by few tourist

• Itanos
• Elia-Rousolakkos, Palekastro
• Kato Zakros Palace
• Petras, Sitia
• Agia Fotia, Sitia
• Pressos, Sitia
• Makrigialos, Makrigialos
• Etia, Chandras
• Voila, Chandras
• Hamezi, Sitia
• Tripitos, Sitia

1. Zakros-Kato Zakros: 7 km length (E4)
2. Chochlakies-Karoumes Beach: 4 km length
3. Xerokambos-Ziros: 8 km length
4. Kapsa gorge in Makrigialos area : 3,5 km length

See the Palekastro area photo gallery..

It has a quadrangular shape and it’s surrounded by a strong 10m high wall. Well-preserved 14th century’s frescoes decorate these walls.

The history of Toplou is turbulent, hit by pirates and other enemies. After the 1821 slaughter of the monks by the Turks, the monastery was deserted until 1828. In 1866 the year of the massive Cretan revolt, the monastery was once again ravaged by the Turkish rule. Torturing and executions of monks took place in the grounds of the monastery.

Despite all the above, many works of art can be found in Toplou. A number of notable icons, among which is the icon ‘Great are Thou, my Lord’ painted by I. Kornaros in 1770

See the Palekastro area photo gallery..

• Archaeological Museum in Sitia
• Folklore Museum in Palekastro
• Folklore Museum in Sitia
• Folklore Museum in Pefki, Makrigialos
• Folklore Museum in Chandras
• Folklore Museum in Hamezi