Sitia

Sitia is a beautiful and popular seaside town in the prefecture of Lasithi. It is located 70 kilometers east of Agios Nikolaos and has about 10.000 inhabitants. Sitia is the birthplace of the famous poet of "Erotokritos", Vitsentzos Kornaros, who was born in 1553. Some of the area's top attractions are the Archaeological Museum, the Folklore Museum, and the historic Kazarma Fortress.

Vai

Just 20 kilometers northeast of Sitia lies the exotic palm forest of Vai. According to the legend, the palm tree was created by the pits of dates that Egyptian soldiers and Saracen pirates threw over the centuries. At the southeast of the palm forest, there is a wonderful beach with blue-green waters and golden sand, awarded with a Blue Flag.

Toplou Monastery

Toplou Monastery is located 10 kilometers east of Sitia and is one of the most famous and historical monasteries in Crete. It was built during the Venetian domination and houses several Byzantine icons of high value. The monastery covers an area of 800 square meters, with its tallest buildings reaching up to three floors. It has a square shape and is surrounded by a big wall about 10 meters high, which was meant to help the monks defend against pirates and invaders.