Sitia in Crete is a city in the eastern part of the island. This is a quiet and fairly remote place, not too popular among tourists. Nevertheless, the city has a beautiful nature and rich history. What to see in Sitia (Crete)? What sights are there in the city?
Description and photos of Sitia
Crete is the largest Greek island, the birthplace of Zeus and the habitat of the Minotaur. Its most popular cities are Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, Malia, Rethymnon, Hersonissos. Sitia is much less common among this list, partly due to its remoteness.
The city is located in the north-east of Crete. Sitia is only 30 kilometers away from its extreme eastern point. It is located at the very end of the European road E75, which originates from the Norwegian Vardø. Bus routes and the airport connect it with the major cities of not only the islands, but also the rest of Greece. By ferry you can get to the Cyclades and the Dodecanese archipelago.
Sitia in Crete is located on the site of the ancient city of Itida. According to legend, one of the Seven Sages of Antiquity, Mison, was born here. Singer Jorgos Masonakis and artist Mikhail Axelos are also associated with the city.
Today, about 10 thousand people live in Sitia. This is a port city, and the center of the community of the same name. The main sectors of the economy are construction, handicraft production, agriculture and tourism. But the last two areas are not well developed.
Holidays in Sitia
The city is pleasant and cozy - that is how it is characterized in reviews. Sitia in Crete is more suitable for a relaxing family vacation or for those who want to stay away from the noisy crowded resorts.
The city is located on the slope of a low hill right on the bay. Near the promenade, decorated with a strip of palm trees, there are various taverns and restaurants. The food in them is much tastier than at the famous resorts, as they prepare it for local, and not especially for tourists. Due to the small influx of visitors, prices do not change from season to season.
Narrow streets with white houses go up from the embankment. Climbing them, you can observe beautiful local landscapes woven from the sea, mountains and Mediterranean vegetation and Cretan architecture.
The attractions of Crete in Sitia are sandy and pebble beaches, ruins of ancient cities and temples, mountains with picturesque gorges. Most of them are within a radius of 25 kilometers outside the city. The most convenient way to visit them is to rent a car. The list of main tourist sites looks like this:
- Venetian fort.
- Roman tanks.
- Museum of Folklore.
- The ruins of the Minoan palace of Kato Zakros.
- Toplou Monastery.
- The ancient city of Itanos and the beach of Erimupolis.
- The gorge of the dead.
- Vai Beach or Palm Grove.
- The Handras Plateau.
- Palekastron.
Venetian fort
Unlike many other attractions, this building in the city of Sitia in Crete does not apply to ancient monuments. It was built in the XIII century, when the Venetians ruled over the city.
The fortress was an ordinary military building, which served as an observation and defensive point. Protective walls surrounded Sitia. Now only the barracks is preserved, which is located on the western outskirts of the city, on a hill not far from the coast.
Like the whole city, the fort suffered twice from earthquakes. Cataclysms significantly weakened him, giving an advantage to opponents. The fortress was captured in 1538 and 1645. The last time the Turks stayed in it for a long time, making changes in appearance. One of them was the addition of domes over the guard posts.
Gorge of the dead
About 18 kilometers from Sitia stretches a canyon five kilometers long. In Crete, there are many similar places with beautiful views, mountain rivers and waterfalls such as the Richtis Gorge or the Tamariski Gorge, with groves of nuts, oleanders and palm trees. But this canyon attracts not only with its natural landscapes.
The gorge of the dead is located between the villages of Ano Zakros and Kato Zakros. Its mysterious and slightly eerie name is associated with the rituals of the Minoan culture. About two thousand years BC, the inhabitants of Crete buried the dead in its caves.
One end of the gorge leads directly to the beaches on the east coast of the island, and trails on the other side lead to small villages nearby. One of them is Zakros with the remains of ancient Cretan architecture.
Ruin
Numerous ruins found by archaeologists preserve the memory of various cultures that existed in Crete and Sitia in particular. In the village of Zakros in the past was one of the centers of the Minoan civilization. Now you can see the remains of an ancient palace and other buildings there.
The developed culture of the Minoans existed long before the ancient Greek civilization known to us. It unfolded in the Bronze Age from 2700 to 1400 BC. The Minoans traded and engaged in piracy, made ceramics, possessed writing, built palaces on several floors.
The ruins of the ancient city, cemetery and sanctuary are also located in the village of Palekastron, 18 kilometers from Sitia. On a hill next to it are evidence of later eras - Homeric and Hellenistic. In the Venetian period, the fortress of Paleo Castro was built on it.
Past eras are captured in the ruins of the city of Ethanos, or Ethan. It belongs to later times and is described in the history of Herodotus. The city existed until the Byzantine period, when it was destroyed. In the Roman period, it was an important trading center, famous for dyeing fabrics and the manufacture of dye purple.
Wai Beach
About 20 kilometers from Sitia in Crete, there is a piece of paradise landscape - a beach dotted with date palms. In fact, the trees go deep into the island, covering an area of 200 hectares.
Wai Beach is also called Palm Grove. It is a national park and the largest wild palm forest in all of Europe. However, he is wild now. It is assumed that once the trees were planted by the Phoenicians or pirates from the Arab countries.
Theofrast palm trees growing on Vaya beach are endemic and are listed in the Red Book. They are found only in Crete and several nearby islands. Trees grow up to 15 meters in height, and their leaves reach 2-3 meters.
Toplou Monastery
The Monastery of Our Lady of Akrotiri is completely made of stone and is surrounded by a ten-meter wall. He looks slightly lonely, sitting in the middle of a plain overgrown with low green shrubs and trees.
The building was built in the XV century. Many neighboring buildings were completely destroyed by endless pirate raids. The monastery was also damaged, but it was restored. The bell tower of the building rises 33 meters, its interiors are decorated with engravings, crosses and icons.
Out of service, local monks grow olive trees and grapes, and then make oil and wine from them. By the way, they can be purchased, and the proceeds will be spent on caring for the monastery.