CRETE TRAVEL GUIDE

Crete Travel Guide
one taverna. Tourism has changed all that, and now
dazzling white pensions and apartments sit above the
tiny crescent-shaped beach. Accessible only on foot (by
a precarious cliff path) or by boat from Chora Sfakion,
Loutro seems unlikely to be over-run by tourism, and is
ideal for a laidback holiday.
➤ Map D4
8 Georgioupoli
A modern community
by Cretan standards, the
town was founded little over
a century ago when it was
named in honour of Prince
George, the then governor
of Crete. More recently, it
has become a resort, with
hotels stretching along the
sandy beach. It attracts a
less raucous clientele than
resorts such as Malia and
Chersonisos, however, and
the heart of Georgioupoli is
a town square, shaded by
eucalyptus and plane trees.
➤ Map E3
9 Plakias
Plakias is one of Crete’s
newer resorts. Its excellent
beaches were overlooked by
the holiday industry until the
1990s, at which point, the
tiny fishing and farming
community began to
transform into a strip of purposebuilt hotels (none of
them obtrusively large), apartments, shops and
restaurants. Not for those looking for authenticity, Plakias
nevertheless has plenty going for it, including attractive
surrounding countryside, its own long sweep of shingly
sand, and lots more even prettier beaches and
palm-fringed coves within walking distance.
➤ Map F4
10
Kastelli Kissamou
Usually known simply as Kastelli, Crete’s
westernmost town is couched in a bay between the
Rodopou and Gramvoussa peninsulas. It has largely
missed out on the tourism boom, although it has a
handful of hotels and restaurants. There are several
rarely-visited ancient and medieval sites nearby, including
the ruins of Polyrinia (see Venetian Acropolis and
Polyrinia), and there are reasonable – if unexceptional by
Cretan standards – beaches on either side of town.
➤ Map B2
Sights in Eastern Crete
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Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos has the
most attractive location of
any town in eastern Crete.
By the Gulf of Mirabello, it is
built around an inner lagoon,
Voulismeni, which is
surrounded by palm trees
and cafés. Modern hotels
and apartments dwarf the
surviving older buildings, but
it is still a place of
considerable charm. There is
a small town beach, and
boats take holidaymakers to
larger beaches nearby. The
town takes its name from the tiny 11thcentury church
of Agios Nikolaos (which now stands in the grounds of
the Minos Palace Hotel. The Archaeological Museum
(see Agios Nikolaos Archaeological Museum) displays
numerous finds from nearby sites including Mochlos and
Gournia.
Agios Nikolaos harbour
➤ Map N4
2 Siteia
Siteia looks surprisingly
modern but was founded in
the 4th century, when a
flourishing Byzantine city
stood here. Its fortunes
waned after the 14th
century, when it was
damaged by earthquakes and sacked by corsairs. It was
not until the late 19th century that Siteia became an
important farming centre, surrounded by olive groves
and vineyards. It has a picturesque harbour overlooked
by a Venetian fortress, a Folk Museum with a collection
of traditional costumes (see Siteia Folklore Museum),
and an Archaeological Museum (see Siteia Archaeological
Museum).
Market, Siteia
➤ Map Q4
3 Vai
The main claim to fame
of the beach at Vai is in
having the only wild palm
grove in Europe. The palm
forest apparently existed at
least 2,000 years ago, so
may have been planted by
early navigators from the Middle East who came to Crete.
The drawbacks are that the palm trees are fenced off
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Things to See