Eastern Crete
2024
Highlights of the trip
During your stay you can enjoy the following highlights: Culture / Heritage, Discovery, Adventure / Sports & Leisure, Free time.
Best times to go
The best time(s) to go is/are : Printemps, Eté.
Where to stay - Héraklion ?
The map of your stay "Eastern Crete"
Detail of the stay : Eastern Crete
How to get there - Héraklion
Arrival in Heraklion
Steps: Sitia
Arrival at Nikos-Kazantzakis airport orHeraklion port. Stroll through the city centre up 25-Avgoustou Street, past the Morosini Fountain (Venizelou Square), and on to the market in Odos-1866 Street. In the afternoon, visit the archaeological museum of Heraklion. At the end of the day, you can walk along the Venetian city walls, see the tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis for literature lovers, and finish with a walk along the harbour towards the Koulès fortress as the sun is waning. Later in the evening, if you want to enjoy the nightlife, go for a drink in one of the bars in the Korai district or on Milatou Street.
Places of interest : MUSÉE ARCHÉOLOGIQUE FORT VÉNITIEN DE KOULES FONTAINE MOROSINI
The palace of Knossos
Steps: Archanes
Visit of the palace of Knossos, 15 minutes from Heraklion by road. This palace of King Minos is one of the most famous Greek archaeological sites. Visit it preferably early in the morning, then go to Archanès to visit one of the cellars in this wine region. Night in Archanes.
The villages of the Lassithi plateau
Steps: Agios Georgios
Departure for the villages of the Lassithi plateau. The road winds around; you will stop in the cool to enjoy the view of the bay and the mills, in the traditional villages of Krassi, Tzermiado and Psychro, where you will visit the cave of Dikti, in which Zeus was born. Overnight in the typical village of Agios Giorgios, where you can buy pretty handmade embroidery.
Places of interest : GROTTE DE DIKTI
Towards Agios Nikolaos
Steps: Neapolis
Route for Agios Nikolaos with a lunch break on the square of Neapolis. Evening and night in Agios Nikolaos, Saint-Tropez of Crete, around Lake Voulismeni.
The island of Spinalonga
Steps: Spinalonga
Excursion to the island of Spinalonga where a Venetian fortress stands, occupied by a leper colony until 1957. Superb landscapes of the Aegean Sea. Second night in Agios Nikolaos.
The beach of Vaï and its palm grove
Steps: Kato Zakros
Departure to the beach of Vai and its palm grove. Lunch in Palekastro and drive to Zakros, then Kato Zakros. If you are on foot, go down the gorge, the hike is easy and beautiful. By car, you will have to take the bus the next day to reach Apo Zakros. Swimming, dinner and night in the small bay of Kato Zakros, in a divine calm.
On the way home
Steps: Ierapetra
First part of the journey back to Heraklion. You will sleep in Ierapetra or in the quiet village of Mirtos to cut the road. Drive down from Zakros to Xerokambos, on the beautiful road overlooking the sea in a desolate landscape worthy of a stone desert. Then drive to the small village ofHametoulo, then Ziros on the plateau, before joining the main road heading to the south coast from Sitia. Again, the views are breathtaking. Follow the coast to Ierapetra. Dinner and overnight stay.
