Convincing someone to visit Lasithi is not difficult. What’s difficult, is for the visitors to forget this place. This side of Crete has something that’s missing from all other destinations: the wonderful hospitality of the locals. The wild beauty of the Cretan mountains, the crystal-clear water that cover the rich seabed, the countless marks of a 4.500 years long history, the hidden beaches, the picturesque villages and the quiet seafood-taverns, all compose a unique pattern, with a unique “glue” that brings everything together: the purity of the Cretan people and their love towards foreigners.
Lasithi is ideal for:
Family vacation. Lasithi is ideal for relaxation, rest and calmness. There is no crowding or noisy areas with drunken tourists. Crime and theft are almost non-existent. Traditional taverns, hiking trails, picturesque ports, quiet beaches and archeological sites are the distinctive elements of this area. However, there are plenty of bars – clubs, in which though, you will not experience any trouble.
- Quality Food and Drink Enthusiasts. The Cretan cuisine is internationally renowned for how rich and healthy it is. You will have the opportunity to taste local, special flavors and traditional recipes. The olive oil that is produced here is one of the finest in the whole world and internationally acclaimed. We recommend that you try out the wine of Monastery Toplou, famous in all of eastern Crete.
Hiking. In Lasithi you can find 18 canyons(1), easy and difficult to explore. The world renown trail E4 cuts through the prefecture and ends at the archeological site of Kato Zacros. Walking the trail, you see pass through canyons, over mountains valleys, you will meet abandoned villages and “alive” ones, caverns and springs, chapels, archeological sites, and you will have the chance to savor in landscapes of wild beauty. Bear in mind that the ground here is very rough, water is not easy to find, cell phones may lose signal and during the summer, adders may crawl about.
- Underwater diving. Underwater caverns, shipwrecks, the rich sea vegetation, and mostly of fish, are some of the things that whoever decides to dive, in the truly rich depth of eastern Crete, will discover.
- Free camping. Although the Greek legislation does not permit free camping, in this corner of Crete, there are beaches in which groups of people set up their tents, without anyone bothering them. It’s important to know the beaches in which you will not bother anyone, from what time you can set up your tent, what to bring along, and that setting up a fire is prohibited.
- Windsurfing – Kite surfing. Many of the beaches have been properly organized to enable windsurfers and kite surfers, since the conditions are ideal for those sports. Areas like Kouremenos, Xerokambos and Chiona, specifically, are particularly well-known for the strong winds that blow during the summertime. For around 26 of the 30 days of the month, the conditions for windsurfing and kite surfing are ideal.
- Water sports. Apart from windsurfing, in the beaches of Lasithi, you can enjoy a number of water sports – inflatable tubes, water ski, the banana, tubes, sea-bicycle etc. – since there are properly organized beaches with the necessary facilities and staff.
- Trailers. There are quite a few people who’d rather combine the tranquility of nature with the comfort of their home, and park their trailers close to the sea. Most of the beaches are accessible by trailer, up to the shore.
- Those who expect quiet and clean beaches. Crete has the Cretan sea to the north and the Libyan sea to the south. They are seas with clear, transparent water. As far as the beaches are concerned, you can find one of each kind. Fine sand or thick, pebbles, cold water or warm, deep or shallow depth, quiet or crowded, but also… exotic beaches with palm trees! Equip yourselves with sunblock and umbrellas, because in most of them, you will not find shade.
- Nature lovers. The wild mountain range of Lasithi hides surprises for nature lovers. Deep canyons and caverns, waterfalls, hiking trails, springs and of course the plateau of Lasithi with the windmills and the cave in which Zeus – father of the Olympian gods – was supposedly born. From various observatories set up by local mountaineering clubs, you can observe the wildlife of our land, and if you’re lucky, in the islands Dyonysades, you will see the rare varvaki, a species of eagles that can not be found anywhere else in the world.
See also: