Zakros

About Zakros

One of the most picturesque villages of Crete, Zakros is located 19,5km from Palekastro. It has 1050 inhabitants, farmers, producing mainly olive oil. Kato Zakros is a small coastal village, site of the fourth large Minoan Palace, located 7,5km from Zakros at the bay of the same name.Within a few distance from the village of Zakros, starts the Gorge, which ends at the bay of Kato Zakros, almost near the Palace area. This gorge is of outstanding beauty, with large caves in its walls.
In those caves were discovered tombs from the Minoan period, and finds of great archaeological importance. That is the reason why the caves are named "The Caves of Deads" and the gorge "The Gorge of Deads. In Kato Zakros 1961 a great Greek archaeoligist N.Platon unearthed the fourth largest Minoan Palace.
Nowadays in Kato Zakros live a few people, occuping with farming, and fishing. There are some taverns and bars available for the visitors.

Zakros Palace
Zakros Palace in Crete is one of the latest vestiges of the ancient Minoan civilization that was unearthed in our time. Zakros Palace is the last of the Minoan Palaces that has come into light as a whole. The site of this Minoan palace is situated on Crete’s eastern coast, in the region of Zakros, just south of Palaikastro, another interesting Minoan settlement.

Of the four Minoan palaces to be discovered by archaeologists – the others being Malia, Phaistos and, of course, Knossos – the palace of Zakros is the smallest. The palace itself covered an extension of 4,500 square meters and crowned a flourishing urban centre with an area of over 8,000 square metres as a whole. However Zakros Palace is only a fifth of the size of Knossos, the latter being the largest of the Minoan palaces in Crete and the centre of the Minoan civilization in general.

The first excavations in the area occupied by Zakros Palace were done in the early 1900s. They were headed by David George Hogarth, an archaeologist and scholar who worked with the British School of Archaeology in Athens. Hogarth’s digs yielded about 10 Late Minoan houses and other valuable findings such as pottery, bronze tools and spurs of mail exchange dating back to the prehistorical era, yet the Second World War discontinued his project.

The ruins of Zakros Palace emerged when work at the site was resumed by renowned Greek archaeologist Nikolaos Platon in 1961. Much of what is known about Zakros Palace is due to Platon’s work. The excavations at Kato Zakros continue until today.

See
In those caves were discovered tombs from the Minoan period, and finds of great archaeological importance. That is the reason why the caves are named "The Caves of Deads" and the gorge "The Gorge of Deads".

Eat
Nowadays in Kato Zakros live a few people, occuping with farming, and fishing. There are some taverns and bars available for the visitors.

Sitia

About Sitia

Sitia is a small and pleasant coastal town, built in a semicircle on the western side of the Bay of Sitia, a typical, peaceful Mediterranean port. It is the capital of the county with the same name and is sited 73 km east of Agios Nikolaos.
Visitors in Sitia particularly enjoy the climate and the wonderful beaches. The highest temperature in the summer is approx. 30 C. and the lowest in winter is 7 C.
Sitia is the seat of administrative and public services for the county and has road and sea connections with various places in the island and with Pireaus and other Aegean islands. There is also a small airport with connection to Athens, Kassos, Karpathos, Rhodes.

History
The name Sitia is derived from the ancient city of Itia, birthplace of one of the seven wise-men of the antiquity, Mison. In the site that the town is built today only few archaeological findings have been excavated. Middle-Minoan and Late-Minoan tombs, Geometrical and Hellenic statues and shells, Roman buildings and an Early-Christian Basilica.
Sitia existed during the Late-Minoan period and until the Venetian period. During the Venetian occupation the town of Sitia was destroyed three times. In 1508 by a terrible earthquake, in 1538 by the pirate Barbarosa and in 1651 by the Venetians so as not to fall in the hands of the Turks.
For two centuries Sitia ceased to exist as a town, until 1869. The present city was built in 1870. Since then, Sitia is developing to one of the most important urban areas in Crete.

Sights
The most imposing monument of the past that dominates Sitia is the fortress of the castle today called Kazarma from the "Casa di Arma". Kazarma was one of the buildings of Medieval Sitia, and it served as soldier's barracks and army headquarters. Kazarma and the imposing wall around it were originally built in the Late Byzantine period. The walls were repaired by the Venetians many times and especially after the terrible earthquake of 1508 and the attack by the pirate Barbarosa in 1538.

Tripitos is a small peninsula sited 3 km from Sitia. An artificial shelter for ships dug in the rocks, has been found there and is dated from the Hellenistic period. A Hellenistic city extends to all the peninsula, and several parts of its settlements have been excavated, as well as its strong wall in the south part of the city. A big number of clay pots, coins, jewels and lead weights have been excavated. The excavations are still going on today.

Sitia is the birth place of the great poet Vintsenzos Kornaros, who wrote a masterpiece of Medieval poetry, "Erotokritos". The poem narrates the story of the princess Aretousa, daughter of the king of Athens Hercules, and Erotokritos, son of Pezostratos, member of the king's court.

Sitia possesses an excellent library and an important Folklore Museum, with many exhibits, mainly handwoven materials, embroideries, local costumes, furniture.
There is also an Archaeological Museum where significant archaeological finds of the area are exhibited. The Museum exhibits cover a period of 4000 years, from 3500 BC to 500 AD.
An event that should not be missed by the visitor, is the celebration of soultanina (a type of raisin) that takes place every August in Sitia. It is a public feast that is famous beyond the borders of the island.

In Sitia the visitor can find many hotels, pensions and houses with rooms for rent, as well as a youth hostel. There are also many restaurants, taverns and cafes in the city and along the quay side.
Although the town is increasingly developing, it keeps its traditional character and the hospitable character of its people. The people are polite and friendly.
The Touristic Club of Sitia, the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Sitia and the educational and cultural association "Vintsenzos Kornaros", play an important role to the cultural life of the city. In particular the "Vintsenzos Kornaros" association has founded the library and the Folklore Museum in Sitia.
Sitia is a good starting point for several excursions throughout Eastern Crete. Some of the most important places to visit are Toplou Monastery>, Palaikastro, Vai, Zakros, Makri Gialos, Itanos.

See
It has been inhabited since the Minoan period. At Petra, to the east of the town, a section of ancient settlement has been excavated. There is a waterfront with restaurants and cafes, a large public beach, and an archaeological museum which holds many of the findings from Palekastro.

Sfakia

About Sfakia

Sfakia is located in the southest side of Chania. It is a very beautiful village and to reach there you drive through a fantastic scenery road. From there you can go to many places such as Ag. Roumeli, Loutro, Foinikas, Gavdos, etc.

Sfakia, in the southwest of Crete homes, is the famous and most authentic region of Crete. Here you can find the last pieces of the old Cretan culture and nature, far away from mass tourism. Whether you are looking for the nice and quiet, on the natural beaches, or want to be active, with mountain hiking, swimming, diving and fishing: this is THE place! By the way, did you know Sfakia is Europe's southernmost part?

It is probable, that the majority of those setting foot in Sfakia may well have walked the length of the Samaria Gorge and be one of the many muscle-aching souls on one of the ferries that travel from the mouth of the gorge, at Agia Roumeli to Chora Sfakia (or Sfakion).

There to be collected by buses to return them to their hotels all over Crete.

If Sfakia, the village or the region, is your destination, you will probably have driven, bused or taxied over the White Mountains - the Lefka Ori - from Chania and elsewhere on the Northern coast, a journey that is memorable both for the views, villages and the constantly repaired road that is possibly the "grand corniche" of Crete - many tight turns and steep drop-offs! Well worth the trip for the dramatic journey alone. The village of Chora Sfakia is both quiet - busy with individual or independent tourists in the summer - in its role as home and fishing village to local people, and a port for those travelling by ferry to Agia Roumeli, Sougia, Paleochora and the unspoilt island of Gavdos (see ferry schedules below). You could also approach the area from Plakias and the east on roads which are slow-going but pass through wonderful, distinctive Cretan scenery.
In antiquity a major exporter of meat to Athens, Sfakia is now a notorious region with much history and the quieter form of tourism. It's wonderful, rugged Lefka Ori mountains offer significant hiking opportunities ranging from difficult to hard-walking.