Lasithi, Crete, Greece
Lasithi is the easternmost of Crete's 4 regional units and the driest, quietest part of the island. Lasithi covers Agios Nikolaos and Elounda on the Mirabello bay, the fortress islet of Spinalonga, the high Lasithi Plateau, the palm beach of Vai in the far east and the south-coast city of Ierapetra. Hire a car to explore Crete at your own pace, covered in our Crete car hire guide.
Eastern Crete
Lasithi occupies the eastern end of Crete, beyond the resorts of the Heraklion coast. The region is drier than western Crete but full of flowers and beautiful nature, and it stays quieter through the season. Its main centres are Agios Nikolaos and Elounda on the sheltered Mirabello bay in the north, Sitia in the far east, and Ierapetra on the south coast. Inland rise the mountains that hold the Lasithi Plateau, so the region combines calm resorts, a farming highland and some of the emptiest beaches on the island.
Agios Nikolaos, Elounda and Spinalonga
Agios Nikolaos is the lively capital of the Lasithi region, built around a small inner lake that joins the sea on the Mirabello bay. Agios Nikolaos has a harbour, cafes and beaches, and it sits a short drive from the smart resort of Elounda. Elounda looks across the bay to Spinalonga, a Venetian fortress island later used as a leper colony, reached by excursion boat. Base yourself in Agios Nikolaos or Elounda, then cross to the island fortress of Spinalonga.
The Lasithi Plateau
The Lasithi Plateau is a fertile highland 850 metres above sea level, ringed by high peaks. The plateau measures 12 km east to west and 6 km north to south, and Mount Spathi rises above it to 2,418 metres. About 20 villages circle the plain, such as Tzermiado, and the drive up through the Seli Ambelos pass at 900 metres gives an impressive view over the fields and the old stone windmills. The Venetians dug the plateau's irrigation ditches in 1631, and the main crops are potatoes, vegetables, apples and almonds, whose blossom whitens the plain in late January.
Many visitors climb to the Dikti Cave near the village of Psichro, on the plateau. The cave is the birthplace of the god Zeus in Greek mythology, and its stalactites and stalagmites drop about 84 metres to a large chamber 15 metres high. The climb from the car park takes about 15 to 20 minutes and the path inside is slippery, so wear firm shoes. Reach the plateau by the road from Agios Nikolaos or by the pass through Kera from the Heraklion side.
Sitia, Vai and Zakros
The far east of Lasithi is the most remote corner of Crete, well beyond the crowds. Sitia is a relaxed port town on the northeast coast, with a Venetian fort and a long waterfront. East of Sitia lies Vai, a natural palm forest behind a golden beach, the largest palm grove in Europe. Further south the Minoan palace of Kato Zakros sits at the mouth of a gorge on the coast. Drive out to Sitia, walk the palm beach of Vai, then reach the Minoan site and gorge at Zakros and the empty beaches of Xerokampos.
The south coast: Ierapetra and Mirtos
Ierapetra is the southernmost city in Europe and the sunniest, on the Libyan Sea coast of Lasithi. The city faces long beaches and a small offshore islet, and greenhouses spread across the plain behind it. West along the coast sits Mirtos, a charming small resort with narrow streets and a sandy beach, and further east lie Makrigialos and the fishing village of Mochlos. Choose Ierapetra for the sun, Mirtos for a quieter village, or the seaside hamlet of Mochlos and the hill village of Kritsa above the bay. Makrigialos, further east, keeps a long shallow beach and stays low-key.
