Advice and Information on Crete Holidays
Although Crete is the largest of all the Greek Islands it is only the fifth largest in the Mediterranean. Certainly of all islands which make up Greece this is one that has visitors returning year after year to explore its 8,000 square kilometers.
Actually getting to Crete is easy as the island has three airports and two harbors. The airports into which one will fly when visiting this island are the Heraklion Airport, The Akrotiri Airport and the Sitia Airport. All of which provide you with easy access to the major tourist resorts on it.
But as well as have over 1,000km of coastline for you to explore there is so much more that can one see and do on a holiday to this Greek island. Compared to some other islands in the Mediterranean Crete is extremely mountainous.
In the western part of the island is Lefka Ori (White Mountain) and which 2,453 m tall is. Then in the heart of the island is Psiloritis (Mount Idi) this is the tallest mountain to be found on the island as is 2,456 m tall. Then on the eastern end of the island you will find Mount Dikti which only reaches a height of 2,148m. But as well as these mountains there are also the Cretan ones which run the complete length of the island and which help to make it look far bigger than it really is.
For those who would like to get away from the crowded beaches then take a trip to Lake Kournas which although small is extremely beautiful. Here you can wander around and if you want stop at one of the many taverns which are located on the lakes shores.
Most people will visit Crete during the height of the summer season and when the heat is at its hottest. Throughout the months of July and August the temperatures during the day very rarely go below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Centigrade). Plus you will need to get to the beaches early if you want to make sure you have space to lie down and relax.
If you want to avoid all this hassle but still have great weather then it is worth considering visiting the Island of Crete in October. During this month there is still plenty of sunshine to be enjoyed, but also the heat is that much more bearable as well.
If you get a bit bored with spending time relaxing on the Crete beaches why not venture further afield and visit a number of the different historical sites on the island. The ones that most visitors to the island visit are Knossos Palace and Phaestos Palace and which show you just what kind of people the Minoans who inhabited this island were like.
Info about Sitia
Sitia is a town on the north-eastern coast of Crete with a population of 10,000 inhabitants. It is built amphitheatrically on the side of Boda hill at the north of the homonymous bay. It is a very picturesque and quiet town with a vivid flair. It has inherited a long historic and cultural tradition. There is a Minoan city in the wider Sitia area at Petra and a town of the Hellenistic period at Tripitos. The centre of Sitia today is built on the ruins of Sitia in the Byzantine and Venetian period. Sitia has played an important role in east Crete as an administrative body and cultural centre especially in the Venetian period and modern times. Today it is a developing town with great perspectives. Myson, one of the seven wise men came from the ancient Sitia (Iteia) as well as Vitzentzos Kornaros the poet of Erotokritos. The Sitian people were always distinguished for their love of and performance in literature and the arts.
Sitia is the capital of Sitia district and seat of the municipality of Sitia with public authorities, hospital, schools, university, port, airport, banks, production units and other authorities. Sitia is connected by a road network (National road and the south axis) with the rest of Crete, by air service with Athens and by ferry boat from Agios Nikolaos, Milo and Piraeus as well as from Kasos, Karpathos and Rhodes. The tourist development is mild with mostly small hotels, rooms to let, fish taverns, restaurants with traditional cuisine and many others. There is a stunning sandy beach and is ideal for a summer vacation as well as for holidays throughout the whole year because of the mild climate and the life there.
There is a cluster of four small islands, the Dionidades, 9 km away from Sitia that according to mythology were created by god Dionysos. There is the biggest colony of Eleanor’s falcon over there. Moreover the long naturalist and cultural route of Sitia district begins and ends in Sitia. By following this route you can enjoy all the natural beauty and magnificent landscapes of the gorges, caves, forests, biotopes, mountains and beaches, the fauna and flora, as well as the rich cultural heritage of the archaeological sites, monuments, traditional settlements, rural buildings etc. You may also visit the wind parks and the other units of mild energy sources and the organic farming of this area which are two sectors very important for the environment. Sitia is a pioneer of these sectors in Europe.
One of the best district archaeological museums is situated in Sitia with many folklore exhibits, a show-room and selling-point of exceptional local products, and the Venetian castle of Kazarma. Furthermore there are many cultural authorities with wonderful activities. Kazarma today is a fabulous place for cultural events (theatre, concerts etc.) and is the centre of the town’s cultural life in the summer when the “Kornaria” festival is organized, a series of theatrical, musical, other arts and literary events. Every year in August is also organized the “sultana feast”, one of the biggest celebrations on Crete while many traditional feasts and parties take place in the scenic villages of the district throughout the whole summer.