Sitia

Sitia is the easternmost city on Crete near the Cape Sidero. It is a city with about 10,000 residents, built on the west side of the bay of Sitia, on a warm and dry area. It is a very well organized city with many shops, tourist facilities, hospitals, banks, etc. The residents work mainly with agriculture and tourism.
In Sitia, apart from swimming in the long beach east of the city, you can stroll in the harbor, enjoy your coffee in the many cafes in the beach road, get lost in the old town with the traditional houses and the picturesque yards, visit the castle Kazarma and the ruins of a Venetian monastery. Moreover, you could visit the Archaeological Museum with exhibits from 3500BC to 500AC, all coming from the wider area of Sitia. A folklore museum exhibition also operates in the town with traditional objects of 19th and 20th century. Lastly, it is worth visiting the local produce stand, where you can learn about the products of Sitia. Among them are olive oil, Cretan wine and raki. Indeed, the oil of Sitia is the best in the world, winning several international awards every year.
The city is considered to be built at the site of the ancient Itia or Sitea, which was the home of Myson. Myson has been reported as one of the seven sages of antiquity, replacing Periander.During the Byzantine period, the town flourished as a commercial port. The medieval city was a castle, i.e. was protected by a large wall and the fortress Kazarma, located today on a hill near the port. One of the greatest representatives of Greek Literature was born then, Vitsentzos Kornaros (1553-1613), with his famous love poem “Erotokritos” and the dramatic poem “The Sacrifice of Abraham”.

Zakros

Zakros is located in a remote area of eastern Crete, 45km southeast of Sitia. Communication with the Mid East was faster from here during the Minoan Age, thus the Minoans built here the administrative center of Eastern Crete, with an important port. The findings are very rich (sheets of gold, ivory, jewelry, pottery, etc.) and prove the close relationship of the city with the ports of Cyprus, Egypt and the Middle East.
The Palace of Zakros was built at the outlet of the imposing Gorge of the Deads and is the fourth largest Minoan palace that has been excavated. The region is full with archaeological treasures, and even the name of the gorge of the Deads is taken after the preminoan graves found on its sides.The palace at Zakros is one of the most important archaeological discoveries, considering that it is the only Minoan palace not looted and found with its treasury vault intact!In the region of Zakros someone will see a large number of wells with fresh water. Somehow, in the wells located within the site (and only in them!) many turtles leave. German scientists study this strange phenomenon and believe that their existence in Zakros dates back to the Minoan era.

Mochlos

Mochlos is a small island Stis Crete, located north of the island, the Bay of Sitia. An American archaeologist R. Seager after making excavations in the area, discovered one of the most important cemeteries of the Early Minoan period. The tombs were built under rock shelters and contained collective burials, which belonged to important people. On the south side of the island, Seager brought to light parts of the settlement that flourished throughout the period of the Bronze Age.

Gorge Richtis

Gorge Richtis located in Lasithi, in the north side, between Ag Nikolao and Sitia. It begins just outside the village Outside Mouliana and ends at the beach of Richtis, east of the village of Calabria. The total length of the route is about 3 km and the altitude difference input and output is approximately 350 meters. The gorge even in summer has plenty of water, which is used by tank. The gorge can be crossed in one in three to four hours away. The path starts from the stone arched bridge Lahana (19th century) which has a tragic history. There, during the exchange of populations (Greece-Turkey) said that Christians killed Turks in the region, who were trying to descend to Sitia to leave boat to Turkey.