Crete/Lassithi (Island)
Lassithi Vai Forest at Sunset |
Welcome to the Prefecture of Lassithi!
The Prefecture of Lassithi lies at the easternmost end of the Crete, home to Agios Nikolaos, the resort of Elounda and the island of Spinalonga. It covers an area of 1,818 sq km (701 sq. miles), and its population is around 72,000 inhabitants. The general impression is the same as in the rest of Crete, long sandy beaches, green valleys with small villages, and islets here and there in the crystal-clear waters.
The capital of the prefecture is Agios Nikolaos. It is inhabited by around ten thousand people and is built, both town and port, in the picturesque Mirabello Bay. This friendly harbor is no different than any other small-sized one in Crete. Both cosmopolitan and traditional, it gives shelter to both luxury yachts and fishing boats of the local fishermen bringing in the catch of the day. Traditional cafes, along with more modern cafeterias and all kinds of small shops are welcoming visitors and locals alike, creating a relaxed rhythm of life! An acceptable level of services to both the non-demanding visitor and the demanding one, the hospitable people and their local traditions all merge to form the all-Cretan atmosphere of this town.
The Port of Sitia to the east, the cosmopolitan Elounda, with its high level of tourist infrastructure, and the town of Ierapetra, southeast at the narrowest point of the island, are also welcoming you. The beautiful plateau of Lassithi, ornated by its many villages and hundreds of windmills, relics of a not so remote past when Man and Nature coexisted in much more reverent terms, the famous palm-tree forest in Vai, are just some of the beauties that the prefecture of Lassithi has to offer.
Lassithi Prefecture, like everywhere else in Crete, has been gifted with many remarkable Archaeological and Cultural Treasures, a result of Man’s existence here since prehistoric times. The long Cretan History has bequeathed Lassithi with many ancient, medieval, and more modern relics. Venetian and Turkish monuments add to the uniqueness of the region, and Greek-Orthodox monasteries, Ottoman mosques, Byzantine churches, Venetian castles, and clock towers are to be found everywhere. The ancient Minoan Palace in Zakros is worthy of a visit to the region, solely on its own merits.
| Crete/Lassithi: Cities and Towns | | |
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Agia Fokia Sitia, Agios Nikolaos City, Chrissi Island, Elounda Town, Ierapetra Town, Sissi Village, Sitia Town
Lassithi Vai Beach |
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Lassithi Cave Stalactite (top to bottom) and Stalagmite (bottom to top) Formations |
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Lassithi Monastery |
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Lassithi |
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Aghios Nikolaos Crete Harbor |
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Aghios Nikolaos Crete Spinalonga Castle |
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