Ierapetra
A popular place for locals to unwind at summer weekends, this coarse-grey-sand cove lapped by tranquil waters and backed by cliffs and tamarisk trees lies about 16km east of Ierapetra. Beach bars provide refreshments and sunloungers with umbrellas.
Look for the sign in a bend off the Ierapetra–Sitia Rd.
22.4 MILES
Ancient Zakros, the smallest of Crete’s four Minoan palatial complexes, sat next to a harbour and was likely engaged in sea trade with the Middle East, as…
20.45 MILES
Tiny Spinalonga Island became a leper colony in 1903 and catapulted into pop-cultural consciousness thanks to Victoria Hislop's 2005 bestselling novel The…
14.08 MILES
Ierapetra is the launch pad for boat trips to uninhabited Chrissi Island (also known as Gaïdouronisi or Hrysi Island). It is famous for its golden beaches…
28.69 MILES
The Palace of Malia, 3km east of Malia, was built at about the same time as the great Minoan palaces of Phaestos and Knossos. The First Palace dates back…
16.59 MILES
The fortified hilltop city state of Lato is one of Crete’s best-preserved non-Minoan ancient sites and worth the trip for the rural serenity and stunning…
23.64 MILES
In splendid isolation on a windswept plateau, 15th-century fortified Moni Toplou is one of the most historically significant monasteries in Crete. Its…
15.61 MILES
This tiny triple-aisled church on the main road shelters Crete's best-preserved Byzantine frescoes. The oldest in the central nave (13th century) depict…
26.29 MILES
According to legend, Rhea hid in this cave to give birth to Zeus, far from the clutches of his offspring-gobbling father, Cronos. A slick and vertiginous…
3 MILES
The village of Koutsounari, some 7km east of Ierapetra, boasts one of the longest beaches in Crete (4.5km). It's great for sunbathing in relative solitude…
5.98 MILES
The fine yellow-sand beach in the Analipsi township at the eastern end of Makrygialos stretches for about 1km and is one of the best on the southeastern…
7.68 MILES
The Late Minoan settlement of Gournia lies 19km southeast of Agios Nikolaos. Comprising a small palace and residential areas, it was built between 1600…
7.85 MILES
Ierapetra's pretty town hall is in the city centre next to a small park and near the ferries to Chrissi Island.
7.93 MILES
Built in 1856 atop a much older church possibly dating to the Venetian era, this handsome house of worship is dedicated to St George, the patron saint of…
7.98 MILES
This is where Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have stayed incognito with a local family when his ship anchored in Crete for one night in 1798 en route to…
7.98 MILES
Overlooking the fishing harbour, the crenellated Venetian fort dates from the 17th century but was built atop an older defensive structure reputedly built…