East Crete and the empty coast
East Crete moves at a different pace from the rest of the island: fewer coach tours, a genuinely remote palace site at Zakros, and Sitia's harbour standing in for the busier towns further west. The trip ends at Elounda on the Gulf of Mirabello, close enough to Spinalonga for a short boat crossing without turning the day into a group excursion.
- Length
- 6 days · 5 nights
- Months
- April – June, September – October
- Stops
- 4
The route on a map
1 · 1 night
Heraklion
Arrival point, with an evening at the harbour before heading east.
2 · 2 nights
Sitia
A quiet mountain-backed port with almost no coach traffic.
3 · A day here
Zakros palace
The most remote of the four great Minoan palaces, near the Valley of the Dead.
4 · 2 nights
Elounda
A calm base on the Gulf of Mirabello, near the fortress island of Spinalonga.
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive Heraklion
Sleep · Heraklion
Flight or overnight ferry from Piraeus; evening at the Venetian harbour before the drive east.
Day 2
East to Sitia
Sleep · Sitia
A drive of roughly two and a half hours along the north coast, stopping at Agios Nikolaos on the way.
Day 3
Zakros and the Valley of the Dead
Sleep · Sitia
The remote Minoan palace at Zakros and a walk through the gorge to Kato Zakros beach.
Day 4
Vai and the palm forest
Sleep · Sitia
Europe's largest natural palm forest at Vai, and the hill village of Palaikastro nearby.
Day 5
West to Elounda
Sleep · Elounda
Drive back along the coast to Elounda, afternoon boat to the fortress island of Spinalonga.
Day 6
Depart
Departure
Morning transfer to Heraklion for the flight home.