The current capital,
Agios Nikolaos or Saint Nicholas is a town of nearly 20,000 inhabitants which has been attracting tourists for over 30 years due to a combination of its picturesque harbour, famous lake and town beaches. It has all the amenities you would expect of a modern chic town as well as regular ferry connections to Athens. Inland from Agios Nikolaos is the area of
Lakonia. Reminiscent of Tuscany in Italy, its green rolling hills are scattered with many small traditional villages. Agriculture and in particular olive groves dominate and life here goes on very much at its own pace.
Located 10km north of Agios Nikolaos is the village of
Elounda. World famous, this St. Tropez of Greece is no longer the sleepy fishing village of old but rather a 5 star laden resort with stunning views out over the
Spinalonga peninsula. Travelling farther east, one reaches, the towns of Istron, Kalo Chorio and Pachea Ammos. Close to the
white sandy beaches of the area, these towns, like Sissi and Milatos, are opening up to small scale tourism. Farther East and approx an hour's drive from Agios Nikolaos is the town of Sitia, the last major town of Crete. It’s a relaxed town built around the harbour where one can stroll along the promenade or dine in one of its many tavernas. Like Agios Nikolaos, it has links with the mainland via ferry and even a domestic airport.
Vai is famous for its palm forest located right on the beach. It is the largest palm forest in
Crete and these palms are endemic Cretan palms (Phoenix theophrastii) and were not imported inadvertently by Saracene pirates eating dates (as some would like you to believe). This superb beach, discovered by a few hippies in the 70s became a favourite with long term campers in the 80s until it got turned into something of a rubbish dump by their carelessness. A sad but not uncommon story in Crete and elsewhere. Finally, it was declared a protected area, camping was forbidden, the beach got fenced off and entrance only allowed during day time. The beach is free but you will pay a parking fee if you come by car.
Itanos is located only two kilometers north of Vai and whilst it only has a few palms it has three pretty beaches and no crowds (altough during the high season there are times when the beach can get crowded by Vai visitors escaping the chaos there). Itanos was an important Greco-Roman harbour and probably inhabited since Minoan times. The archaeological site is right along the beach. A very beautiful corner of Crete but its days might be counted: a HUGE touristic project is planned just north of Itanos. So go and enjoy Itanos whilst you can, it might change very very soon.
Kato Zakros truly lies at the eastern end of Crete. A green oasis in a stark landscape, in a bay very well protected from most winds, the only reason that it has remained a small place, without much of a touristic infrastructure, is because the Minoan palace of Zakros which was discovered in 1961 is still not fully excavated. As nobody knows the full extent of the palace the government imposed a blanket ban on building in the area. But a few rooms, apartments and studios are sprouting up away from Kato Zakros on the way to Zakros.
Palekastro is a large village (1100 inhabitants) with most people working in agriculture. But with its good beaches the area around Palekastro has started to attract tourism and slowly a good infrastucture is emerging for the independent traveler and holiday maker. The village is set back from the sea
