Sitia
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Latest revision as of 12:21, 15 August 2018
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 Sitia |
Sitia (Σητεία) is a large and pleasant harbor in NE Crete. The town is sizable and very pleasant being outside the main tourist circuit. There are many good stores and restaurants and the people here are friendly.
Charts
See Crete.
Weather
See Aegean Sea.
Passages
See Crete.
Communication
See Crete.
There are no dangers in the approach.
See also Crete.
Berthing
The harbour at Sitia is a rather grubby commercial harbour, with most of the quay space occupied by local or fishing boats on laid moorings. The only mooring place for yachts at the time of visiting ( June 2009 --Athene of Lymington) is alongside the northern breakwater, where yachts can tie up in around 7 meters but will have to compete for space with the larger fishing boats. The quay is very dusty and there is no water or electricity except towards the root, where it is usually full of fishing boats.
The outer end of the quay, where a yacht is likely to have to moor, is also quite exposed in any southerly winds, in which the waves have a fetch of up to two miles across the bay before flinging themselves onto the quay. A berth here in these conditions would be very uncomfortable at least and possibly even untenable in strong winds.
The alternative quay mentioned in some pilot books to the north of the harbour is unusable at the time of writing, since it is full of huge concrete blocks being used for work in progress to extend the ferry quay. In any case, there are no laid moorings at this quay and it is not known when or if it will be returned to use once the harbour works are completed.
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
None.
Anchorages
Amenities
| Facilities | |
|---|---|
| Water | There is an outlet at the root of the quay |
| Electricity | N/A (Not Available) |
| Toilets | N/A |
| Showers | N/A |
| Laundry | ? |
| Garbage | Trash cans |
| Supplies | |
| Fuel | There is a fuel station in town, you will have to carry jerry cans |
| Bottled gas | You can find Camping Gaz In the inner street parallel to the waterfront |
| Chandlers | Only fishing supplies |
| Services | |
| Repairs | N/A |
| Internet | In internet cafés |
| Mobile connectivity | Good |
| Vehicle rentals | There are several agencies in the town |
Provisioning
- There are many grocery stores and supermarkets
Eating out
- The Michos restaurant is very good and serves mizithropites (Cretan cheese pies) and kontosouvli (pork grilled on the spit) together with a very good house wine. This restaurant is very old fashioned and does not seem to have been affected at all by the tourist boom
- There are many waterfront restaurants
- On the waterfront you can also get loukoumades (honey fritters), particularly popular in Crete
Transportation
There are flights (Sitia has an airport) and ferries to Athens.
Tourism
Places to Visit
Sitia has an Archaeological Museum, a Venetian castle, an Ethnological Museum, and at least one movie house.
Sitia is also a good place to rent a scooter and explore the SE side of Crete that is not have safe anchorages.
Zakros
Kato Zakros is the site of a Minoan Palace, the fourth in size in Crete. It is well worth a visit.
There is also a ravine, 6.5 km, from Ano Zakros to Kato Zakros along the slopes of which there are caves with Minoan burials. On my visit, hard as I tried - I checked every cave I saw - I was not able to locate anything Minoan or archaeological. I only found evidence of the presence of goats. Nevertheless the walk was very pleasant. Near the end of the gorge there are many laurel trees which give a very pleasant smell.
Toplou Monastery
On the way to Vai visit the Toplou Monastery (Τοπλού). They have an exemplary exhibit of Cretan icons, many from the Theotokopoulos (El Greco) school, early engravings, and many monastery papers and ecclesiastical books. One could not ask for a more well-lighted and labeled display. The monastery has been active through most of the Cretan modern history, from the early Ottoman possesion of Crete to the German occupation during World War II, a center of Cretan resistance. The Germans actually, in retaliation, confiscated all of the monastic property and closed down the monastery.
Vai
Vai (Βάϊ) is located very near Cape Sidero, but it is not a good anchorage (too rough to stay). It is a beach with a large forest of palm trees which is said to be unique in Europe (one could argue, of course, that Crete is not Europe). It is somewhat disappointing as it is very developed and overrun by tourists. Physically it is a beautiful beach and the palm trees look nice, but it is surrounded by a very large concrete parking lot full of cars and buses. The actual beach is covered with long chairs and umbrellas, packed with sunbathing people. There is a path up the hill which leads to a large overlooking restaurant.
Also see: Vai Beach.
The Hohlakies Gorge
This a three hour walking expedition but well worth the effort. Driving back towards Zákros just after passing Kouremenos there is a sign "To Hohlakies Gorge 2 km." Follow this sign which leads to a small dirt road past a village into an olive grove. Then, the road ends abruptly. Follow a path on foot, and after several false turns you get to Hohlakies (Χοχλακιές). The gorge is a few kilometers long and very pretty. The path within the gorge is surprisingly well marked. After about an hour more walk it leads to the Karoumbes cove (Όρμος Καρούπμες).
Karoumbes is a lovely little cove, with crystal clear water, and best of all usually there there are no other people. It a great place to rest and have a swim before starting back up the gorge.
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
- Sitia at the Wikipedia
- Sitia at the Wikivoyage
- Archaeological Museum
- Ethnological Museum
References
See Greece.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Sitia and this page's details validated:
- September 1997 --Istioploos
- June 2009 --Athene of Lymington
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 Contributors to this page |
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Names: Istioploos, Athene of Lymington |
