Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DESTINATION
TIME
FARE
FREQUENCY
Agios Nikolaos
1¾hr
€7.30
up to 5 daily
Ierapetra
1½hr
€6.30
up to 4 daily
Iraklio
3¼hr
€14.70
up to 5 daily
Palekastro
45min
€2.60
3 Mon-Fri
Vaï
1hr
€3.60
4 daily May-Oct
Zakros
1hr
€4.10
2 Mon, Tue & Fri
TOP OF CHAPTER
Around Sitia
Moni Toplou Μονή Τοπλού
Perched in splendid isolation on a windswept bluff above the sea,
Moni Toplou
(
28430 61226; admission €3; 10am-5pm Apr-Oct, Fri only Nov-Mar)
is one of the most histor-
ically significant monasteries in Crete, whose defences were tested by all, from pirates to
crusading knights and the Turks. It is also one of the wealthiest, owning vast sweeps of
land, including the beach at Vaï, and producing excellent wine and olive oil.
Its most prized possession is the stunningly intricate
Megas i Kyrie
(Lord Thou Art
Great) icon by celebrated Cretan artist Ioannis Kornaros. Dozens of stories from the Old
and New Testaments are depicted here; see if you can find Noah's Ark, Jonah and the
Whale or Moses parting the Red Sea. Other rooms hold more icons, copper engravings
and a WWII memorial exhibit.
The monastery is about 18km east of Sitia. Buses can drop you off at the junction on
the Sitia-Palekastro road from where it's a 3km walk.
Vaï Βάι
The beach at Vaï, 24km east of Sitia, is famous for its large grove of Phoenix theophrastii
palms
. With calm, clear waters, it is one of Crete's most popular strands, whose rows of
umbrellas and sunbeds (€8) often get filled by 10am in July and August. Jet skis kick in-
to gear shortly thereafter. In other words, come early or after 5pm to appreciate Vai's nat-
ural beauty in tranquillity.
If you want a nice beach without the crowds (or the palms), take the 1km scramble
east over the rocky headland; there are no facilities, so pack everything you need. The
