Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gourniá
Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm • €3 •
T
28410 22462
GOURNIÁ
, 20km east of Áyios Nikólaos, is the most completely preserved
Minoan town
.
Its narrow alleys and stairways intersect a throng of one-roomed houses centred on a
main square, and the rather grand house of what may have been a local ruler or governor.
Although less impressive than the great palaces, the site is strong on revelations about the
lives of the ordinary people - many of the dwellings housed craftsmen, who left behind
their tools and materials to be found by the excavators. Its desolation today (you are likely
to be alone save for a dozing guardian) only serves to heighten the contrast with what
must have been a cramped and raucous community 3500 years ago.
Mókhlos
MÓKHLOS
is a sleepy seaside village with a few rooms, a hotel or two and a number of
tavernas
along its tiny harbour. The village beach is very small and pebbly, but there's a
slightly larger beach (also pebble) to the west. For those who stay there's not a great
deal to do - hang out in the harbour taverna-cafés or swim out to the
islet of Mókhlos
just
offshore, where there are remains of Minoan houses - but it's very easy to do
nothing here in this laidback place.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
7
MÓKHLOS
Hermes
T
28430 94074.
This clean and simple pension
behind the waterfront offers the cheapest rooms in the
village. So
me e
n-suite rooms with a/c, others sharing bath.
April-Oct.
€28
Sofia Hotel
T
28430 94738.
For a bit more en-suite
luxury, and a harbourfront view, this friendly hotel has a/c
rooms with fridge and TV, and is situated above its
waterside t
aver
na which serves good home-cooked dishes.
April-Oct.
€40
Sitía
SITÍA
is the port and main town of the relatively unexploited eastern edge of Crete. It's a
pleasantly scenic, offering a plethora of waterside restaurants, a long sandy beach and a
lazy lifestyle little affected even by the thousands of visitors in peak season. The town
attracts a number of French, Italian and Greek tourists, and it grows on you, perhaps
inviting a longer stay than intended. For entertainment there's the
town beach
, providing
good swimming, windsurfing and diving. In town there's a small
folklore museum
(Mon-Fri 10am-1pm; €2), an excellent
archeological museum
(Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm;
€2) and a Venetian fort to explore. A colourful weekly
market
takes place on Tuesdays
between 7am and 2pm along Odhós Itanou near the archeological museum.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
SITÍA
By plane
Sitía's airport lies 1km north of the town and is
currently served by domestic
flights only, with Aegean
Airways and Olympic Air.
Destinations
Athens (5 weekly; 50min), Kárpathos (5
weekly; 1hr), Kássos (6 weekly; 25min), Rhodes (5 weekly;
1hr).
By ferry
The ferry port lies 500m north of the town. Sitía
to: Pireás via Iráklion (2 weekly; 16hr).
Tue-Wed to: Kássos
(2hr 30min), Kárpathos (4hr 20min), Mílos (9hr) Rhodes
(9hr), Santoríni (7hr).
By bus
The station is at the south end of Venizélou - the
main entry road into town from the west.
Destinations
Áyios Nikólaos (7 daily; 6.15am-8.30pm; 1hr
45min), Iráklion (6 daily; 5.30am-7.45pm; 3hr 15min),
Ierápetra (5 daily; 6.15am-8pm; 1hr 30min), Palékastro (5
daily; 6am-2.30pm; 40min), Váï Beach (3 daily
9.30am-2.30pm; 1hr), Zákros (2 daily 6am & 2pm;
1hr 20min).
INFORMATION AND ACTIVITIES
Tourist of
ce
On the seafront, at the start of the beach
road (Mon-Fri 9.30am-2.30pm & 5-9pm, Sat
9am-2.30pm;
T
28430 28300,
W
sitia.gr). Supplies
accommodation lists, maps and local information.
Diving
Universal Diver, Kornárou 140 (
T
28430 23489,
E
pavlossimos@yahoo.gr). PADI-certified dive centre with
courses for all levels.
