Lassithi Hotels Crete (Lasithi) Accommodation in Makrigialos, Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, Palekastro, Havania, Sitia, Map of Lassithi Crete Greece

The Prefecture of Lassithi, Crete, or Agios Nikolaos as some call it after its capital, is the easternmost prefecture on the island. The prefecture is well-known for its excellent archaeological sites, as well as the one-of-a-kind in Europe Palm Tree Forest on Vai Beach. Besides its historical monuments, amazing natural beauty, endless mountain ranges, impressive gorges, lush fields and dazzling beaches, Lassithi has scenic villages, where visitors are greeted with a warm smile and genuine hospitality, making the prefecture a superb Greek holiday destination for everyone!

The hillsides of Lassithi are beautiful, with hidden natural paradises where you can relax and refect. The long shoreline of Lassithi guarantees marvelous beaches where you may spend your leisure time basking in the sun and bathing in the clean waters of the Cretan and the Libyan Seas. Once you have worked up an appetite, you can dine on scrumptious Cretan dishes made with local produce and meats, drink an invigorating cup of coffee and be off for an evening of dancing at the bars and clubs located throughout the Lassithi Prefecture.

When planning your holiday in Lassithi, Crete, rest assured that you will find the accommodation of your choice that satisfies both your budget and your need. The sheer abundance of Lassithi hotels, apartments, studios, villas, and rooms for rent provides guests with a wonderful selection to choose from.

Lassithi Hotels

No other place in Greece offers the abundance and range of hotel accommodation found on Crete, and the Lassithi Prefecture is no exception. Such variety allows visitors to select the accommodation that best suits their needs and budget from an extensive list of Lassithi hotels.

Hotel accommodation in Lassithi is endless, ranging from large luxury hotel resorts and holiday villas for rent to fully-equipped apartments, spacious rooms to let and family studios throughout the Lassithi Prefecture, Crete. There are cosy, romantic studios for couples, as well as large apartments and rooms that cater to families and groups of friends who want to split the cost of Lassithi hotels accommodation.

The most popular places to stay in Lassithi, Crete are the charming seaside resorts that provide guests with a stunning view of either the Cretan Sea or the Libyan Sea. On the northern side of Lassithi, facing the Cretan Sea, visitors can spend their holidays in Elounda, the capital Agios Nikolaos, the picturesque settlement of Havania and the bay area of Sitia. Havania and Agios Nikolaos Hotels offer guests a marvelous view of Mirabello Bay and access to many traditional tavernas and cafes beside the port. Elounda, Crete is a favourite vacation spot for the VIP crowd, as it has a number of luxury resorts and elegant villas. Sitia, the main port of the prefecture, provides a plethora of excellent rooms, studios and apartments, as well as easy access to the Vai Beach, one of the best beaches in Greece.

On the southern side of the Lassithi Prefecture is Ierapetra, a charming seaside town with a view of the Libyan Sea and Chryssi Island. Ierapetra hotels are fully-equipped and comfortable, close to nightlife venues and beautiful beaches, catering to all types of tourists.

For more information about hotel accommodation in Lassithi, Crete, such as luxury hotels in Lassithi, budget Lassithi hotels, studios, rooms to rent, villas, and apartments in Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, Havania, Ierapetra and Sitia. click for Hotels in Lassithi

The beautiful shoreline of the Lassithi Prefecture provides visitors with a plethora of splendid beaches on which to spend leisure time basking in the sun and swimming in the cool waters of the Cretan and Libyan Seas. On the northern coast of Lassithi, Crete, the waters are warmer and shallower than the southern waters, although the beaches on the southern coast of Lassithi are less crowded than those on the northern coast.

In Lassithi, Crete, visitors will find a great number of both popular beaches and quiet beaches. The most crowded northern-shore Lassithi beaches include, of course, the beaches located around the capital of the prefecture, Agios Nikolaos, as well as the beaches of Almyros, Ammoudara, Elounda, Istro, Plaka and Sitia. In fact, Elounda Beach is one of Crete's most frequented holiday destinations. If you are vacationing on the southern side of the prefecture and are looking for popular spots, you should swim at the Lassithi beaches of Myrtos, Makrygialos and Ierapetra. Many people gather at the stunning Palm Tree Beach of Vai on the eastern coast of Lassithi, which is one of a kind in Europe.

If you prefer beaches that are serene and secluded, we suggest visiting the northern Lassithi beaches Driros, Sissi, Havania, and Pachia Ammos or the southern Lassithi beaches of Agia Fotia, Xerokambos, Koutsounari, Achlia, and Lagada. Close to Vai Palm Beach on the eastern shore of Lassithi are the wonderful beaches in the Palekastro region, Itanos Beach and Kato Zakros Beach. The majority of Lassithi beaches provide beach facilities, such as tavernas, cafes, umbrellas and chaise longues, while others are fully-organized and have water sports facilities.

Off the southern coast of the Lassithi Prefecture are the small islands of Koufonissi and Chryssi, which are celebrated for their fine sand and shimmering azure waters.

Most nightlife venues in the Lassithi Prefecture are situated in Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, Elounda, and Ierapetra, including a very good selection of clubs, bars and cafes, although most seaside settlements also offer a number of entertainment venues. In Lassithi there are traditional tavernas and restaurants everywhere, from the smallest village to the most popular resort, so visitors will find hundreds of place to eat in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, as well as elsewhere in the prefecture. As Crete is especially well-known for its cuisine, we recommend trying some of the most popular dishes at Lassithi restaurants, such as potatoes "oftes" (fried with the peel), "choclious" (traditionally-cooked escargot), baked eggplant, dakos (vinegar & water-soaked barley rusk with chopped tomato and feta cheese), raisin bread, olive bread, fresh seafood, and staka cheese, which is served either by itself or integrated into a dish. For dessert you may try the kaltsounia (sweet cheese pastries) and after, clean you palate with a small glass of "raki", the traditional alcoholic drink of Crete that will make you hair stand on end!

Many traditional events are held in Lassithi, Crete, offering visitors a chance to experience local customs and celebrations. In Agios Nikolaos, during Easter, there is the celebration of the Resurrection and the "Burning of Judas" in Agios Nikolaos Port. Other Agios Nikolaos celebrations include the "Lato" cultural events during the summer and the festival of Agios Nikolaos Church on December 6. In Elounda, Crete you can participate in the summer cultural events and "fish night" in July, while in Ierapetra we suggest attending the "Kyrveia" cultural performances. Dance nights take place on the Lassithi Mountain Range in the summertime. Gournia Village holds a celebration in honor of the Virgin Mary on August 15 in the Monastery of Faneromeni. There is also a Monastery of Faneromeni in Sitia, where they too hold a celebration in honor of the Virgin Mary on August 15. In July and August you can see the cultural events of "Kornareia" at the Sitia Port and the Kazarma Fortress, while the "Soultanina" Celebration is a five-day event that also takes place in Sitia, Lassithi. For more information about Lassithi events and their dates, ask your hotel or travel agency in Crete.

While vacationing in the Lassithi Prefecture, Crete visitors are offered the unique opportunity of touring the exquisite historical and natural sights of the region. If you are an archaeology aficionado, we recommend starting off with a visit to the very impressive archaeological sights of Ancient Itanos, which is located near the Palm Tree Forest of Vai, Ancient Driros that is situated near the town of Neapolis, and Ancient Praissos located south of Sitia. In the town of Kato Zakros visitors can explore the splendid Minoan Palace. Other wonderful ancient sights include the Doric City of Lato in Kritsa, the Post-Minoan settlements of Gournia and Markygialos, the Minoan settlement in Palekastro, the Pre-Minoan cities in Myrtos and Pachia Ammos, and the Ancient Ruins of Olous in Elounda, which are located just beneath the surface of the sea.

There are several impressive sights from the Venetian Era, such as the Kales Fortress in Ierapetra, and the Kazarma Fortress in Sitia. If you truly want to get a glimpse of genuine Cretan lifestyle, we suggest touring the small traditional villages in the Lassithi mountainside. For the religious buffs, ecclesiastical art lovers and museum enthusiasts, the prefecture of Lassithi Greece does not disappoint. Start off by procuring a map of Agios Nikolaos in order to tour the capital city. Your first stop should be the Byzantine Church of Agios Nikolaos, from which the town took its name. Afterwards visit the town's superb Archaeological and Folklore Museums. Next, pop over to Sitia, where you can visit the Toplou Monastery, which is one of the most famous sights in the Lassithi Prefecture, Crete, known for its amazing icons and frescos. Sitia and Ierapetra also have excellent Archaeological and Folklore Museums.

Some of the finest natural sights in Crete are located in Lassithi. The most pre-eminent of all is the the Palm Tree Forest of Vai, which is unique in Europe. For those who consider themselves something of an amateur speleologist, we recommend visiting the Diktao Andro Cave on the Lassithi Plateau and the cave in Milatos, which has a lovely collection of stalactites and stalagmites. If you are a trekking and hiking enthusiast, the Katharos and Lassithi Mountain Ranges, the Gorges of Cha and Chavga, and the Pine Forest in Males are ideal locations for your favorite activity.

Lassithi, Crete is blessed with one of the best climates in Greece, and indeed Europe. Lassithi is located at the southernmost point of the continent, yet offers pleasantly warm and dry summers and mild winters. The fact that Crete, and therefore Lassithi, is an island means that cool and refreshing winds are able to reduce the effects of the hot Mediterranean sun, making it a comfortable holiday destination during both summer and winter. The climate in the mountains and the seaside are very different. Snow may fall on the peaks of Mt. Dikti, while at the same time weather in Elounda, for example, may be fairly temperate.

From January to March, temperatures in Lassithi, Crete range on average from 12°C - 14°C. Temperatures rise in April and May range from 17°C to 22°C. Summer is when the weather in Lassithi really warms up. June, July, August and September temperatures range from the mid to high 20s. October, November and December remain quite warm, as temperatures range from the mid teens to the low 20s.

The Meltemi wind picks up in July and August, and visitors usually prefer sheltered beaches when the wind is especially strong.

Travelling to the Lassithi Prefecture, Crete is easy and quite convenient throughout the year, as Crete is a wonderful summer and winter holiday destination. Flights and boat trips to Lassithi are a bit more frequent during the peak tourist summer months. There are direct flights to Sitia Airport in Crete from Athens Airport and Thessaloniki Airport, as well as Preveza Airport in Epirus and Alexandroupolis Airport in Northern Greece. Try to book your airplane tickets well in advance in order to secure a flight on the date of your choice, as well as the lowest price possible.

Ferries to Agios Nikolaos Port depart daily from Athens (Piraeus Port). All ferries to Lassithi, Crete are comfortable, spacious and offer cabins for those who want to take a nap on the way. Agios Nikolaos is also connected by ferry boats to Rhodes, Karpathos, Kasos and Chalki in the Dodecanese, and Milos Island in the Cyclades. Again, book your ferry tickets in advance, especially during the summer months when the island is busy with tourists. Boat fares to Lassithi, Crete fluctuate, depending on when you are travelling and the class of the ticket. For further information about ferries and flights to Lassithi, Crete, click here to be directed to our Lassithi Travel Agencies' page.

For an unforgettable touring experience in Lassithi, Crete, we suggest renting a safe and trustworthy rental car that will be waiting for you at Sitia Airport or Agios Nikolaos Port upon your arrival.

For more information about Lassithi car rentals, click here to be directed to our Lassithi Rent a Car Agencies' page.