Sitia is a coastal town in eastern Crete in the prefecture of Lassithi. It is located in the northeastern part of the prefecture, in the western part of the eponymous bay, 70 km east of Agios Nikolaos Lassithi and is the seat of the homonymous municipality. It is the homeland of the poet of "Erotokritos" Vitsenzo Kornaros. Sitia has a small airport, through which it connects with Athens and the Aegean islands and is a tourist resort. The Kallikratikos Municipality of Sitia emerged from the merger of the Municipalities of Itanos, Lefki and Sitia. With the Government Gazette A '239 - 07.11.2011 the Local Communities of Pefka, Chrysopigi, Lithina and Pervolakia left the Municipality of Ierapetra and joined the neighboring Municipality of Sitia. Niki Sitias also has a football team.
Archaeological Museum
The thirty showcases of the
museum include exhibits from 3500 BC. until 500 AD coming from the
wider area of Sitia. The museum is divided into five sections,
which refer to respective chronological periods. Among others, the
collection of pottery, clay tablets of Linear A found in the archive
of Zakros, figurines from top sanctuaries, a grape press of the
neo-palace period and a Hellenistic mill for grinding grain are on
display. The ivory male figurine found at Roussolakkos near
Palekastro is unique.
Barracks
The fortress of the castle,
or Kazarma (Casa di arma), was the barracks of the guard or the
headquarters during the Venetian rule, ie one of the buildings of
Medieval Sitia which was surrounded by a wall. The fortification of
the city and the Barracks date back to the late Byzantine period.
However, pirate raids, frequent revolts of the inhabitants during
the Venetian occupation and even earthquakes caused successive
damage to the walls and the Barracks, until the Venetians themselves
were forced to destroy them in order to repair them, which did not
happen. . During the Turkish occupation, the perimeter walls do not
seem to have been rebuilt, but the Barracks was restored and today
Turkish additions can be seen, such as the buttons on the ramparts,
ie the outposts of the fortress. The Barracks has now been restored
and is open to the public offering panoramic views of the bay and
the city of Sitia. During the summer period, cultural events
(Kornaria) are held in its specially designed space, such as
theatrical performances, concerts, lectures, art exhibitions, etc.
Folklore Museum
An folklore museum was organized and operates
on the initiative of the cultural association "Vitsentzos Kornaros".
The exhibits, which belong to the 19th and early 20th centuries,
include embroidery, textiles, wood carvings, local clothing,
household items, icons and other items.
Museum - Exhibition
of local products
The exhibition-museum of local products was
created and operates under the responsibility of the Union of
Agricultural Cooperatives of Sitia and aims to promote local
products, the economic development of the region and enhance local
production. Dominant products are the olive oil "Sitia", the "Cretan
local wine" of Sitia, and the tsikoudia Varvaki.
Sitia beach
Vai Beach
Erimoupoli beach
Kouremenos beach
Xerokampos beach
Road access to Sitia is
provided by two main axes. The southern one leads from Ierapetra
crossing the province of Sitia from the Libyan to the Cretan Sea.
The northern road connects Sitia with the capital of the prefecture,
Agios Nikolaos. With the rest of Greece, Sitia is connected by air
and ferry.
KTEL Lassithi-Heraklion
The K.T.E.L. operates
itineraries to all the villages of the province and other large
cities of Greece.
Coasting
The port of Sitia serves mainly
small fishing boats and sailboats, but is -potentially- able to
serve larger passengers. Sitia is connected to Piraeus by ferry with
the passenger "Prevelis" of AN.EK. At the same time, Sitia is
connected with islands of the Cyclades and the Dodecanese.
Planes
Sitia Airport can accommodate small and medium-sized
aircraft. Regular flights are operated to and from Alexandroupolis,
Athens, Rhodes, Karpathos, Kasos, Aktio and Heraklion. The airport
is also able to accommodate charter flights and private jets.
Prehistoric and Minoan Period
Human habitation in Sitia dates back
to the Neolithic era around 3000 BC, with evidence of settlements in
strange stone-shaped caves predating the Minoans. The town is identified
with the ancient Minoan city of Eteia, which flourished as a refuge for
native Cretans after the collapse of major Minoan centers around 1450 BC
due to natural disasters and invasions. Excavations in the Petras
neighborhood reveal architectural remains from the end of the Neolithic
through the Bronze Age (3000–1050 BC), including the Minoan palace of
Petras, a significant administrative and religious site. Other nearby
Minoan settlements, such as Itanos and Mochlos, highlight the region's
role in trade and culture. The area is abundant in archaeological
treasures attesting to the Minoan civilization, Europe's first advanced
society, with artifacts like those from the Palace of Zakros displayed
in the Sitia Archaeological Museum. Eteia was settled by Eteocretans—the
indigenous Minoans who fled eastward following the Dorian conquest—and
reached its peak in the 2nd century BC when inhabitants from nearby
Praissos relocated there after their city's destruction by Ierapytna.
Ancient and Classical Period
During the Archaic period (c.
8th–6th centuries BC), Eastern Crete saw the establishment of numerous
independent city-states (poleis), with settlements shifting from coastal
Minoan palaces like Zakros to new urban centers on medium-altitude hills
for defense and agriculture. Sitia, as Eteia, prospered due to
commercial ties with Greek and Mediterranean ports, minting its own
coins and serving as a bishop's seat. It was the birthplace of Myson (or
Mison) of Chen, one of the Seven Sages of Greece, as noted by Diogenes
Laërtius. By the Classical period (5th–4th centuries BC), Crete had
around 57 poleis, with eastern concentrations around Mirabello and Sitia
bays, including Itanos, Praisos, Hierapytna, and Lato.
Geography—mountains like Lassithi and Thryptis, limited plains, and
trade corridors—shaped these states, each averaging 167 km² for
self-sufficiency in arable land, livestock, and pastoralism. Eteia
continued as a key port through this era.
Hellenistic and Roman
Period
In the Hellenistic period (4th–2nd centuries BC), territorial
expansions reduced the number of poleis. Praisos, an inland city 13 km
south of Sitia, controlled areas like Setaia and Stalai to access the
sea but was conquered by Hierapytna around 145–140 BC. Hierapytna
emerged dominant, absorbing territories including Tholos harbor and
Mochlos, while Itanos maintained autonomy through trade with Egypt and
arbitration over sanctuaries like Zeus Diktaios. Lato shifted its center
to the coast at Kamara due to inland limitations. By the Roman period
(1st century BC–4th century AD), only coastal cities like Hierapytna and
Itanos survived independently, benefiting from the end of piracy and
expanded trade; inland sites declined. Sitia prospered under Roman rule
as a major port, with the city possibly relocating from Petras to its
modern site during the First Byzantine period under Theodosius the
Great, amid religious tensions. A reference to the Bishop of Sitia in
731 AD confirms its early ecclesiastical importance.
Byzantine
Period
Sitia acquired wealth and power during Byzantine times,
remaining an important center and bishopric. It was described as a
prosperous port, but details on specific rulers are sparse. The Kazarma
fortress, originally built in the Late Byzantine period as barracks and
headquarters, marks this era's defensive architecture. The transition
from Roman to Byzantine maintained its role in eastern Mediterranean
trade.
Venetian Period
After Venice acquired Crete in 1204,
Sitia became part of the Regno di Candia and was fortified as a
strategic base for Eastern Mediterranean operations. Described as the
"greatest station and light of this island," it featured castles and
fortresses, with the Kazarma (from Italian "casa di arma") overlooking
the harbor. Locals resisted Venetian rule, notably in 1362 when they
declared Crete the "Independent Republic of St Titus." A 1362 clash
documented by Petrarch saw Sitians defeat Venetian ships refusing water
supplies. The town was destroyed multiple times: by an earthquake in
1508, plundered by pirates in the 1530s and razed by Barbarossa in 1538,
and demolished by the Venetians in 1651 during the Cretan War to prevent
Ottoman capture. Inhabitants fled to Liopetro, leaving Sitia abandoned
for nearly two centuries.
Ottoman Period
Under Ottoman rule
following the 1669 conquest of Crete, Sitia remained largely unsettled
until rebuilt in 1870 by the progressive governor Hüseyin Avni Pasha
after the Cretan Revolt (1866–1869). Renamed Avniye, it featured new
public structures like a courthouse, but locals retained the name Sitia.
By 1881, it had 570 inhabitants, growing to 2,100 by 1928, and became
the capital of the Lasithi Sanjak. Major public works in 1911, including
a water supply from Zou springs, modernized the town as Crete
transitioned to Greek rule.
Modern Period
Sitia's population
nearly quadrupled in the early 20th century amid Crete's integration
into Greece and World War I. During World War II, it was occupied by
Italian forces in 1941, later Germans, prompting local resistance. Monks
from Toplou Monastery participated, nearly leading to its destruction by
Nazis, while figures like 18-year-old Terpsichore Chryssoulaki-Vlachou,
a wireless operator, were executed for espionage. Post-war, Sitia
developed as a cultural hub, birthplace of poet Vintsenzos Kornaros
(author of the medieval epic "Erotokritos"). Today, with about 10,000
inhabitants, it features an international airport (since 2015), a
folklore museum, and events like the Kournareia festival and Sultana
celebration. The region boasts award-winning olive oil, wines from
Toplou Monastery and Economou Winery, and natural sites in the NATURA
2000 network, blending history with modern tourism.
Location and Overview
Sitia is a port town and municipality
located in the Lasithi prefecture on the eastern edge of Crete, Greece.
It sits at coordinates approximately 35.200°N, 26.100°E, east of Agios
Nikolaos and northeast of Ierapetra. The town serves as an economic hub
with its port on the Sea of Crete, a part of the Aegean Sea. The
municipality spans 710.9 km², with a population density of about 42
inhabitants per km² in the broader region, making it the easternmost
part of Crete. This coastal positioning contributes to its role as a
gateway to diverse natural landscapes, including mountains, beaches, and
gorges.
Topography and Landscape
The topography of Sitia is
varied, featuring a mix of coastal plains, rugged mountains, and hilly
terrains. Elevations in the town itself range from sea level to about 5
meters, but the surrounding areas extend into the Sitia Mountains (also
known as the Sitiaka Range), a group of four mountain ranges stretching
southwest to northeast across eastern Crete. These mountains create a
dramatic backdrop, with rocky cliffs and plateaus that transition into
fertile valleys used for olive cultivation. The landscape is
characterized by lunar-like scenery in some areas, such as near the
Toplou Monastery, where stones and shrubs dominate. Coastal zones
include long stretches of sandy beaches and coves, while inland areas
feature gorges like the Richtis Gorge, which includes waterfalls and
lush vegetation.
Climate
Sitia experiences a hot-summer
Mediterranean climate (Köppen classification: Csa), typical of Crete's
eastern regions. Summers are hot and dry, with average high temperatures
reaching 28.4°C in July and August, while winters are mild and rainy,
with lows around 9.7°C in January. Annual precipitation averages 468.9
mm, concentrated mostly between October and March, and relative humidity
hovers around 66.6% yearly. This climate supports olive oil production
but also exposes the area to pressures like drought and erosion, making
it one of Europe's most vulnerable regions to climate change.
Natural Features
Sitia's geography is rich in natural attractions,
highlighted by its beaches, forests, and islands. Notable beaches
include Vai, known for its golden sands and turquoise waters; Makri
Gialos; Kserokampos; Goudoura; and Koufonisi, ideal for swimming and
snorkeling. The Vai palm forest, spanning about 200,000 m², is Europe's
largest natural palm grove, dominated by the endemic Phoenix theophrasti
trees, creating an exotic, tropical-like environment.
Other
features include the Dionysades Islands, a group of islets off the coast
that serve as wildlife refuges for rare species like the Eleonora's
falcon, various birds, and reptiles. Caves are abundant, protected for
their geological and archaeological value, hosting endemic species such
as bats and amphibians. The region's biodiversity is further enhanced by
gorges like Richtis, which feature waterfalls and dense flora.
Geological and Environmental Aspects
Sitia is encompassed by the
Sitia UNESCO Global Geopark, covering 713.5 km² and recognized for its
geotourism potential. The geopark highlights diverse geological
formations, including protected caves under EU directives for habitat
conservation. Environmental protections extend to national parks,
aesthetic forests, and wildlife refuges, safeguarding endangered flora
and fauna. The area's abiotic elements, such as rock formations and
coastal erosion features, underscore its significance as a site of
natural and cultural heritage.
Surrounding Areas
The
municipality includes several units: Analipsi (with villages like
Chrysopigi and Lithines), Itanos (including Palaikastro and Zakros),
Lefki (with Agia Triada and Apidia), and the core Sitia unit
(encompassing Achladia and Exo Mouliana). Borders extend to former
provinces like Makry Gialos, blending coastal and inland communities.
This integration creates a mosaic of fishing villages, such as Mochlos,
and historical sites amid the natural terrain, emphasizing Sitia's role
as a hub in northeastern Crete.
The economy of the province is based mainly on primary agricultural production with low yield due to the stony nature of its soil. Second, the economy relies on handicrafts, trade, construction, and tourism. However, the archeological sites and the natural environment have not been significantly developed for tourism.
In the city of Sitia there are 6 kindergartens and 4 primary schools. There are also 2 high schools, a day general and a vocational high school, as well as evening high school and general high school. Post-secondary training is provided by IEK Sitia, while in terms of higher education in the city operates the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics (ELMEPA).