Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete rests about 160 km (99 mi) south of the Greek mainland, and about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Anatolia. Crete has an area of 8,450 km2 (3,260 sq mi) and a coastline of 1,046 km (650 mi). It bounds the southern border of the Aegean Sea, with the Sea of Crete to the north and the Libyan Sea to the south. Crete covers 260 km from west to east but is narrow from north to south, spanning three longitudes but only half a latitude.
Lasithi is the easternmost regional unit on the island of Crete, to the east of Heraklion. Its capital is Agios Nikolaos, the other major towns being Ierapetra and Sitia. The mountains include the Dikti in the west and the Thrypti in the east. The Sea of Crete lies to the north and the Libyan Sea to the south.
Sitia or Siteia is a port town and a municipality in Lasithi, Crete, Greece. The town has 11,166 inhabitants and the municipality has 20,438 (2021). It lies east of Agios Nikolaos and northeast of Ierapetra. Sitia's port is on the Sea of Crete, part of the Aegean Sea and is one of the economic centers of the Lasithi region. European route E75, which ends in Vardø, starts in Sitia. Sitia is served by the Sitia Public Airport. Sitia has not experienced the effects of mass tourism even though there is a long beach along the road leading to Vai and several places of historical interest.
Ierapetra is a Greek city and municipality located on the southeast coast of Crete.
Agios Nikolaos, Hagios Nikolaos or Aghios Nikolaos is a coastal city on the Greek island of Crete, lying east of the island's capital Heraklion, north of the city of Ierapetra and west of the city of Sitia.
Palaikastro or Palekastro, with the Godart and Olivier abbreviation PK, is a thriving town, geographic heir to a long line of settlements extending back into prehistoric times, at the east end of the Mediterranean island Crete. The Kallikratis Programme implemented starting 2011 made the town into a local community under jurisdiction of the next-highest levels, chained as follows: municipal unit Itanos, municipality (demos) Sitia, regional unit Lasithi, region (periphereia) Crete.
Koutsouras (Κουτσουράς) is a village in Lasithi regional unit, in Crete, Greece 22 kilometers east of Ierapetra. Its population is 818. It was the headquarters of the municipality of Makry Gialos and is the biggest village in the region. Key economic activities include agriculture and tourism. It has nice beaches and a golf course is due to be built over the next five years. The coast is rocky and there are beautiful pebble beaches with crystal clear waters. Today it is the seat of Makry Gialos municipal unit and part of Ierapetra municipality.
Spinalonga is an island located in the Gulf of Elounda in north-eastern Crete, in the municipality of Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, next to the town of Plaka. The island is further assigned to the area of Kalydon. It is near the Spinalonga peninsula – which often causes confusion as the same name is used for both.
Hagia Photia is an archaeological site of a fortified ancient Minoan building on eastern Crete. Sitia lies five kilometers to the west.
Thrypti is a mountain range in Lasithi in eastern Crete, Greece. It trends to the northeast from Ierapetra in the southwest in the direction of Sitia. However, it only goes half-way in that direction. The rest of the distance is completed by the distinct Ornon mountains, separated from the Thrypti by the Bebonas river valley, and the lower Western Siteia Foothills covering the space between the Ornon range and Sitia itself. The highest peak of Thrypti is Afentis, which is 1,476 m amsl. The three ranges constitute the West Sitia Mountains.
Makry Gialos is a former municipality in Lasithi, Crete, Greece, with a population 2,589 in 2021. It is located on the south-east coast of Crete. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ierapetra, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 75.376 km2 (29.103 sq mi). The seat of the municipality was in Koutsouras, 22 kilometers east of Ierapetra. It was established in 1997 when the communities of Stavrochori, Chrysopigi, Lithines, Schinokapsala, Agios Stefanos, Oreino, Perivolakia and Pefkoi amalgamated into one municipality (Δήμος). In November 2011 the four communities Chrysopigi, Lithines, Perivolakia and Pefkoi passed to the municipality Siteia.
Schinokapsala is a community and a small village in Lasithi on Crete. It is situated 21 kilometers north-east from Ierapetra and 6 km from the sea. Since 2011 it belongs to the Ierapetra municipality.
Males is a historic village in the municipality of Ierapetra in Lasithi prefecture on Crete. It is situated 25 kilometers north-west of Ierapetra, 40 from Agios Nikolaos and 12 kilometers away from the sea. Together with nearby hamlets Hristos and Metaxohori Males until recently formed the Nea Mala municipality. It is built 550 meters above sea level, south east of Dikti mountain, in an area rich in vegetation. It is built where the ancient city of Mala was.
Koutsounari is a settlement of 437 inhabitants on the island of Crete, along the slope of the Sitia Mountains. It is located 8 kilometers east of Ierapetra and 43 kilometers southeast of Agios Nikolaos. The village was established in the 1970s. Today it is best known for the nearby holiday destination of Long Beach.
Agios Ioannis is a village of Lasithi prefecture, in the municipality of Ierapetra, Crete, Greece. It lies 17 kilometers north-east of Ierapetra, 7 kilometers west of Schinokapsala, and 9 kilometers from the sea. It is south of Thripti mountain. The majority of the people that lived here have moved during the last three decades to the beach settlements of Koutsounari and Ferma, or to Ierapetra. The water from the springs follows a route across "Milonas gorge" and ends in the sea some 7 kilometers further. In the Aghios Ioannis area there are also a number of beaches, including the Long beach and Aghia Fotia.
Toplou Monastery is a currently active monastery located in a semi-arid area of the Lasithi regional unit, on the eastern part of the island of Crete in Greece. It is about 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Palekastro and 85 km (53 mi) east of Agios Nikolaos. It is at the base of the Itanos promontory from which Cape Sidero, the easternmost point of Crete, projects to the northeast. The nearest settlements are Sitia to the west and Palaikastro to the southeast; otherwise, the entire promontory is uninhabited except for the modern military reservation at the tip of the cape. In the political structure of Greece, the monastery has been assigned the settlement (oikismos) of Toplou, which it had before 2011, but was validated again in the redivision of 2011. The full civic classification beyond Toplou from 2011 in ascending order is: local community Palaikastro, municipal unit Itanos, municipality (demos) Siteia, regional unit Lasithi, region (periphereia) Crete.
Stavrochori is an historic village of eastern Crete. It belonged to the former province of Sitia and later to the former Makry Gialos municipality. Today it is part of Ierapetra municipality. It is located in a wooded valley, 29 kilometers north east from Ierapetra and 35 kilometers southwest from Sitia. Once it was the most populous village of the region and the administrative center of the surrounding settlements. Since the last 30 years, the majority of its population has moved to the seaside settlement of Koutsouras, 7 kilometers to the south. Stavrochori is a traditional village with many sights. It is also the birthplace of Ioannis Papachatzakis or "Stravogiannios", a violinist, who lived and died in Ierapetra. He was one of the most important Cretan traditional organ players of the last century.
Pacheia Ammos is a village in the municipality of Ierapetra on the island of Crete in Greece. It is located on the north coast of the island, 15 km to the north of the city of Ierapetra, at the fork in the road that leads to Heraklion in the west and Sitia in the east.
Kapsa Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery situated on the southeast coast of Crete, between the villages of Makrys Gialos and Sitia in the west and Goudouras and Ierapetra in the east. It is built on a steep, rocky mountainside near the exit of the Perivolakia gorge, which overlooks the Libyan Sea.
