- DESTINATION Greece
Lassithi
Lassithi in Greece , the easternmost region of Crete, is one of the best places for complete immersion in nature.

Lassithi in Greece , the easternmost region of Crete, is one of the best places for complete immersion in nature. Elounda and Sissi, the rest of the region remains a destination off the beaten tourist trail. The most popular one is unarguably Vai beach, an exotic golden-sand beach, surrounded by a palm tree forest. Numerous seaside settlements, such as Ierapetra, Sitia and Agios Nikolaos are not located far from the seashores. Lassithi Plateau, one of the most picturesque areas in the region, is the best place to introduce yourself to local tradition and adapt to the slow rhythm of the island. Traditional monasteries and several landmarks, such as the Medieval Castles of Sitia and Ierapetra and many historical sites, such as Zakros Minoan Palace and Spinalonga island.
Agios Nikolaos is the perfect base to explore the surrounding towns and villages, including the upmarket small resort of Elounda or a little further north along the bay, the busy village of Plaka, a place that is bucking the trend of the economic slowdown having been discovered by many tourists following the success of Victoria Hislop’s bestselling book. The Island and its subsequent dramatization made for Greek television. The island in question is Spinalonga, the old Venetian fortress and former leper colony lying just a stone’s throw offshore of Plaka and can be reached by boat from here, or indeed from Elounda or Agios Nikolaos itself.
Legend has it that the lake is bottomless, and that the goddess Athena used to bathe in it. In 1853 however, a British admiral had soundings taken and found that it did have a bottom, albeit at a depth of 200 feet. This fact did little to quell the belief that it was bottomless, which in more modern times was a marketable factor in promoting the town as a tourist attraction. This is why in 1976 the highly-respected undersea explorer, Jacques Cousteau, became something of a local villain.
That year the Frenchman and his team of divers came to Crete in search of evidence of the remains of lost civilizations. Taking time out from their underwater searches for Minoan artifacts, he sent a diver into Lake Voulismeni, and he confirmed once and for all that it was not bottomless.
Where to head next?
Keep exploring the best of Greece! After Lassithi, the top destinations to visit are Karpathos, Rethymno, and Heraklion.
