Holiday villas in Lasithi, Crete
The eastern end, and the one that stays calm in August: a working harbour town, an island fort with a history worth reading before you go, and beaches that take an hour to reach and are worth it.
25 villas in Lasithi
Popular areas in Lasithi
About villa holidays in Lasithi
Lasithi is far enough east that the day trippers thin out, and that is most of its appeal. Agios Nikolaos is the centre of it, a town built around a small deep lake that opens into the harbour, with enough restaurants and enough life to keep an evening going without ever feeling like a resort.
Our villas gather in three places. Around Agios Nikolaos and the bay it sits on, which is the easy choice for a first visit and the best supplied. Mochlos, further east, is a fishing village of about a dozen buildings facing a small island, and the quietest thing we let. And Sitia, at the far end, which is a proper Cretan town that happens to have a beach and almost no tourism.
Spinalonga is the excursion everyone takes, the Venetian fortress that became a leper colony until 1957, reached by boat from Elounda or Plaka, and it is a more affecting hour than that description suggests. Vai, the palm forest on the east coast, is the other one. The beaches around Mochlos and out towards Xerokambos stay empty most of the year.
Heraklion airport is about an hour from Agios Nikolaos and closer to two from Sitia, which is the one thing to plan around. Sitia has a small airport with domestic flights that is worth checking if you are heading that far east.
The east warms up early and holds on late, so May and October work well here. August is busy in Agios Nikolaos itself and noticeably calmer everywhere east of it.
Frequently asked
Which part of Lasithi should I stay in?
Agios Nikolaos and its bay is the easy first visit and the best supplied, a town built around a small deep lake that opens into the harbour. Mochlos, further east, is a fishing village of about a dozen buildings facing a small island and is the quietest thing we let. Sitia at the far end is a working Cretan town that happens to have a beach.
How far is Lasithi from the airport?
Heraklion airport is about an hour from Agios Nikolaos and closer to two from Sitia, and that gap is the one thing worth planning around when you choose where to stay. Sitia has a small airport with domestic flights that is worth checking if you are heading that far east.
Is Spinalonga worth visiting?
It is the excursion nearly every guest takes. The Venetian island fortress was a leper colony until 1957, and the boat goes from Elounda or Plaka. It is a more affecting hour than the description suggests, and worth reading about before you go.
Is Lasithi quieter than the rest of Crete in August?
Noticeably, once you are east of Agios Nikolaos. The town itself is busy in high summer, but the beaches out towards Mochlos and Xerokambos stay empty for most of the year, which is the main reason people choose this end of the island.
When is the best time to visit Lasithi?
The east warms early and holds its warmth late, so May and October both work here. Vai, the palm forest on the east coast, and the drive out to it are far better outside the peak weeks.