Property On Crete

Sitia Town

Sitia.is a very pretty coastal town, built in a semicircle on the side of the hill around the western edge of the Bay of Sitia. Once a typical, peaceful Mediterranean fishing and ferry port, it has now developed into one of the most important urban areas in Crete and expansion is continuing to this day.  Whilst the eastern end of Crete enjoys more sunny days than elsewhere, about 320 per year, In the past it has been difficult to reach, however with the advent of flights into the new Sitia Airport and a regular ferry service from Piraeus (Athens), more people are discovering the delights this area can offer. Many clients interested in buying holiday or permanent residences are choosing to settle in or around one of the surrounding villages in order to be close to this special town.

Starting from the fishing port and stretching away from the town there are 2 kms of blue flag beach, sandy at the western end in front of the cafenions and tavernas, whilst further along towards the eastern end where it is quieter, there are low rocky pools with a sand and shingle beach. Sitia is a working town, open all the year round, with a summer festival held during the months of July and August, featuring ballet and opera from touring companies, music traditional and modern, plays and poetry etc, most of which are performed in the grounds of the restored Venetian fortress. Sitia is the local seat of administrative and public services. There is a good, long distance air conditioned bus service to Heraklion town and airport, also to Ierapetra on the south coast.

Visitors to Sitia enjoy the climate; the highest temperatures in the summer being approx. 35 C to 40 C and the winter temperature about 5 C to 7 C. There is a lovely promenade that runs from the ferry port past the lake, where the pelican can be seen, to the harbour and beach. There are a good variety of tavernas and shopsl. The local ferry service allows people to visit Piraeus (Athens), Milos and Santorini or Kassos, the two ports on the island of Karpathos, Chalki and Rhodos.  The local airport has flights to Athens, Kassos, Karpathos, Rhodes.

The name Sitia is derived from the ancient city of Itia, birthplace of one of the seven wise-men of the antiquity, Mison.  In the area that the town is built on today, only a few archaeological findings have been excavated.  They are Middle-Minoan and Late-Minoan tombs, geometrical and Hellenic statues and shells, Roman buildings and an Early Christian Basilica.  Whilst the airport was being built, various discoveries or artifacts were made and some of these can be seen in the local museum.  Sitia existed during the Late-Minoan period until the Venetian times during which the town of Sitia was destroyed three times. The first was in 1508 by a terrible earthquake, in 1538 by the pirate Barbarosa and in 1651 by the Venetians so as not to let it fall into the hands of the Turks. For two centuries Sitia ceased to exist as a town until 1870 when the present city was rebuilt.

SITIA, Town, KRITI

Geographical Data

Altitude:     21 meters
Longitude:     26o 06' 15.27" N
Latitude:     35o 12' 31.36" N