Culture and history info

Lassithi Greece is less of a tourist hub and mostly known for its beautiful natural surroundings. This is the easternmost region of Crete and its most tourist developed villages are Agios Nikolaos, which is also the capital of the prefecture, Elounda, Sitia and Ierapetra. In the centre of the prefecture, there lies the Plateau of Lassithi, a beautiful natural area with windmills, mountainous villages, impressive gorges, caves such as Milatos or Trapeza, and a lot of greenery. In fact, this Plateau is one of the most fertile regions of Greece. The history of Lassithi started in the Minoan times and many ancient sites can be found all over it, such as the ancient towns of Pressos, Lato, Gournia and Vasiliki. These towns flourished in the 14th century BC but they declined after the destruction of the Minoan civilization. The next great development of Lassithi came in the 13th century AD when the Venetians conquered the island. They built Castles, like the Castle of Spinalonga, the windmills of the Plateau and made agriculture and trade the main occupation of the inhabitants. The Ottoman occupation set back the development of Lassithi. In the early 20th century, Lassithi and the whole island of Crete became part of Greece. Although Lassithi is the purest region of Crete, it has developed a lot its tourism facilities. You will find both organized and remote beaches, traditional villages and modern spots, natural areas and tourist resorts.