The sandy beach of Erimoupolis is situated slightly to the north of the magnificent palmforest of Vai.
The visitor can combine a swim in the sea with a visit to the ruins of ancient Itanos, which used to be the one remaining Heteocretan city. This city was engaged for centuries in rivalry with the powerful city of Presos until it secured its destruction by turning the military might of Ierapetra on it. The ruins of two early Christian churches prove that it remained an important trading centre up until the early Byzantine period when it was overshadowed by the ever growing city of Sitia.
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The palm beach of Vai is one of the largest attractions of the Mediterranean island of Crete. It features the largest natural palm forest in Europe, made up of Cretan Date Palm (Phoenix Theophrasti).
For tourism Vai was discovered at the end of the 1970s by the last Hippies who fled the hot-spots Matala and Preveli. At the beginning of the 1980s Vai was full of backpacker tourists from the whole world, leading to a mixture of chaotic campground and garbage dump. Vai was enclosed and declared as a protected area. The unique forest recovered, the beach became clean.
The palm beach, which belongs to the Monastery Toplou, is the touristic center of East Crete, with thousands of visitors each year. Vai lies close to Palekastro and Sitia.
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Palaikastro is a small village at the east end of the mediterranean island Crete. It stands on historical soil. Already at Minoan times the region was a centre of trade. The port of Itanos which is today several meters under the water line shows an impressive certification. The very extensive Minoan commercial settlement, Roussolakkos, close to the Chiona beach, excavated by English archaeologists, proves that the region was obviously one of the most important commercial centres of the Minoan culture in the extreme east of the island of Crete.
The village remains exempted from the mass tourism. Still the main business of the approximately 1100 inhabitants is agriculture. They cultivate olives and wine and there a few fisherman remain. Commercial fishing however is hard these days due to the substantial over fishing of the Mediterranean Sea. Tourism is supplementary income and it probably will remain so.
At the east edge of the village visible from far away there’s the flat hill called Kastri(s). This mountain gave Palekastro its name in the Middle Ages when the region was dominated by the sovereign power of Venice. On the flat summit they had established a fortress. In the course of the centuries the stones were cleared away and used by the people of the region to build houses. Take a walk up there (app. 30 minutes from Chiona or Kouremenos) and enjoy a unique view over the village, the beaches and the mountains. Best time: early morning or late afternoon.
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