Sissi Crete

Sissi is a lovely small fishing village on the north coast of Crete. Despite the thousands of tourists in nearby Malia it is still quiet in Sisi. Almost everything happens in the village with 700 inhabitants around the relatively large port.

The village of Sissi in Crete has nothing to do with the former famous Empress of Austria, even if both have the same name. They have also another thing in common: the town in Crete, as well as the famous empress, can be written with one s or double ss (Sisi or Sissi). The spelling "Sissi" is a bit more common.

Sissi is located on a steep coast, there are hardly any beaches in the village. This is, of course, a major disadvantage for tourism in a larger style. The locals have made the best of it and built taverns and cafes great views on the Mediterranean Sea (see picture below).

There are many good tavernas in Sissi. Most restaurants are located either in the port or in the bay next to it. East of Sissi you can find four bays with beaches of different quality. In recent years a very large holiday resort has been built here. The beaches are still accessible for everybody. The best beach is called Boufos Beach.

Food, drink and nightlife Sissi

According to a reader's email, the best restaurant in Sissi is not directly at the port. It is on the main road 200 meters inland. The typical Cretan family taverna has the name Neromilos and looks very inviting. The owner speaks good English and German, many guests come from Germany.

We liked the Coba Cafe very much. The Frape (ice coffee) next to the sea tastes excellent. The nightlife of Sissi consists of a disco (only in the high season) and some small bars. If you are looking for a party holiday, you should choose a different town in Crete. The majority of tourists from abroad seem to be over 50 years old. Most holidaymakers are from Britain and Germany.

A little east of the center you can play Minigolf in Sissi on a well-kept course.
 

How to get to Sissi

If you do not have a rental car, you can come to Sissi by boat on a day trip. From various places in the region such tours are offered. From the large resort Chersonissos, 30 kilometers west of Sisi, several boats a day sail to Sissi. Such a day trip costs around 25 euros. Drinks and small snacks (like fruit) are often included. Also from the town Agios Nikolaos there are in summer many day trips to Sisi.

With the rental car you follow from Agios Nikolaos or Iraklion first the road signs to Malia. About 5 kilometers east of Malia, a signposted road branches off towards Sissi. From there it is about 3 or 4 kilometers to Sissi. If you have a car, you can also visit the ancient minoan Palace of Malia and the monastery of Selinari, both sights are about 10 kilometers away from Sisi.

There are very few buses to Sisi. In the low season, a bus leaves at 9am from Sissi to Iraklion (not on Sundays). The capital of Crete is about an hour away. At 14:45 there is a bus connection in the other direction. On Sundays, there are no buses. Only in high season there are sometimes more buses, about twice a day to Iaklio and 1 bus a day to Agios Nikolaos.

If you do not have a rental car, you can also take a taxi to Malia. The distance is about 10 km. From Malia there are several buses every hour to Iraklio, Chersonissos, Gouves and Iraklio airport, and at least one bus an hour to Agios Nikolaos.

The author: My name is Jorgy. I am German and I have been living in Crete for more than 10 years. I translated this article from German into English. I am not a native English speaker. When I find a proofreader, the quality of the article will improve. If you know somebody who wants to help me, please write me an email: info@kreta-reise.info