Kato Zakros and Zakros

Kato Zakros

Kato Zakros has a very nice beach, with the water shimmering many beautiful picture-perfect shades of blue. Almost all houses here rent simple rooms (prices start from €25 outside high season). Rooms can be tricky to find in August, and sometimes just plain unavailable. Most visitors just visit for the day, taking the bus or an excursion.

Buses to Kato Zakros

There are two daily buses from Sitia to Kato Zakros. In Summer 2007 they followed the following timetable:
Sitia – Kato Zakros: 11am (via Vai), 2pm
Kato Zakros – Sitia: 12.30pm, 3.30pm

The Palace of Zakros

The big tourist attraction of the Zakros area is undoubtedly the Minoan Palace of Zakros. Alongside Knossos, Malia and Phaistos it’s one of the most important Minoan sites in Crete. Unlike the other three, Zakros was never plundered or despoiled, so there’s plenty to look at, even if it is significantly smaller than the other palaces. The findings - especially the earthenware pottery - of the archeological team were mostly shipped of to the Archeological Museum of Iraklio.
To the archeological amateur the actual site may not be that interesting – there are a lot of stones and some walls. But a little imagination should bring the scene to life. There are some interesting fountains where turtles (European Pont Terrapin) live. The palace has plenty of water, evidenced by springs. Possibly the strangest thing to note round here is the purple soil in this area. If you’re interested, it’s best to read a book before visiting, or hire a guide. In 2007 entrance was €3.

Zakros

The small town of Zakros (pop. 1000) is roughly 5km from Kato Zakros. It’s a mountain village whose inhabitants mostly make their living with agriculture. There’s a big hotel in the centre, which also has a kafenion and a bar. It’s a very old-fashioned village, which feels twenty years behind the coastal towns. Anyone who has time should try a night here; in 2007 doubles were as low as €25, including breakfast.

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