he Prefecture of Lasithi is the place where Greece meets the tropic. The warm climate makes this easternmost part of Crete one of the most fertile and almost exotic ones. From the tourist centre of Ayios Nikolaos, which combines modern facilities and the picturesqueness of the past, the traveller climbs to a height of 1,025 meters on the Lasithi plateau to discover Diktaean Cave, where Zeus, the father of gods was born.

		he interchange between vivid social life and relaxation is a characteristic of the place. It combines isolated beaches and fully equipped holiday resorts, as well as old monasteries, like Toplou Monastery and modern towns. In any case hospitality is a common place in Lasithi area. The people are so warm as the climate.
Ancient and medieval stones and castles evoke memories of the long history of the island, which started off 5000 years ago.

t was then, according to the myths, when the famous palm forest was made at Vai. Over five thousands palm trees standing in an attractive valley between two hills, tropical sandy beaches and crystal clear water make it an earthly paradise, ready to be discovered every day from sunrise to sunset. The travel in the Prefecture of Lasithi is really a travel to the edge, since it's situated in the southerner end of Greece where the next step is Africa.

Photos and text taken from "Crete - today and yesterday" and "Crete - A tour of all the towns and villages" (Toubis Editions)