Villea Village

Makrigialos has a variety of tavernas, bars, restaurants and shops to suit most tastes and budgets.

The area surrounding Villea Village is very rural - in fact a couple of goats live in the field behind Fisherman Jacks Bar!! During the spring the variety of flowers in the area is quite amazing and also in the spring and autumn we have many visiting birds stopping by on their annual migration - last year a heron landed by the pool and swans were seen swimming in the harbour.

The small fishing harbour is only 900 mtrs from Villea. You can watch the fisherman bring in their catch in the morning and sample the local fresh fish in the evening.

Makrigialos, literally translated means long shore. The main beach is about 50 metres from Villea and is gently shelving and sandy. Nearby there are beaches with rocky headlands, which are great for snorkelling and spear fishing. There are also deserted beaches that can be reached with a little searching!

We recommend to make the most of this area as we are surrounded by beautiful countryside and unspoiled mountain villages. There are many archaeological sites in the area from the famous Knossos in Heraklion to the not quite so famous sites such as Paleokastro, Kato Zakros, Itanos, ancient Praesos and the submerged ruins at Mochlos. There are Venetian castles in Sitia and Ierepetra and also archaeological and folklore museums and you should visit the medieval mansion and deserted villages of Etia and Voila. There is indeed too much history to be consumed locally.
Within a short drive are several unspoilt villages including Pefki which has an adorable folklore museum run by the world's most enthusiastic curator, Ourania (means Heavens in Greek). Also nearby is the Moni Kapsa Monastery where it is rumoured Lord Lucan paid a visit whilst on the run in the 70's.
We are also near to the only natural palm forest in Europe, Vai, where the Bounty bar adverts were filmed.
Near Sitia is the beautiful Toplou Monastery with its lovely little museum. From Ierapetra you can take a boat trip to the uninhabited Island of Chrissi -- both Sitia and Ierapetra are about a thirty minute drive away.

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