Vai — Europe's Palm Beach★★
The Palm Beach of Vai (Βάι) at the far northeastern tip of Crete is unique in Europe: A natural forest of thousands of Cretan date palms (Phoenix theophrasti) frames a bright sandy bay with crystal-clear water — a scene that resembles the Caribbean or North Africa more than Europe.
The palm forest is the largest of its kind in Europe and consists of about 5,000 date palms. Legend has it that Saracen pirates spat out date pits here, from which the forest grew — the truth is probably more mundane: The Cretan date palm is an endemic species that has grown here since antiquity. Since 1973, Vai has been under nature protection — in the 1960s and 70s, hippie campers declared the beach "Europe's Morocco" and left quite a mess. Today, camping is strictly prohibited.
The beach itself is beautiful: fine golden sand, shallow, warm water, and the palms as a natural backdrop. Sun loungers and umbrellas (10€/set) are available, along with a beach bar and toilets. The beach can get crowded in high season. Those seeking solitude can hike over the rocks at the southern end of the beach to Itanos Beach — a wild, often deserted beach with the ruins of the ancient city of Itanos right next to it.
Getting there: Vai is 94 km east of Agios Nikolaos and 24 km from Sitia. The last kilometers lead through a barren, almost moon-like landscape — the contrast to the green palm forest upon arrival is all the greater. Parking available (3€). There is a KTEL bus from Sitia (May–October), but a rental car is more practical. Vai can be well combined with the nearby Toplou Monastery (7 km, one of Crete's richest and most important monasteries, with a famous icon collection and its own olive oil and wine production).
