Ausgrabungsstätten Geheimtipp

Minoan Villa of Chamaizi

Sitia, Lasithi · Free

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About

An oval Minoan house on a hilltop.

The Minoan villa of Chamaizi lies on a hilltop near the village of Chamaizi, west of Sitia. It's an unusual oval-shaped building from the Middle Minoan period, around 2000 BC.

The villa had rooms around a small courtyard and a well. The views over the surrounding hills are wide.

The building is the only known oval-shaped building of the Minoan period, from the Middle Minoan IA period, around 2000 BC. It was excavated in 1903 by Stephanos Xanthoudides and again in 1971 by Costis Davaras. It centres around a cistern, which collected rainwater because the hilltop, Souvloto Mouri, has no wells or springs. Finds are in the Agios Nikolaos and Heraklion museums.

Sitia is the far east of Crete, a quieter, less touristy area of dry hills, olive groves and vineyards. The town of Sitia has a pretty harbour, a Venetian fortress and museums, and the area includes the palm beach of Vai, the Toplou monastery, the Minoan palace of Zakros and the Gorge of the Dead. Much of the area is part of the Sitia UNESCO Geopark. The local olive oil is among the best in Greece.

Around Sitia

Nearest town: Sitia, about 14 km by road
Nearest airport: Sitia airport (JSH), about 14 km by road

Lasithi, the eastern end of Crete, is quieter and greener than you might expect. Agios Nikolaos wraps around a small lake and a lively harbour, with cafés on the water and beaches within walking distance. Just north, Elounda and Plaka look across to the fortress island of Spinalonga, one of the most moving places on the island. More about Lasithi