Sitia is a picturesque town, built in an amphitheatre shape beside the sea in the Gulf of Sitia.Our town is situated on the north-eastern edge of Crete. It has a population of 10.000 inhabitants and it is economically and administratively the centre of its own Province. Sitia includes an airport, and a shipping port with connections to Piraeus and the islands of the South-East Agean. Sitia is well known for its clean beaches with rich sand, many awarded the distinction of Blue Flag status. The people of our town are welcoming to visitors and are always ready to celebrate in true Cretan style. Sitia is famous also for its excellent wine.
The economy of the area has traditionally been based on agriculture although produce is often sparse due to the stony and mountainous terrain. Nowadays, thanks to government subsidies, the economy is growing in many directions. Collective farming promises new economic development and the improved packaging and marketing of Sitia produce has led to a steady increase in exports.
The local authorities actively encourage all types of development especially in the fields of industry, commerce and construction. Tourism has expanded rapidly in the last few years with a range of hotels from economy to luxury. Important future sources of wealth for the area could be the archaelogical sites which are constantly being unearthed, the well-organized and environmentally-friendly use of the many sites of natural beauty and the maintenance of the traditional character of Sitian life.
The town of Sitia is widely believed to have taken its name from the ancient Hellenistic settlement of Itia, Itida or Sitea, hometown of Misona (one of the seven renowned ancient philosophers) and of Vitzenzos Kornaros, the poet who wrote Erotokritos. Others reject this theory and are still searching for the ancient town of Sitia wherever there are the ruins of Minoan settlements. It is certain however that the ruins of a Byzantine settlement can be found beneath present day Sitia.
