One of the most popular attractions of Crete is the Palm forest of Vai or briefly Vai (the name that has prevailed) and is among the most beautiful locations in the Mediterranean.

It is located 94 km northeast of Agios Nicolaos and 24 km east of Sitia. The name comes from the word palms or palm, vaya in Greek (= palm and branches of palm).

The Palm forest of Vai extends to approximately 600 acres and has 5,000 old trees. According to tradition, all these palms grew when the Arabs pirates threw the cores from the date palm they ate to the desert landscape of eastern Crete.

At the heart of the Palm forest of Vai, where the vegetation is denser, there is a fence and the entrance to it is allowed daily from the sunrise to sunset. The forest is located at the end of a valley leading to the beach while inside there is a small spring of clean water and a small creek with oleanders that embrace it.

One of the things that make it unique is the fact that this type of palms can be found only in Canary Islands and in Vai. The sand of the beach has helped a lot to their growth while the rare plants that have made their appearance in the surrounding hills, are impressive.

In front of it, extends a long beach with fine sand and pebbles. It is organized, enabling swimmers to participate in water sports, to taste traditional dishes in restaurants and to enjoy their coffee in the surrounding cafes.

In addition, it is awarded every year with the European Blue Flag for its crystal clear waters.
It must be noted that despite the human intervention, the area has not lost its original beauty and its natural features.

For all these reasons, the Palm forest of Vai attracts many visitors and no visitor should miss the opportunity to photograph it, at any season he choose to go.
During the summer months, it attracts thousands of visitors, and it is recommended the visit to take place either in early morning or late at noon, while due to heat, you can find a shady place under the palm trees!

Apart from the beautiful beach of Vai, on the north side, there are other beaches, smaller and quieter.


Nearby Destinations
° The archaeological site in Itanos, 2 km north of the palm forest, where there is a ancient city submerged in sea
° The Elasa island, which lies 3.5 nautical miles east of Vai, in the case the visitor has a boat

Access
•From Sitia to Palaikastro, Zakros and Vai, there are daily buses with return, duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes.
•From Sitia one can take a taxi.