Welcome to my guide to Sissi Crete, the stunning fishing village on the north coast of the island.
Sissi is close to the two busiest resorts on the island, Malia and Hersonissos, but feels a million miles away.
Life flows by far more slowly, and that’s the beauty of it. As well as its breathtaking setting on an estuary below the towering Dikti Mountains.
My Sissi Crete guide includes tips on great restaurants and cafes, guides to the various beaches and swimming conditions and more.
I also suggest several places to visit near Sissi, if you can pull yourself away. Which you don’t have to, of course.
I hope you find it helpful. Let’s get started.
🚗 ⭐️ TOP TIP: This tour with Marios and Maria, was the highlight of our 3 month trip to Crete—if you want to experience the real Crete with the most welcoming family, exploring hidden treasures and savoring local flavors book a tour direct with Marios at Unique Crete Tours.
Why Visit Sissi Village Crete
You come to Sissi to do one thing – slow right down in one of the prettiest villages in Crete.
The best thing about Sissi is its setting – on a natural harbour below some of the most spectacular mountains and scenery in Crete.
The harbour is lined with tavernas, restaurants and a couple of pubs. Some of these offer traditional Cretan cuisine and locally-caught fresh seafood.
There are also a few Sissi beaches to explore, from the small harbour one to larger sandier ones a short walk from the village.
Sissi Crete is also a great base for exploring the island if you have a car. The capital Heraklion is in one direction, and the coastal city of Agios Nikolaos and the wondrous Lassithi Plateau in the other.
Things To Do In Sissi Crete
Take A Walk Around Sissi Harbour – And Enjoy The Amazing Sissi Harbour View
Sissi Crete harbour is gorgeous. It’s lined with whitewashed buildings on one side, many of them restaurants and tavernas, and colourful fishing boats along the quayside.
The other side of the harbour is dominated by the palm grove on the hill above, which is part of the Palm Bay Hotel (see below). Walk through this to the small harbour beach, and beyond to the breakwater.
It’s from there that you get to appreciate Sissi most. You see the clear turquoise water, palm trees, white houses and, above the stunning peaks of the Dikti mountain range.
Wander Through The Cool Shady Grounds Of The Palm Bay Hotel
If you’re hoping to escape the Cretan heat as you walk around the harbour, you’ll be very pleased by this short walk. It runs alongside the west side of Sissi Harbour, through the grounds of Sissi Palm Bay Hotel, through a shady grove of palm trees.
The whole area is shaded by the trees and also thousands of flowers planted along the walk through the hotel. Cool water is sprayed over the pink and white flowers to keep them (and you) fresh. You eventually reach one of the hotel restaurants, which is still shaded, and finally reach the gate – and sunlight – lower down the hill. From there it’s a very short walk to the small harbour.
Visit Sissi Harbour Beach And Swim In The Gorgeous Clear Estuary Water
We based our plans for Sissi Crete around spending time at the harbour beach – Paralia Limani in Greek. The two family fish – Faye and Our Little Man – were keen to swim there and soak in the amazing views while I explored the village.
It’s not the best beach you’ll ever visit – the surface is a mixture of gravel, stone and sand. It’s the stupendous setting you come to savour, and we all loved it.
Sissi harbour beach is small but very popular. It’s quite difficult to get into the water because of the rocks. And once in, Faye remarked that the water – from the river – is colder than the seawater.
Very few people were wearing water shoes but Faye said she wouldn’t return without them. Once over the initial hurdles of getting in and adjusting to the temperature, they both loved it. I had a wonderful surprise when walking around the harbour – they had swum across the river to say hello. And they did this many times more!
Lunch At Gyroskopio Café
Our research led us to this wonderful café on a hillside overlooking Boufos Beach, on the outskirts of Sissi.
We came for the views – over Boufos Beach in one direction, and towards the inland mountains in the other. It’s a gorgeous spot, the views enough to make you want to linger for hours.
The food was also great, a perfect Greek omelette setting us up for the afternoon’s explorations ahead.
Boufos Beach
Boufos Beach, just down the hill from the Gyroskopio café, is a 10-minute walk from the centre of Sissi, or a two-minute drive.
It’s a small, beautiful cove with a pebble and stone beach, ideal for relaxing and listening to the , where I saw a fisherman delivering some of his catch waves. When we visited there were no sunbeds and umbrellas, though there have been in the past (and we know the guy that used to run it).
The main thing to bear in mind when visiting Boufos Beach is that you need water shoes if you’re going swimming. As you enter the water, the ground is stony and rocky, so you’ll need protection for your feet. The waves also build up from the north-westerly meltemi wind, so a calm day is best for visiting, especially with kids.
Dine At One of The Sissi Harbour Restaurants
Many people visit Sissi Crete to dine at one of the restaurants around Sissi harbour and the shoreline close by.
There are a whole range of places including the traditional Greek Paradosiako taverna on the shoreline. We plan to return to Paradise Cove, at the far end of the harbour, where I saw a fisherman delivering part of his catch. There are also a few cocktail bars, an English pub and an Irish pub around the village.
Some of the restaurants have great sunset views. It’s an idyllic spot to enjoy the end of the day, and if you have food to match it, you won’t want to leave.
Avlaki Beach Sissi
Avlaki is the quietest of the Sissi beaches, between two headlands and the Boufos and Kalimera Kriti beaches.
It’s a small grey sandy cove with some pebbles, reached down a narrow 200-metre road that turns into a dirt track halfway along.
When we visited it wasn’t ‘organised’ – with sunbeds and parasols – and very few people were there. However it has been set up for visitors in the past, so may be again in the future.
Like Boufos Beach, it’s best visited on a calm day, as the north-westerly winds tend to funnel waves towards the beach.
Take A Boat Trip From Sissi Harbour
Sisi Boats also offer trips along the coast. These include sunset cruises, taking you out onto the open sea to watch the sunset, and fishing trips. The latter usually run during the daytime. There’s also the possibility of renting a boat yourself, with or without skipper, and a licence isn’t usually required.
Take A Ride On The Sissi Happy Train
Many Crete beach villages and towns (Panormos, Bali, Malia) have tourist trains taking you around the main local sights. Sissi has its own happy train, running trips up the coast to nearby Milatos beach, and a tour around the village and beaches.
It also runs a longer trip inland to the village of Vrachasi and the Monastery of Selinari, one of the most beautiful churches in this part of Crete.
Dinner At The Anixi Apartments Pool Bar
We had heard many good things about the restaurant and bar at Anixi Apartments, a short walk west along the shoreline from Sissi Harbour. One of these was the extraordinary sunset views from the pool, and we got this and much more.
Our food was excellent, and we loved the quiet, laid-back vibe of the place. The pool – surprisingly quiet the night we visited – was the foreground for a stupendous sunset. And it’s only a minute’s walk to a viewpoint above the rocky shore.
People return there year after year – and it’s not hard to see why.
Watch A Sissi Sunset
You get the full effect sunset from Sissi in summer. Unlike at nearby Malia and Hersonissos the sun sets over the sea – and many visit Sissi to see it.
In summer, most Crete sunsets are rich and deep in colour, with a strong afterglow long after the sun has set beyond the horizon. We were treated to a magical sunset in Sissi, the deep red and orange glow lingering almost an hour after the sun had set.
Where Is Sissi Crete
The village of Sissi is on the north-east coast of Crete. It is 7 km (4.5 miles) north-east of the resort town of Malia, and 13 km (8 miles) east of the resort town of Hersonissos.
It is also 43 km from Heraklion, the capital of Crete, and 28 km (17 miles) to the nearby city of Agios Nikolaos.
How To Get to Sissi In Crete
Sissi is very easy to reach if you’re driving. It’s less than an hour’s drive from Heraklion airport, where many visitors pick up their hire cars at the airport. For the latest Crete car rental prices, take a look at discovercars.com, who offer a comprehensive range of options, including the lowest prices available.
If you’re not driving Sissi is surprisingly difficult to reach. Although nearby Malia is very well served by buses on the Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos route, Sissi has one bus each way per day to Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos.
Some buses call a couple of miles away on the main road, but a pleasant walk it is not. We found the lack of buses bizarre, as we saw what must have been 40-50 coaches pass through the village during the day we spent there.
The only other option for getting to Sissi Crete is by taxi. We paid €20 for our journey from the main taxi station in Malia. The return Sissi to Malia journey with a Sissi-based taxi driver cost us €15.
Sissi Crete Hotels
It’s quite off the beaten track, but there are plenty of places to stay in Sissi.
The largest resort is Kalimera Kriti, at the eastern end of the village. It’s a 5-star hotel with all-inclusive options and its own private artificial beach, around a mile from the harbour.
There are several options on the west side of the harbour. The 4-star Anixi Apartments whose restaurant we visited has a great many repeat visitors who come back year after year. On the same stretch, the 4-star Maritimo Hotel is very close to the harbour beach, and the 4-star Koutrakis Apartments is a short walk further away.
Places To Visit Near Sissi Crete
Sissi is a great base for exploring this beautiful part of Crete, but you are very much hampered if you don’t have a car to do so.
The closest main town is Malia, the busy party town a world away in feel. The best things to do in Malia are exploring Malia Old Town and visiting some of the quieter Malia beaches. We particularly recommend Potamos Beach, to the east of the town – and the closest to Sissi. It consists of two long, wide beaches with all the comforts you need (bed, umbrella, food and drink), with plenty of space besides.
Stalis Beach, at the far end of Malia, is another great family-friendly beach away from the party crowds. Just up the hill from there, Lychnostatis Open Air Museum is one of the best places to visit in Crete. It’s focused on rural life in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with some beautifully recreated rooms and spaces. These include a lovely white-washed seaside chapel and a basic school room from the 1940s and 1950s.
The charms of Hersonissos lie just beyond. It attracts a similar party crowd to Malia, but is also popular with families seeking some beaches and sunshine. There are plenty of Hersonissos beaches to choose from, the best of them outside the town including Sarantari Beach and Gefyri Beach.
Some of the best things to do in Crete for kids are a short drive away from Sissi. Dinosauria Park and CretAquarium are in the seaside village of Gournes, and the wonderful AquaWorld aquarium and reptile rescue centre is in Hersonissos. Beyond, the capital of Crete, Heraklion, its superb museums and the Minoan palace complex of Knossos await.
Sissi Crete is part of the Lassithi region which covers the east of the island. Behind the forbidding peaks of the Dikti mountains, the Lassithi Plateau is a gorgeous area of countryside and centuries-old villages. And the coastline below is as spectacular as anywhere else on the island.
The city of Agios Nikolaos is the obvious starting point. Its setting is magnificent, overlooking the mountains of Mirabello Bay. Around the city, the Agios Nikolaos beaches are great places to soak in the views, as is stunning Voulisma Beach nearby.
The tiny villages of Elounda and Plaka are a few miles to the north, and from these, you can join boat trips to Spinalonga Island. This former fortress and leper colony is one of the most popular day tours in Crete, and tours normally include a stopover and barbecue on stunning Kolokitha beach.
Just south of Agios Nikolaos, Voulisma Beach in Istron is one of the best beaches in Crete. Its clear turquoise water is breathtaking – just get there early to get a sunbed!
And don’t miss Kritsa Crete, a gorgeous mountain village with an amazing Byzantine church and superb hikes close by.
Sissi Crete – Final Thoughts
Sissi is a wonderful place to unwind, whether on a day trip from Heraklion, Malia or Hersonissos, or staying there a week or fortnight. The pace of life is so much slower than at the busy resorts just along the coast. And taking things that easy is often the best thing you can do. And what a place to do it.
Check out more of our articles on Crete here:
- Things To Do In Chania – discover the most beautiful city in Crete, indeed, perhaps, Greece
- Balos Beach Crete – breathtaking lagoon beach in the north-west corner of Crete
- Falassarna Beach – wild series of stunning beaches backed by mountains on the west coast of Crete
- Elafonissi Beach – one of the spectacular pink beaches in Crete
- Kedrodasos Beach – glorious pristine beach and coves in a grove of rare juniper trees
- Things To Do In Rethymno – discovering Crete’s enchanting third city
- Rethymno Beaches – 20 of the best beaches in Rethymno province in central and western Crete
- Panormos Crete – complete guide to this charming fishing village on Crete’s north coast
- Arkadi Monastery Crete – fascinating monastery and church, site of infamous massacre during the Cretan Revolt
- Kalypso Beach Crete – a fjord, of all things, in Crete – and one of the best places to swim and snorkel in Greece
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.