East Crete · Town to beach or village
Sitia to Palekastro and Kato Zakros.
- Road distance
- 43.3 km
- Drive time, no traffic
- 1 h 5 min
- Public bus
- KTEL Heraklion–Lasithi
- Checked
Photo: IosifKapa / Toplou Monastery / IOsif Konstantourakis©2016 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons · Resized or cropped for display
Quick answer
Palekastro is 17.2 km from Sitia, about 27 minutes by car, and Kato Zakros is 43.3 km, about 65 minutes, continuing south through Zakros village and down to the coast. The Sitia–Palekastro–Zakros bus is the public option; check whether your departure goes beyond Zakros village. With a car or a pre-booked licensed taxi you can reach the Minoan palace at Kato Zakros directly.
Key points
- Sitia to Palekastro: 17.2 km, about 27 minutes; Sitia to Kato Zakros: 43.3 km, about 65 minutes (OSRM).
- Palekastro to Kato Zakros: 24.3 km via Zakros village, about 39 minutes.
- Kato Zakros has a Minoan palace site by the beach.
- The Zakros gorge, the "Gorge of the Dead", runs from Zakros village down to Kato Zakros.
Sitia to Palekastro, then south to Zakros
This trip comes in two stages. The first is the Sitia–Palekastro road east, 17.2 km and about 27 minutes by OpenStreetMap routing, to the village of Palekastro near the eastern coast. The second turns south: 24.3 km and about 39 minutes from Palekastro through Zakros village and then down to Kato Zakros on the shore. End to end, Sitia to Kato Zakros is 43.3 km and roughly 65 minutes.
Those are free-flow figures with no traffic or stops, and the second stage is the slower one for its length, because the final stretch winds down from Zakros village to the sea. Drive it in daylight if you can. In summer, allow extra time for slower vehicles, and treat Palekastro as a natural break before the road south.
Zakros village, the gorge and the palace at Kato Zakros
Zakros and Kato Zakros are two different places. Zakros is the village inland; Kato Zakros is the small settlement on the beach below, where the Minoan palace site sits close to the shore. If your goal is the palace or a swim, Kato Zakros is where you need to end up, so make sure your driver, your bus ticket or your sat-nav says so.
Between the two runs the Zakros gorge, known as the "Gorge of the Dead", from Zakros village down to Kato Zakros. Walking it in that direction ends at the beach and the palace. That raises a logistics question: if you leave a car at the top, someone has to fetch it. A taxi drop at Zakros village and a collection arranged at Kato Zakros solves it neatly.
Buses, bags and planning the return from Kato Zakros
The Sitia–Palekastro–Zakros line is on the municipal list of bus routes, and some routes run only in season, so check KTEL Heraklion–Lasithi for your date. Because the line is named for Zakros, confirm whether your departure continues down to Kato Zakros or stops in the village. Each passenger may carry two pieces of luggage in the hold free, handy if you are moving base to Palekastro.
Plan the return before you leave Sitia. Note the last bus back, or book a licensed taxi for a set collection time at the end of your walk or visit. Vai is on a different line, Sitia–Vai, so this bus will not take you there; our Sitia to Vai page covers that trip. Travelling with children? Ask for car seats when you book a taxi or rental.
Sitia to Palekastro and Zakros
Pickup and drop-off points
Sitia KTEL station
Buses for Palekastro and Zakros start from the station in town. Ask at the Sitia office whether your departure runs all the way to Kato Zakros.
Palekastro village
The first stage of the route, 17.2 km from Sitia. A possible base if you want to stay closer to Zakros and the north-east coast.
Zakros village, top of gorge
The drop-off for walking the Gorge of the Dead down to Kato Zakros. Arrange your onward transport from the bottom before you start.
Kato Zakros beach and palace
The end of the road, 43.3 km from Sitia. The Minoan palace site sits by the beach, so one drop-off serves both.
Compare your options
Ways to make this trip
Sitia–Palekastro–Zakros bus
The public option, from the KTEL station in Sitia. Check that it is running for your date and whether it continues past Zakros village down to the coast.
Taxi, one way or return
A licensed taxi booked ahead is the neatest way to walk the gorge: drop-off at Zakros village, collection at Kato Zakros. Agree the fare and both times before you go.
Rental car
Gives you Palekastro, Kato Zakros and perhaps Vai in one day. The final descent is slow, and parking at Zakros village before the gorge means a trip back up for the car.
Private driver
For a full day with a gorge walk and palace visit, a licensed driver booked in advance can wait for you or meet you at the bottom. Book directly with a local provider.
Sitia to Palekastro and Zakros
Local tips
Walking the Gorge of the Dead? Start at Zakros village and finish at Kato Zakros, then cool off at the beach beside the palace site.
Check the bus destination carefully. Zakros village and Kato Zakros are not the same stop, and the difference matters if you want the sea.
Carry water and snacks for the gorge and the palace. Kato Zakros is a small place at the end of a long road from Sitia.
Vai is not on this line. If you want both, see our Sitia to Vai page and give each beach its own day by bus.
FAQ
Questions about this route.
How far is Kato Zakros from Sitia?
About 43.3 km by road. OpenStreetMap routing gives roughly 65 minutes by car without traffic or stops, via Palekastro and Zakros village, then down to the coast. Palekastro comes first, at 17.2 km and about 27 minutes from Sitia.Is there a bus from Sitia to Zakros?
Yes, the Sitia–Palekastro–Zakros line is on the municipal list of routes. Some routes run only in season, so check KTEL Heraklion–Lasithi for your date, and ask whether the departure continues to Kato Zakros on the coast or ends in Zakros village.How far is Palekastro from Sitia?
Palekastro is 17.2 km from Sitia, about 27 minutes by car according to OpenStreetMap routing, along the Sitia–Palekastro road. The Sitia–Palekastro–Zakros bus serves the village on its way to Zakros, so it is easy to reach without a car.How do I get back after walking the Zakros gorge?
The gorge runs from Zakros village down to Kato Zakros, so you finish at the coast. Before you start, either note the return bus from your end point or book a licensed taxi to collect you at Kato Zakros. If you parked at the top, plan how to get back to the car.Where is the Minoan palace of Zakros?
The Minoan palace site is at Kato Zakros, by the beach, not up in Zakros village. From Sitia it is 43.3 km by road, about 65 minutes by car; from Palekastro it is 24.3 km and about 39 minutes.Can I combine Zakros and Vai in one day?
By car or with a driver, yes. By bus they are separate lines, so it is more realistic to do one each day. Vai is 23.6 km from Sitia, about 36 minutes by car; see our Sitia to Vai page for that route.