Lasithi is the easternmost prefecture of Crete and the most varied stretch of the island, taking in everything from the upscale resort coast of Mirabello Bay to remote southern beaches, traditional mountain villages and the famous high inland plateau that gives the region its name. It is less a single destination than a region to tour, and travellers who give it a week or more come away with a deeper sense of Crete than a base in a single resort would offer.

The Mirabello coast is the social heart, with Agios Nikolaos as its lakeside hub and Elounda as its luxury enclave. To the south, Ierapetra opens up the warm Libyan Sea coast, with long sandy beaches and the offshore islet of Chrissi. The far east is Crete at its wildest, with the palm grove at Vai, the Minoan ruins of Kato Zakros and the working harbour of Sitia. And inland, the Lasithi Plateau itself sits 850 metres up in the Dikti mountains, ringed by small villages and the cave where Zeus is said to have been born.

Because Lasithi spans so many landscapes, accommodation is just as varied. Expect luxury resorts and adults-only suites at Elounda, family-friendly apartments and villas around Agios Nikolaos and Ierapetra, traditional stone houses in the Plateau villages and small fishing harbours like Mochlos and Sitia where stays are run by local families. The region rewards a hire car: distances between coast, mountain and the eastern wilderness are easy to bridge with a few days on the road.