Vai. A unique palm grove and a beautiful blue sea makes Vai look like paradise! The name comes from "vaia" meaning palm in the Greek language. The forest is very old, it shows off artistic expressions of Minoan Crete. (Palm Theofrastos). The palm grove with Cretan date palms, which is a big attraction for many visitors, is now a nature reserve. Vai has a beautiful sandy beach. It lies in the far east of the island and it’s easy to reach via the road Agios Nikolaos - Sitia or via the south through the town of Ierapetra. Every day many people come to Vai to admire the palm grove and the beach and to swim and sunbathe. There is a (paid) parking lot, where you can leave the car. From the beach you can see the beautiful palm grove. From the rocks at the edge of the beach you can take beautiful pictures of the beach and the palm grove, this is frequently done by tourists. There are opportunities for water skiing, scuba diving, and snorkelling in Vai as well. There are sunbeds and umbrellas for rent.
Text: Yorgos and Wendy Nikolidakis - Revised by Maxine van Hoften Gee