Petras, Sitia: Surrounded by a Cyclopean wall

Archaeological Site

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Sitia, GR Get Directions

The archaeological site of Petras, located 2km from Sitia, has yet to reveal all its secrets.

Excavations in the area have been ongoing since 1985 until the present day, unearthing a Minoan palace and the surrounding settlement.

Situated on a low hill, once bordered by the waters of the Aegean, the palace was built around 1900 – 1800 BC; stretching over an area of 2,500m2 and with at least two storeys, it marks the heyday of an area inhabited from as early as 3400 BC, which lasted until 1450 BC.

Indicative of the town’s significance is the fact that it was surrounded by a Cyclopean wall with three square towers, a rare feature in Crete, while the area also includes an unlooted Minoan cemetery for the elite families of the palatial settlement.

Directions

1st km, Sitia – Palaikastro Provincial Road
72300, Petras, Sitia

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On foot

15 minutes from the center of Sitia

By car

5 minutes from the center of Sitia

Opening hours

Summer hours

April 1 – October 31

Mon: 08:30 – 15:30
Tue: Closed
Wed: 08:30 – 15:30
Thu: 08:30 – 15:30
Fri: 08:30 – 15:30
Sat: 08:30 – 15:30
Sun: 08:30 – 15:30

Winter hours

November 1 – March 31

Closed

Last admission: 20 minutes before closing time  

The site remains closed on the following dates and public holidays: January 1, March 25, May 1, Easter Sunday, December 25 & 26.

Tickets

Full: €5.00
Reduced: €3.00

Admission is free on March 6, April 18, May 18, the last weekend of September, on October 28, as well as on the first and third Sunday of each month between November 1 and March 31.