Hiona is a nearby beach, and appears to be a favourite with holiday-makers because it is clean and sandy. Don't expect to find umbrellas and deckchairs though. Enjoy the natural environment and the landscape as much as possible. If you wish to have a meal here, you can order fresh fish in the nearby tavernas.
Kouremenos is an alternative swimming solution near Palekastro (3 km). It is a 2-km long sandy beach, surrounded by marram trees offering coolness and shade to the visitors. From the small harbour you can take a boat to the Dionyssades islands, Elasa and Grandes, while if you like windsurfing, this is the right place to be. Archaeologists in this area have discovered seven Mycenaean houses. The next closest beach to Palekastro, 5 km away, is Maridati.
The beach is covered with fine pebbles and sand, and the sea is very clean. There are no umbrellas and chairs, and it seems to attract mostly locals from the surrounding areas. It is also an ideal place for fresh fish cooked to order. The remains of a Minoan settlement in Palekastro, at Roussolakkos, are worth a visit. In antiquity, it was referred to as Elia Chora, probably due to the existence of swamps ("eli") in the area. A 1902 excavation brought to light a Minoan settlement believed to be ancient Dragmos. The settlement is divided into seven neighbourhoods, separated by broad paved streets. The objects found inside the rooms imply the settlement's prosperity, but a palace, which would testify to the existence of a local potentate and certify the autonomy and power of the settlement, has not been found yet. It is also believed that the temple to Dikteos Zeus was built here, as British archaeologists have discovered a gold-and-ivory Kouros figurine, attributed to the worship of Zeus, and currently kept in the archaeological museum of Sitia.
An inscription was also discovered, bearing the hymn of the Kourites, the mythological bad spirit s who kept the infant Zeus in Dikteon Andro. Further south, you will find the summit temple of Petsofas, at an altitude of 215 m, where many symbols of worship were found, relating to a deity with healing qualities, judging by the number of offerings representing members of the human body. The findings are exhibited in the archaeological museums of Sitia and Agios Nikolaos.