It is located at the northeastern end of Crete and is only 7 km from Palekastro. It is the largest in area and unique in beauty palm forest in Europe. It occupies an area of 250 acres and is a green oasis with thousands of palm trees ending in a wonderful golden sand.
Vai has been declared an aesthetic forest and habitat with rare flora and fauna. The palms are indigenous and belong to the endemic species of Theophrastus palm. The history of the palm forest is lost over the centuries and there are various legends about its creation. The palm tree was already known in Minoan Crete and was even considered a sacred tree. The centuries-old palm trees along the beach combined with the crystal clear waters of the sea and the small island that is only a few meters from the beach compose an exotic landscape of incomparable beauty and attract thousands of visitors from all over the world.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou