The Ancient City of Lato in Crete, Greece is another place we enjoyed exploring during our Sept 2021 trip. We love that there is so much to do in Crete and one of our favorite things to do is explore the ancient ruins.
The Ancient City of Lato, named after the goddess Lato (or Leto) was built by the Dorians in the 7th century, B.C. The goddess Lato is also known as the mother of Apollo and Artemis who were conceived by the god Zeus. Built on a high hill, the Ancient City of Lato is located in such a beautiful area of Crete which makes exploring the ruins even better. In addition, you can see Agios Nikolaos and Mirabello Bay from here.
Location
Ancient Lato is in the Lasithi Prefecture in Eastern Crete. Located just 3 km from the picturesque village of Krista, Ancient Lato is easy to find. It is also near Agios Nikolaos. We were staying at the Elounda Peninsula All Suites Hotel and Ancient Lato was about a 20 km drive from there.
The City
When we arrived to the Ancient City it was early morning. There were few cars there but ample parking. After paying admission fees, we entered and could see the city ruins stretched out and also up the hill. You will notice immediately a lot of rock steps. While going up, to the right of the stairs are ruins of shops and houses and to the left are terraces.
When you arrive to the top of the steps you will see the Sanctuary, Portico, and Central Cistern.
Continuing to the left you will find the Prytaneion. A Prytaneion is a city hall, or place where officials meet, in other words, sort of like the governmental center of the city.
Past the Prytaneion you can continue to climb to the Houses of the Prytaneion. Although the path is not very improved and hard to follow, the views are amazing.
Finally, in the other direction from the top of the stairs, you can follow the path to the Great Temple and the Theatrical Area. Again, you will have some great views.
The Town of Kritsa
After exploring Ancient Lato we decided to visit the town of Kritsa, Crete. Although this village is small, it is big on charm and hospitality. We bought a few bottles of olive oil and raki here to take home.
Conclusion
We loved exploring the Ancient City of Lato and it is a perfect place to visit while in Crete. We wish we would have spent more time in Kritsa but we wanted to get back to our hotel to enjoy the amenities there!
Where We Stayed
We stayed atElounda Peninsula All Suites Hotel. We stayed here in 2019 as well and absolutely love this resort. It is a perfect place for a home base while in this part of Crete. All in all, this resort is fantastic with something for everyone and the rooms are spectacular! This year we stayed in a Villa with a private pool, which was amazing. We found the staff and people at the resort to be second to none, very informative, helpful and also friendly. There is no doubt, we will absolutely be staying here again next time we are in Crete! You can click here to book at Elounda Peninsula.
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Follow these Links for more posts of my 2021 Greece Vacay:
Aforesmenos Lighthouse, Crete, Sept 2021
Avli Lounge Hotel, Rethymno, Sept 2021
Matala Beach Caves, Crete, Sept 2021
Hike to Martsalos Beach, Sept 2021
The Chapel at Georgioupoli, Sept 2021
Koutalas Beach and Sea Cave, Sept 2021
A Walk Through Chania, Sept 2021
You can also follow my other 2019 & 2023 Crete adventures here:
Ancient Gournia and Sitia- Sept 2023
Snorkling to Sunken City , Elounda-Sept 2023
Elounda Peninsula Hotel, Sept 2019
Knossos Palace, Crete Sept 2019
Seitan Limania Beach, Sept 2019
Katholiko Monastery, Sept 2019
Links to our 2018 and also 2019 Trip can be found in this post:
10 Days in Greece Athens, Crete, Santorini 2019
8 Days in Greece, Athens, Milos, Santorini 2018
The Gen-X Travels recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences unless noted. We are not sponsored by any business or company and all trips are at our expense. All photos are by myself or my husband unless otherwise noted. We are affiliates of some companies such as Amazon,Viator, and others which we do receive a small commission from, at no cost to you if you buy or book through one of our links.