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Why on Earth Sitia?
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posted by Viktoria Vigh
I’m often asked: Why Sitia? Some unkind voices even claim the place doesn’t exist on the map at all. For me, everything began with an innocent visit to a dear childhood school friend — my koumbará. For years, I had carried the idea of one day helping out with the olive harvest in Crete. Winters here are pleasantly mild; the harvest begins in November and continues with pruning, clearing, fertilising and caring for the olive trees well into January or February.
After more than 20 years in a conventional nine-to-six desk job, a broken heart, and a pandemic with two lockdowns that brought my professional life to a standstill, the desire for change began to take shape — slowly, but with growing certainty. I longed for nature, for being outdoors, for clearing my head. I wanted space to rethink, to reorder my thoughts and to make new plans. With the support of Andrea Compagna, this even became possible during the olive harvest itself.
Doing something good for body, mind and soul — in the company of the warmest, most generous and selfless people I have ever had the privilege to meet. The first visit soon turned into a second, then a third. After countless conversations, we eventually came across a property in the centre of Sitia that immediately struck me as full of potential.
After six intense months of renovation and structural refurbishment of both the shop and my office, we opened our pop-up store — a few months later than planned, but in one of the most beautiful locations imaginable: the harbour of Sitia in the summer of 2023. Access to the second floor and my office, however, took another five months to complete, meaning the refurbishment of my office had to be carried out via a ladder. Not easy, and certainly not without risk — but in Sitia, one quickly learns how to improvise.
Friendships along the street grew naturally, and valuable new connections formed with surprising ease.
My new neighbour Michalis Poulas across the road turned out to be an exceptionally talented photographer — something you would never expect at first glance. PHOTOLAP Crete is a true hidden gem for anyone seeking artistic photography books of the region, or for couples looking for a highly professional wedding photographer on the island. Although he initially had absolutely no interest in fashion or product photography, he eventually allowed himself to be persuaded. This led to our very first shoot for the “Made in Sitia” collection in 2023.
Coincidentally — and perhaps fortunately — the founding year of the business also marked the beginning of a major urban and road redevelopment project. For eleven months, we faced a full construction site directly outside our shop door. During that time, I was immensely grateful for our back entrance and for the opportunity to continue working on international projects. The positive outcome: we are now part of a pedestrian zone, and thanks to newly installed tactile paving, visually impaired visitors can easily find their way to the VVC Shop.
The summer season in Sitia is traditionally much shorter than in other parts of Crete — usually lasting only from May to September. Add to this political decisions and global crises that result in newly established charter connections being cancelled almost as quickly as they appear. Yet despite all this, life here is never dull.
In Sitia, you are inevitably forced to slow down. Many things simply aren’t available, or they are out of stock — and it can take months before they return. I happily swapped my car for an e-scooter, so as not to interrupt the spontaneous roadside conversations of the town’s older residents.
The region is poor, original, rugged and wild — but the people are warm, open-hearted, friendly and extraordinarily helpful. Highlights in Sitia certainly include carnival week, as well as a small, lovingly organised Christmas market. Naturally, the German community also gathers here for traditional "Glühwein".
Sitia has a lively and diverse sports community. Tennis plays an important role: the Sitia Tennis Club regularly hosts matches, training groups and community tournaments. This is complemented by fitness and strength training facilities suitable for functional training, cardio, group classes and personal training — including the studio of the Ving Tsun Kung Fu Association, Europe-Greece and the Boxing Club Sitia.
Other martial arts are firmly embedded in everyday life. The Karate School of Sitia offers training for both children and adults and is deeply rooted in the local community. Football, volleyball, yoga, aerobics and Pilates are, of course, also part of daily life.
Thanks to its immediate proximity to the sea, water sports are an integral part of life here: windsurfing, kitesurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkelling and diving (for example with NiceDive4U), as well as boat and kayak trips along the coast, can be enjoyed all year round. Horse riding in Kato Episkopi, such as with the mindful initiative Mindful Time with Horses completes the offering.
And sometimes, one consciously chooses the opposite of activity — simply settling into a good book at one of the cafés along the harbour. At the port of Sitia, you’ll find outdoor bookshelves offering free books for visitors to enjoy, so there’s no need to bring your own on holiday.
Alongside all of this, I now grow my own fruit, vegetables, salads, teas and herbs — especially the varieties I miss from Germany and can’t buy locally, or those that grow quickly and taste particularly good. Organic fertiliser for the garden comes courtesy of the horses — Andrea never seems to run out of it.
Thanks to the exceptional quality of locally grown ingredients available year-round, an organic lifestyle and a diet that is often traditionally plant-based, I experienced a significant improvement in my autoimmune condition.
Sitia is widely known for its PDO extra-virgin olive oil — organic, pure and of outstanding quality. Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to be connected with local farmers and producers.
Regional wealth: While exact per-capita income figures for Sitia alone aren’t published with the same granularity as national statistics, the island of Crete overall records a GDP per capita (PPS) of around 46.3% of the EU average, reflecting a largely agricultural and tourism-based economy.
Support the region — why it matters
Sitia is a place that deserves support on every level — economically, socially and culturally. If you’re inspired to visit Sitia, explore its authentic beauty, support local growers and makers, or enquire about community projects and donation initiatives, I would be happy to connect you with official organisations working to grow opportunity here.
Let’s help this unique part of Crete continue to thrive — because places like Sitia don’t just exist on the map; they deserve to be lived, loved and sustained.
Sources:
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Benoit Properties
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Blue Municipalities Network
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CityFacts
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CityPopulation.de
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CreteSitia.gr
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DataCommons
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EURES (European Employment Services)
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EU Mayors / Δήμος Σητείας
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Geostars
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Greek Travel Pages (gtp.gr)
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Hellenic Statistical Authority (statistics.gr)
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INSETE (Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation)
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Interkriti
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Municipality of Sitia
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Region of Crete (crete.gov.gr)
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Regions4Climate (regions4climate.eu)
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TEI Crete
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Visit Sitia (visitsitia.gr)
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Wikipedia – Σητεία, Crete
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Xerocambos Creta
