The Sitia Geopark and the Municipality of Sitia, in collaboration with the local community and the Cultural Association of Pefki, are organising the 2nd Geotourism and Alternative Tourism Festival on 27 and 28 September 2025.

At the same time, the Municipalities of Sitia and Ierapetra will co-host an event at Makry Gialos harbour, together with the Sitia Geopark, to celebrate World Tourism Day. The programme includes tasting events, traditional music and dancing, and a showcase of local businesses and products that support the Geopark through the Local Quality Agreement.

Festival Programme

Saturday, 27 September 2025
Photography Exhibition by Manolis Kalampokis in the alleys of Pefki and at the village school.
The exhibition features night shots of old houses in the mountainous villages of the Sitia Geopark. The photos will be displayed at the exact locations where they were taken, offering an interesting interplay between photography and reality.

Evening Event: “Geotourism and Alternative Tourism in Sitia”

• 18:00 at Pefki Primary School

  • Opening greetings

• 18:30 – “10 Years UNESCO Global Geopark Sitia – 10 Years of Promoting Sustainable Tourism”
  Speaker: Vangelis Perakis, Geopark Coordinator

• 18:50 – “The Hidden World of the Sitia Geopark”
  A journey into the region’s caves with Vassilis Papavassiliou, speleologist and member of the Speleological Society of Crete

• 19:10 – “Taxidi Olive Farm: Alternative Tourism Activities in the Sitia Geopark”
  Speaker: Christina Chryssoula, Mountain Guide

• 19:30 – Open Discussion

• 20:30 – Live Concert and Cretan Feast with Giannis Linardakis

Sunday, 28 September 2025

• 09:00 – Hike through the Pefki Gorge, in collaboration with the Nature Lovers Mountaineering Club of Sitia and the Pefki Cultural Association.
  Meeting point: Village Square.

• 18:30 – World Tourism Day Celebration at Makry Gialos Harbour
  A joint event by the Municipality of Sitia, Municipality of Ierapetra, and the UNESCO Global Geopark of Sitia.

The evening will feature:

• Traditional music and dancing

• Showcase of local products and services part of the Local Quality Agreement

• Traditional dishes prepared and offered by chefs from the hotels of Makry Gialos and Analipsi

• Visitors will also have the chance to join in the cooking of local recipes and taste regional specialties

Participating groups include:

• Cultural Associations of Pefki, Kalo Nero, Stavrochori-Koutsouras

• Sitia Gymnastics Association

• Sitia Folklore Museum

• Sitia Mountain Guides

• Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC)

• Koutsouras–Analipsi–Makry Gialos Chamber of Commerce and Trade