Dörfer & Städte

Charakas

Archanes-Asterousia, Heraklion · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

An authentic inland village.

Charakas is a village of about 800 people in the foothills of the Asterousia mountains, about 45 km south of Heraklion. It's known for a huge rock, 35 m high, with a castle and a small church on top, which gave the village its name.

The village has kept its traditional character, with stone houses and a large church of Agios Panteleimon with a tall bell tower. It's untouched by tourism.

The rock was once fortified, and a small church still stands on top, reached by steps. From the top you get wide views over the Messara plain and the Asterousia. The village has a monument to its fighters, a big church of Agios Panteleimon with a tall bell tower, and traditional cafes where life still moves slowly. It's a good stop on the way to the south coast beaches of Treis Ekklisies.

Around Archanes-Asterousia

Nearest town: Lentas, about 26 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 48 km by road

Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion