Kastelli is a small town in the center of the prefecture of Heraklion and the province of Pediada, in one of the most fertile areas of Crete. It is located 36km southeast of Heraklion and at an altitude of 350m. It is called Kastelli after the fortress of Pediada that was built here and was the seat of the local province during the Venetian Era.
The local economy is based on the cultivation of olive, vine and various vegetables. Kastelli has always been the commercial center of the area and even today it hosts the central outdoor bazaar of Pediada every week. The small town, as well as the wider region, hosts some great Byzantine churches with old frescoes and a Minoan settlement within the town's limits.
Kastelli hosts the most important military airport in eastern Crete, while the Heraklion International Airport is also planned to move here.
Ancient Lyktos 
Ancient Lyktos or Littos is located near the settlement of Xidas. The city was one of the strongest of ancient Crete, an eternal enemy of Knossos and owned the port of Hersonissos. It is reported by all the major ancient historians.
Minoan Settlement of Kastelli 
At Kastelli Pediada we meet traces of a settlement that flourished in the Minoan Era and built since the Neolithic Period. The settlement had developed around a central two-storey building of large dimensions, the architectural remains of which are visible today in the square of St. George.
Castel Pediada 
The fort Castel Pediada was not built on a hill, but in the valley of the current town of Kastelli Pediados. It was mainly an administrative building, since it was housed several administrative and military authorities.
Christ Church at Kastelli 
At the village Kastelli, province Pediada, we meet the very old church of Christ. The temple bears Venetian frescoes of great artistic value.
