Kastelli Town (Pediada province)

Kastelli Pediada is a small town in the Heraklion hinterland and the historic centre of the province of Pediada. It is located approximately 36km southeast of Heraklion, at an altitude of about 350 metres, in one of the most fertile regions of Crete.

The local economy has traditionally been connected with the cultivation of olives, vines and vegetables. For centuries Kastelli served as the commercial and administrative centre of the surrounding region and still hosts the weekly open-air market of Pediada. The town provides shops, public services, traditional cafés and tavernas for residents of the wider area.

The name Kastelli derives from the Castel Pediada fortress, around which the settlement developed. During the Venetian period, the fortress was the seat of the local castellany and housed administrative and military authorities. Nothing substantial survives today, as newer buildings occupy its former site.

The history of the area extends much further into the past. In the centre of the town, near Saint George Square, archaeologists have uncovered remains of the Minoan settlement of Kastelli. The finds indicate habitation from the Neolithic period, while the settlement developed significantly during the Minoan era. Several Byzantine churches with old frescoes also survive in the wider region.

A military airfield operates beside Kastelli, while the new Heraklion International Airport is being constructed in the surrounding area. The new airport is intended to replace the existing “Nikos Kazantzakis” Airport and is expected to have a major influence on the future development and character of the region.

More activities

Castel Pediada

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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.

Trail E4 Agarathos - Kasteli - Kastamonitsa

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This part of the E4 is one of the easiest you can find in Crete as it is entirely through paved and dirt roads (in fair condition). As it is quite long, you can explore it by car, but we suggest thinking of cycling. The route offers good views to the olive groves of Pediada province.

Smari Citadel

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At the top of the rocky hill of the Prophet Elijah (Profitis Ilias) near Smari, at an altitude of 590m, there are the ruins of a citadel with a strong defensive wall. The place has panoramic views across the fertile planes of Kasteli and Smari. According to the archaeologist Hadjivallianou, the citadel was the actual site of ancient Lyttos mentioned by Homer. The city was inhabited from 1800 BC till 630 BC, before being abandoned by its inhabitants.

Church of Saint John at Liliano

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Half a kilometer away from the small hamlet Liliano, very close to the airport of Kastelli, lies another treasure of the Cretan hinterland. This is the cemeterial church of Agios Ioannis Rigologos celebrating on August 29.

Christ Church at Kastelli

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At the village Kastelli, province Pediada, we meet the very old church of Christ. The temple bears Venetian frescoes of great artistic value.

Panagia Kera Church at Apostoli

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At the northern end of the plain of Kastelli, between the villages Sklaverohori and Agii Apostoli (Pediada district), we meet Panagia Kera. Access is very easy because it's on the main road. The informative signs tell us that the church dates from the 14th century. This is another single-aisled church, built during the Venetian occupation of Crete, a time when the island was decorated with resplendent temples, most of which carried rich wall paintings.