Best things to do in Kastamonitsa village in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Kastamonitsa is an inland village in the Heraklion region of Crete, 42 km southeast of Heraklion city, at the western foot of the Sklopa of Dikti hill. The village belongs to the Municipality of Kastelli in the prefecture of Heraklion, and Kastelli town itself lies 4.1 km away. Hersonissos is the closest major town on the map at 14.1 km in a straight line, though the roads through these hills run considerably longer than that.
Heraklion airport sits 24.3 km from the village as the crow flies, so allow more than that on the road. Kastamonitsa suits a stay built around archaeology, gorge walking and the villages of the Dikti foothills rather than around a beach.
Things to do in and around Kastamonitsa
Six outings sit within 8 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Visit Ancient Lyktos. The archaeological site stands 1.8 km from the village, which makes Ancient Lyktos the nearest thing to see from Kastamonitsa.
- Drive up to Mathia. The village 2.5 km away sits at an altitude of 590 m in the foothills of Afendi mountain, with Dikti behind it, and Mathia keeps two churches with Byzantine wall paintings.
- See the Minoan settlement at Kastelli. The excavated site lies 3.9 km from Kastamonitsa, so the Minoan settlement of Kastelli pairs with a stop in the town for lunch.
- Walk around Kastelli. The local town 4.1 km away is where the shops and cafés are, and Kastelli gives the municipality its name.
- Look in at Vidiani Monastery. The monastery stands 5.7 km away on the Lassithi Plateau, the upland that Kastamonitsa once controlled the approach to.
- Walk the Roza gorge. The route starts 7.3 km from the village near the Panagia Kera Kardiotissa Monastery, and the walls of the Roza gorge take their name from their pink colour.
About the village and its setting
Kastamonitsa owes its history to where it stands. The village controlled the access route to the Lassithi Plateau, which brought intense fighting here during the Turkish occupation, and the same position made it an important trading hub through the 20th century until the 1970s.
The name has two explanations. One traces it to the first inhabitants, said to have come from Kastamonu in Central Asia after Crete was freed from the Saracens in 961 AD. Around the village lie other settlements of the Dikti foothills, several of them with their own Minoan past.
- Mathia lies 2.5 km away, a village of 215 people first recorded in 1271, named after the girls’ name Mattia, pronounced Mathia in Crete. Middle Minoan jar burials were found near it in 1957, and a Late Minoan site lies northwest at Katalimata.
- Askoi sits 2.8 km from Kastamonitsa.
- Diavaide stands 3.3 km from Kastamonitsa.
- Kastelli is 4.1 km away, the town the municipality is named after.
Beaches in and around Kastamonitsa
Kastamonitsa has no beach, and no coast lies close to the village. The settlement sits inland at the western foot of the Sklopa of Dikti hill, 42 km southeast of Heraklion, with hill villages and gorges on every side of it rather than sea.
Swimming therefore means a drive. Hersonissos, the nearest major town, is 14.1 km away in a straight line, and the winding roads here make the real distance longer, so a beach day from Kastamonitsa is a half-day trip rather than a stroll.
Gorges near Kastamonitsa
Four gorges lie between 7 km and 13 km from the village, and the two nearest both end near Gonies.
- Roza gorge begins 7.3 km away, a branch of the larger Ambelos gorge that starts near the Panagia Kera Kardiotissa Monastery in Ano Kera and meets the rural road through Ambelos near Gonies. The riverbed cannot be walked because of the sheer drops, so a marked trail runs along the sides instead, past walls whose pink tint gives the gorge its name.
- Embasa gorge opens 8 km away, also called Apotyposi, running about 2 km from Kato Kera down to Gonies. Its steep upper section produces waterfalls in winter, the tallest around 20 m and split into several cascades, and all of them can be reached from the sides without equipment. Starting at Gonies and climbing makes the waterfalls easier to reach.
- Aposelemis gorge lies 11.9 km from the village.
- Eligas gorge follows at 12.3 km from the village.
Where to eat near Kastamonitsa
Eating out means driving to Kastelli, about 4 km away, where the cafés and restaurants of the area are concentrated.
- Niki’s Coffee is 4.1 km from the village.
- Cafe Bar Kastelli Pediados stands 4.2 km out, in Kastelli.
- Velani Restaurant sits 4.9 km from Kastamonitsa.
Getting to Kastamonitsa
Kastamonitsa is reached on the inland roads that climb from the Heraklion plain towards the Lassithi Plateau, with Kastelli as the last town of any size on the way. The village lies 42 km southeast of Heraklion by road, and the final stretch winds through the Dikti foothills.
Straight-line distances flatter this corner of Crete. Heraklion airport is 24.3 km away in a straight line, Hersonissos 14.1 km and Agios Nikolaos 30.7 km, and each of those drives takes noticeably longer than the numbers suggest, so a hire car is the practical way in. The same applies to the neighbouring villages, Askoi among them.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kastamonitsa in Crete?
Kastamonitsa lies 42 km southeast of Heraklion, at the western foot of the Sklopa of Dikti hill, in the Municipality of Kastelli in the Heraklion prefecture.
Does Kastamonitsa have a beach?
Kastamonitsa has no beach. The village stands inland in the Dikti foothills, and the nearest major town, Hersonissos, is 14.1 km away in a straight line and further by road.
What is Kastamonitsa known for?
Kastamonitsa is known for its strategic position on the approach to the Lassithi Plateau. That position made the village a trading hub through the 20th century until the 1970s and the scene of intense fighting during the Turkish occupation.
Where does the name Kastamonitsa come from?
Two explanations circulate, and the first points to Kastamonu in Central Asia. Under that version the first inhabitants came from there after Crete was freed from the Saracens in 961 AD.
Can you walk a gorge from Kastamonitsa?
The nearest gorge walk starts 7.3 km away at the Roza gorge. The Embasa gorge, 8 km out, runs about 2 km from Kato Kera to Gonies and has winter waterfalls up to 20 m high.
Where Kastamonitsa village is
Best things to do in Kastamonitsa village in 2024 is located at Kastamonitsa village. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
