Palekastro is a large village (1100 inhabitants) with most people working in agriculture. But with its good beaches the area around Palekastro has started to attract tourism and slowly a good infrastructure is emerging for the independent traveler and holiday maker. The village is set back from the sea.
Palekastro is a living village, not a tourist resort. So it is lively but 'Cretan lively'. The tourists who come as far are here are mainly looking for peace and quiet and what could be described as the 'real Crete'. Still a much laid back place.
The region was one of the most important commercial centers of the Minoan culture in the extreme east of the island of Crete. Accordingly there are still a lot of remains of Minoan culture especially at Roussolakkos (near the beach of Chiona. It is the only Minoan city to have survived intact. Its harbor, outlying settlements, sanctuaries, and quarries were preserved under sediments. Parts of this significant site may be threatened by a large touristic project.
.gif){kind=small}
