ARCHANES. Archanes is located on the Greek island of Crete, 16 kilometres southeast of Heraklion and north of the mountain Giouchtas, at 400 meters altitude. The village is divided into two parts, Epano Archanes (Upper) and Kato Archanes (Downstairs). The mountain Giouchtas is 811 meters high, according to the legend, Zeus was buried here. Archanes is a lovely village with 4500 inhabitants. The area of Archanes is one of the most famous wine regions of Greece. From here grapes, raisins and olive oil is exported to all over the world. Products from Archanes are among the top qualities of Greece. Archanes is one of the most elegant and traditional villages of Crete, because in the past the municipality supported the villagers financially to renovate their old houses. As a result, the residents wanted to make it something beautiful and they succeeded. The most beautiful part of Archanes is Epano Archanes. It has a lively centre with a very nice square with several terraces. The village, though traditional, is very touristy. You'll see in the summer various tourist buses in the village with loads of holiday-makers.
Accessibility of Archanes:
Archanes is reachable in about 20 minutes by car/ taxi from Heraklion (airport) and is accessible via Knossos.
Text: Yorgos and Wendy Nikolidakis - Revised by Maxine van Hoften