Continuing west after the DEH factory, you come to the main Heraklion-Rethymnon
road.
Fifteen kilometres from the centre of Heraklion, you will encounter
Paleokastro (Old Fortress), a quiet village with a small pebbly
beach. Here you can enjoy seafood or meat dishes in the tavernas
by the sea. The Venetians built the fortress from which the village
takes its name, at the end of the 16th century. Like every fortress,
Paleokastro had is own church, barracks, water reservoirs and ammunition
storeroom. Its strategic importance during the Turkish invasion
in 1630 proved to be negligible.
The winged lion of Saint Mark and the emblems of that era's noblemen
are on the northeastern corner. Entrance to the fortress is free,
and you can enter from the south side, but not from the beach.
You will have to walk up to the highway and cross it to get in.
