Frangokastello (the castle of the Franks) is a small seaside village located on the south coast of Crete.
The castle was built by the Venetians in 1371-74 as a garrison to impose order on the rebellious Sfakia region, to deter pirates, and to protect Venetian nobles and their properties.
Frangokastello is one of the most famous beaches of Crete, famous for the local Venetian castle on the beautiful beach and the legendary ghosts of Drosoulites.
West of the main beach you will find the long beach Vatalos, which is sandy and has pebbles and rocks in parts, making it ideal for snorkeling. Walking 300m east from the main beach for 10 minutes, you will find the magnificent beach of Orthi Ammos, famous for the large sand dunes.
It is famous for its Venetian castle of the same name, which is preserved in very good condition, its beautiful beaches and the Drosoulites, the ghosts which appear at Frangokastello at dawn each May.
This phenomenon is internationally known as a mirage. Considered as a kind of reflection, it has also been observed in other parts of the world with extensive bare soil areas that become overheated by the sun. Local people claim that these forms are the shadows of the warriors who died there in 1828, at the same period, and they were named Drosoulites because they appear with the morning dew (in Greek: δροσιά- drosia).
Many monuments were built in the area through the centuries, but very few survive today. Most were destroyed in the wars and risings in the area, and the stones from their ruins used to build the castle.
Frangokastello lies in a surprisingly small plain in the shadow of the eastern range of the White Mountains, with the gorge and mountain of Kallikratis and Imbros.
A unique landscape and one of the many surprises the natural environment of lovely Crete has to offer.
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