Frangokastello (or Frangocastello) is in the area of Sfakia, on the south coast of west Crete, 13 kilometres east of Chora Sfakion and west of Plakias.
Frangokastello is a small seaside village with a few houses and quite a few rooms for rent and apartments for tourists.
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. 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. This landscape is one of the many surprises the natural environment of Crete has to offer visitors.
Frangokastello, useful information
At Frangokastello you will find many rooms and apartments for your holiday, along with several tavernas serving delicious food and fresh fish. Don’t forget to try the traditional local specialities such as tsigariasto (sautéed kid or lamb), boureki (courgette potato bake) and Sfakianes pites (sweet cheese pies).
There is also a mini-market in Frangokastello, but if you need cash the nearest cashpoint is in Chora Sfakion, where the rural surgery also operates.
For nightlife there is a friendly little bar in Frangokastello.