Archanes

Archanes sits among vineyards at the foot of Mount Juktas, whose profile Cretans traditionally read as a sleeping face, and the mountain carried a Minoan peak sanctuary whose remains lie on the ridge. The village was restored through a European-funded programme in the 1990s that repaired facades and paved the streets, and it won awards for it, which is why it looks unusually coherent: ochre and white houses, small squares, a well-kept centre. Around it are significant Minoan sites, the palace-like building of Tourkogeitonia in the village itself, the Fourni cemetery, one of the largest prehistoric burial grounds in the Aegean, and the temple at Anemospilia. The archaeological museum in the village displays local finds, and wineries in the surrounding hills receive visitors.

What you actually see

• The restored village - ochre houses and paved squares in the centre.
• The Fourni cemetery - an extensive Minoan burial ground on the ridge.
• The archaeological museum - finds from the Archanes sites.
• The wineries - producers in the vineyards around the village.

When to go

Spring and autumn for walking and winery visits; the grape harvest falls in late August and September. Summer midday is hot, though the village is higher and cooler than Heraklion.

Honest expectations

Several of the archaeological sites are fenced and open irregularly, so check before counting on them. The museum keeps short hours. Winery visits generally need appointments.

Nearby

Knossos lies ten minutes north; Heraklion and its museum are twenty minutes away.