Frangokastelo beach — Attraction in Municipality of Sfakia

The castle was built by the Venetians in 1371-74 as a garrison to impose order on the rebellious region, to deter pirates, and to protect Venetian nobles and their properties. The Venetians named it the Castle of St. Nikitas after the nearby church. The locals, however, who never saw it in a positive light, contemptuously dubbed it Frangokastello, meaning the Castle of the [Franks#Legacy|Franks], Castelfranco or #FrancoCastello .

The name eventually stuck and was adopted by the Venetians as well. According to local lore, when soldiers and builders arrived on the fertile plain to begin construction of the castle, the local [[Sfakians]], led by six Patsos brothers from the nearby settlement of Patsianos, would destroy every night what the Venetians built during the day. Eventually, the Venetians were forced to bring in additional troops and the Patsos brothers were betrayed, arrested and hanged.

The castle has a simple rectangular shape, with a tower at each corner and the remains of a Venetian coat of arms above the main gate. The buildings within the walls, as well as the battlements, were constructed during the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turkish]] occupation. In 1770, the Cretan rebel Ioannis Vlachos, otherwise known as [[Daskalogiannis]], was captured at Frangokastello by Turkish forces. He was later tortured and executed at Heraklion . On 17 May 1828 a celebrated battle was fought at Frangokastello. Hundreds of Sfakiots and Epirotes led by Hatzimichalis Dalianis , a Greek patriot from Epirus attempting to spread the Greek War of Independence from the mainland to Crete, occupied the castle, but were besieged by the Turks and massacred. However, many of the Turks were then themselves killed by rebel ambushes launched from the local gorges. According to tradition, around the anniversary of the battle each May, shadows of the armed Cretan and Epirote soldiers who lost their lives there seem to march towards the dawn. These are called ''[[Drosoulites]]'' (lang-el| Δροσουλίτες) and have been explained as a meteorological phenomenon. #Φραγκοκάστελο και...

Frangokastello offers a calm and relaxing atmosphere. The Cretan culture is strong in this area. The tavernas serve homegrown food and handmade cheese and honey. The taste varieties are as plenty as the families and the apartments are similarly diverse. Next to amazing beaches at the place itself and in the surrounding are, there are many great hiking trails to discover. Not to forget the ancient fort resting on the shore and marking the land as a unique memory of the adventurous and long history of Crete. If you look for vast, impressive landscape and pure experience, Frangokastello is a place that you should not miss. Politeness and respect towards nature and people are very much...

Nice sandy beach partialy secluded from the open sea waves by the underwater rocks to the right. Breathtaking mountains in the background and small Venetian castle from the 14th century give it the charm, and making the beach well worth driving from Chania. However, do not forget that Crete is a windy place, and before leaving your hotel check for the info on the winds. At the end of the day nearby Sfakia is a nice option for dinner, with its peaceful harbour and WWII memorial to the Greek, British, Australian and New Zeland soldiers evacuating to Africa, after loosing the battle of Crete. The entire area is as remote as it can be, the end of Europe in...