The village Fodele with its 500 inhabitants,
is located about 3 km inland from the new National Road and about 30km west of Heraklion, in the middle of a green oasis full of orange & lemon trees and flowing waters.
Fodele is a place that is primarily known among locals and tourists for its famous citizen Dominikos Theotokopoulos, also known as El Greco.
Residents of the village deal in traditional way with the cultivation of citrus, olive trees and livestock; additionally in the last decades, a few souvenir shops and some taverns increase the villagers’ income.
The cultivation of citrus fruits carries on a long tradition. Travelers from past centuries have already reported on the numerous fruit trees: Cristoforo Buodelmonti notes in 1415 that Fodele “is adorned with numerous fruit trees”, while Vyzantios writes in 1842 that in “this place a variety of sweet lemons, oranges and lemons” are produced.
The village has a cozy atmosphere, wonderfully suited to enjoy a coffee or lunch under the shade of the old plane trees in the village square.
Do not forget to visit the following attractions in the immediate vicinity of the place:
