Petrokefali of the Festos municipality is a beautiful village with recently renovated rock houses and 59 kilometers from Heraclion.

There are many coffee houses in the large paved square where you can enjoy a coffee or buy anything from the baker’s or the grocer’s of the settlement.

A small playground is also near the square of the village.

According to the 2011 census, 790 people live in the settlement.

HISTORY

In 1583, the village is stated for the first time by its today’s name in the Venetian census of Kastrofilakas and it is stated with 199 residents. Then it can be also found in other Venetian and Turkish censuses.

PLACE NAME

There are two alternatives about the origin of the place name. According to the first one, the name came from the place where the first house was built, on the top of a large rock (“petra” in Greek).

According to the second alternative, the first resident of the area was named Petros. According to tradition, Petros was so good and hospitable that was very known in the area. It is said that when someone asked his guests where they had spent the night, they answered figuratively “stou Petrou to kefali” (i.e. on Petros’s head).

CHURCHES

The temple with the 2 aisles of Agio Pneuma and Evagelismos is in the square of the village. Churches dedicated to Agios Eleftherios and Thetokos are also in Petrokefali.

A small spring with drinking water is also in the road from the village to Matala. The Agia Marina church is a few meters near it.

FESTIVITIES

Traditional Cretan and religious feasts take place during the celebrations of the saints to whom the churches are dedicated.