map of Crete Charakas is a village that is located in the south of the Heraklion district. It is accessible via the route Heraklion - Agia Varvara - Loures - Asimi (or better: Pretoria) - Charakas. From Pretoria itself there is also a good highway to the north towards Heraklion and then through a number of other villages. That route is indicated via signs and is slightly shorter. Depending on which route you take the trip takes about 45 minutes to a little bit over an hour time. From the east Charakas is accessible via a good road from the town of Pirgos. For the road map - click here.

Around 1000 people live in Charakas and you will find a few taverns, a kafenion, a bakery, a few supermarkets and two petrol stations. In the Venetian period the village was called San Giovanni, but now it is named after the 35 meter high rock that stands here, the Charakas rock or Harakas rock (Charakas means "Rock"). On this rock you find the remains of a Venetian fortress and the Byzantine church of Afentis Christos (Lord Christ), which has recently been restored. The fortress probably dates from the 14th century. The fortress was built here by the Venetians because you can see the whole plain of Mesara from this spot. Through a number of steps and a path you can climb to the fort to take a look at it.

Charakas is the last village of some size for the people who are on their way to the coastal village of Tris Eklissies with its beautiful beaches. Here you can still do your shopping in one of the local stores, because outside the high season there is no supermarket open in Tris Eklissies, and around the end of October / beginning of November the two tavernas in this village close their doors. Most people in Charakas still live from agriculture and livestock farming and the village has not yet been affected by tourism. There are a lot of churches and churches in and around the village of Charakas. The largest church is the Agiou Panteleimon, which lies on a square below the Charakas rock. It occupies two houses and has a separate clock tower that is four stories high.