Minoan Palace of Phaistos (Crete) – Tips + Photos

Why visit the Minoan Palace of Phaistos in Crete?

There are many Minoan ruins to visit around Crete.
Considering you can only see the basis of walls most of the time, it can feel repetitive to some people.
So why visit this palace?

• It was the second largest palace in Crete
• It offers magnificent views of the plain and mountains around. It has the best settings of all the archaeological sites
• It is a lot less crowded than Knossos, so you could enjoy the site almost to yourself
• It is where the enigmatic Phaistos disc was found (although you won't see it on site, it is at the Heraklion museum)
• It is on the South coast, contrary to many other sites, so it is a nice break from the beaches and gorges.

Note: The palace's name can also be written Phaestos or Faistos.

More photos after the planning tips.

Planning Tips and Map - Phaistos Palace, Crete

• Located in the middle of the South Coast of Crete
• Near Matala
• Heraklion to Phaistos = 1h20 drive
• Rethymno to Phaistos = 1h20 drive
• Below is a map to help you get oriented:

This highlight is included (with GPS coordinates and practical tips) in my Travel Guide eBook that helps you easily plan your road trip around Crete:

Need to rent a car in Crete?
My tips:

• My option 1 - Check out the local company Rental Center Crete - excellent ratings and a zero-excess insurance policy included
• My option 2 - Compare prices on Discovercars.com - one of the best rated comparison sites! 
• Choose the car and company you prefer (with enough power for comfort on mountain roads)
• Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!

See my 36 tips about renting a car in Crete

• Phaistos opening hours - 8am to 8pm in Summer (8:30am to 3pm in Winter)
• Phaistos entry price - 8 euros
• Latest info on official page here
• You will find a lot fewer tour guides available compared to Knossos. Better to book before your visit if you want to be guided. However, you can visit alone, as there are signs throughout the ruins.
• Café and toilets on site (25 stairs up to get there)
• Plan 1h30 to explore the ruins and appreciate the views
• Some stairs to explore the ruins (see a section about walking around further in the article)
• To stay nearby, I recommend the small town of Matala with its beautiful sunsets - check out the best rated accommodations in Matala

Where to stay in Crete?
My tips:

• For a charming town with lots of activities -  See best rated accommodations in Chania
• For a sandy beach and some nightlife - See best rated options in Malia or in Bali
• For a mix of history, beach and central location - See best rated options in Rethymno
• For the main city - See best rated options in Heraklion
• For stunning scenery, away from the large crowds - See best rated options in Palaiochora
• For a very quiet area - see best rated options in Mochlos

More tips on my article about where to stay in Crete

Overall view of the Phaistos Ruins & Surroundings

The ruins of Phaistos are located in the Messara plan, on top of a low hill.
Its location offers splendid views of the surroundings with the fertile plain surrounded by mountains.
Below are a few pictures to give you an idea of the view.
It was a little foggy but you can still see the potential!

Phaistos: a brief history

To give you a little bit of context before visiting, here is a snapshot of the history of the Minoan palace of Phaistos:

• Excavated by the Italian archaeologist Halbherr at the beginning of the 20th century
• The area was a great place to settle because of the Yeropotamos river (one of the rare rivers in Crete to flow all year round) 
• Archeological finds confirm settlements from around 6000BC to 1st century BC
• The first palace was built around 2000 BC
• It was destroyed in 1700BC by an earthquake but rebuilt immediately
• In 1450BC it was destroyed by Nature once again
• However it recovered and continued to flourish until it was destroyed by its neighbour Gortys in the 1st century BC.

Getting around the archeological site of Phaistos

There are quite a lot of displays with explanations about the different sections of the palace. The texts are accompanied by drawings of what the area may have looked like.
This is very helpful because most of the time, only the very basis of walls remain.

Visiting the Phaistos Palace Crete - what to look for

One of my favorite parts of the visit was the theater area.
It dates back to the old palace period that was protected under 1.3m of the new construction.
It is called the theater, but we have no evidence that it was. However, the layout like an amphitheater means that everyone would have had a great view of the court. So events must have taken place here.

The steps under the wall are very long and quite deep, working well for seats.

Another fascinating part of the ruins are the magazines or storage areas.

The walls are still quite high and you can better visualize what the small rooms looked like. Plus you can see a lot of well-preserved pithoi (very large jars) inside.
I really love ancient pottery and those were exquisite. They used to contain solid and liquid goods.
It is believed that goods stored here were not for local consumptions but for trade.

Across the court from the theater staircase are the Kouloures (that we find in all the Minoan sites). The name means rings in the Cretan dialect. 
There are several assumptions about what they were used for. One says that they were there to deposit the remains of the sacrifices.

The main courtyard is vast. You can still see the original pavement stones (from the first palace).
It was the center of the palace and was open. And on the East and West sides, it was bordered by narrow covered corridors.
As all the Minoan sites, it has a developed irrigation system under the court. Sanitation was very important to them.
Notice the altar area.

And as you walk around, there is more to see, including the Queen's apartment with a lightwell (open roof) and frescoes on the walls.
Between sections, you will discover staircases. Minoan palaces were multi-storey buildings.

The Phaistos Disc

The name of Phaistos is quite famous because it is associated with the Phaistos disc which was found in those ruins.
In the Northeast part of the palace (in a complex from the first palace), you will see a board explaining where the disc was found.

The disc is made of clay and dates back to around 1600 BC. It is covered with symbols stamped on both sides and arranged in a spiral. The carvings are Minoan ideograms.
To this day, the disc has not been deciphered and remains an enigma.

You can see images of it on the board. But if you want to see the real object, you will have to visit the archaeological museum in Heraklion. I do recommend it because their collection of Minoan artefacts is splendid.

Below is a photo of the disc in the museum. Fascinating, isn't it ?

Church of Ayios Georgios

Other places of interest near Phaistos

Planning to visit Phaistos? There are other interesting things to do in the area. Below are some suggestions:

Matala is considered one of the best beaches in Crete. It is famous for 2 main reasons:

• it was a "hippie capital" in the 70s and it has retained some of that vibe
• the cliffs surrounding the beach have caves cut into the soft limestone

It feels quite different from the rest of the Cretan island. And I recommend enjoying a sunset there!

See more pictures of Matala

Gortynas is unlike the other archaeological sites in Greece. The city started from the Minoan period to the Hellenistic period (3rd and 2nd centuries BC) to the Roman periods during which the city peaked (1st to 5th centuries AD).

The main thing not to be missed is behind the theater: the walls covered with writing. It is the Code of Law of Gortyn (5th century BC).
You can also enjoy the theater, the ruins of Saint Titus church, a legendary tree, sculptures...

Want to see more of the best Crete has to offer?

• The most beautiful archaeological sites - read article
• 40 best landscapes in Crete (in pictures) - read article
• 20 best things to do in Crete - read article
• The 27 best beaches in Crete - read article
• The most beautiful churches and monasteries in Crete - read article
• The best destinations in Crete, where to stay - read article
• Advice for planning your road trip in Crete and your itinerary - read article
• Tips for driving around Crete - read article
• The most beautiful boat trips around Crete - read article

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