Dafnes ( el, Δαφνές) is a Southwestern suburb and community in the Heraklion regional unit on the island of
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
.
It is situated 18 km Southwest of
Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...
at an altitude of 320 meters on a ridge in the eastern foothills of the 2456 m Mt. Psiloritis (Mt. Ida) immediately east of
Greek National Road 97
Greek National Road 97 is a national highway on the island of Crete, Greece. It connects Heraklion with Agia Galini on the south coast, via Moires
Moires ( el, Μοίρες, "Fates") is a town and a former municipality in the Heraklion region ...
. Its population is about 1200. The postal code is 70011 and the telephone access code is 302810.
Dafnes is an agricultural centre producing sultanas, grapes, wine, spirits, vegetables and olive oil. Since the 13th century it is known for its rich, sweet red "Dafnes" wines made from the
Liatiko
Liatiko ( el, Λιάτικο) is an old red Greek wine grape varietyLiatiko grape variety.
The central plaza is shaded by large
eucalyptus
''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...
trees and ringed by
café
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...
s and kafenia. The plaza is the main location of the widely known Dafnes Wine Festival, normally celebrated during the first ten days of July. Immediately north of the plaza stands the small church Agia Zoni Agios Nikolaos, built in 1685.
* ''Heraklion and its Prefecture, Heraklion Prefecture’s Edition'' (Το Ηράκλειο και ο Νομός του. Έκδοση Νομαρχίας Ηρακλείου).
{{Heraklion div
Populated places in Heraklion (regional unit)