Kastelli is situated 40 km from the city of Heraklion. Ιt used to be the seat of the former Municipality of Kastelli and according to the census of 2001, it has 1692 inhabitants. Kastelli took its name from the fort that was built on a low hill, where the village is today, the exact place where High School has been built. In Kastelli there are four churches with Byzantine frescoes: Master Christ, Saint Fotini, Saint George “Revythiotis” and St. John “Romanito”.

In recent history, Kastelli is mostly related to the military airport which is located southwest of it. It was constructed at the beginning of the World War II, with the recruitment of residents from the surrounding areas. Because of its location it played an important role in German operations in North Africa. For this purpose 200 – 400 military aircrafts used to take off from Kastelli every day. Since then, after the withdrawal of the German occupation forces from Crete, the airport has been used by Greek air force units.

Kastelli has become the center of the surrounding villages, as it hosts the County Court, it is the trade center of the area, it has a high school and administrative services continue to operate here. This is an important settlement which retains its traditional character, while society is active in variοus ways, presenting great potential. The municipality, the school communities and the cultural association organize cultural events during the year. Furthermore, the area of Kastelli promotes the production of olive oil, grapes, raisins, wine, the traditional raki, cereals and vegetables.