Smari is located on a hilltop in a natural environment of great beauty and it is perhaps one of the most beautiful traditional villages of Crete, which has been identified as preservable. It is located 27 kilometers southeast of the city of Heraklion and 7 km northwest of Kastelli.
The systematic archaeological research around the settlement resulted in revealing ten new archaeological sites and important monuments which clearly indicate the systematic habitation of the place from the Early Minoan period.
The picturesque village of Smari has been recently declared as designated, by maintaining the traditional architecture and urban planning, as well as its Christian monuments, but it also offers modern tourist facilities.
In 2011, Smari was selected and awarded by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as the second – best tourist destination of excellence, since it was nominated by the Municipality of Minoa Pediados for the competition of the program “European Destinations of Excellence: Tourism and Redevelopment of Areas”.
