Located at a distance of 18 km from Heraklion at an altitude of 320 metres and reaches the visitor if from 12.4 kilometer of road in Mesara twist right at the fork or other later than the first branching of the same road.
For the first time are Dafnes in notarial document of 1271 and in several subsequent documents of the Ducal Archive of Heraklion. Recorded in all censuses since 1577 with a special mention to "wine" and the dafniano "olive", dafniano already famous by the 13th century.
In Nice Memorial in the square "in memory of the fallen" children of the visitor can read the checkered history of the village. Other places to visit is the old fountain which was in charge of the "community" Palms in 1897 under ' Kavousi, "devotional" Cave of Agia Anna (with delivery) the wonderful giant "Cretan Oak", the source of "Tsigkoyri" and the old bridge into the river.
I still know the old traditional houses in "ktima Baroycha – Kokotoy», the «Arodamos» restored house, where organized musical events as well as the building of the old" Factory " which housed the cultural association of the village. Can met one of the last "Petalwtis" (Farrier) of Crete, but also the visit to the laboratory of construction – repairing traditional instruments will not leave him unmoved.
In taverns and cafes , the visitor will satisfy every culinary desire's with local products, fresh ingredients and traditional dishes. To note here that deserves to attend in celebration of "three children families" that takes place every year on 17 September in the Church "Wisdom of faith Hope and love".
The famed event that surpasses the limits of the municipality and of the Prefecture of Heraklion is the «Wine Festival» and gathers hundreds of visitors from all parts of Greece, but also tourists. The Festival is organized by the cultural Association of the village and the municipality of Heraklion and a cultural event for the whole region.
A reputation for "wine od dafnes" keep alive and strengthen today the four wineries that operate in the village and process rich crops of vineyards. And is naturally Dafnes imbedded in "Streets of wine" with many other villages in the municipal region of Heraklion.
