It is situated in front of a 70 meter long pebbled beach leading to a cove with rapidly deepening waters that are protected from the prevailing northerly winds.

During the Venetian occupation of Crete extensive fortifications were built on this rock, housing cannons that secured the bay of Heraklion.

In approximately the same position existed an older fortress built by Enrico Pescatore, immediately after the conquest of Crete by the Genoese in the early 13th century.

The fort has triangular shape adopted by the natural topography of the location and the steepness of the rock was met with the overshoot of the walls that were parallel to the sea.

As shown in the map of the report produced later by Francesco Basilicata to the Venetian authorities inside the fortress created three uneven squares of the "Up", the "Medium" and "Low Square" in order to ensure adequate space and flat area that would meet the needs of the defenders and stood barracks, garrison headquarters, church, Purpose, arms depots and water tanks.

Fortress is capable, with moderate activity, to withstand any attack and to effectively protect ships that would carry help, because there is no good anchorage.

Palaiokastro The beach is still preserved in excellent condition a lime of the same era, and is known from the design of Basilicata, the which is one of the best examples of such structures throughout the island.

The English captain Spratt (1865) observing the morphological characteristic of the area (abdomen theater) where supported to place the Cretan city of the north coast of the island, the so-called Kytaion (Κύταιον; 'hull' or 'abdomen'), which is mentioned by Pliny, the Nonnus and Ptolemy, at this point.

However much earlier (1837) compatriot Pashley had also, and perhaps for the first time placed the Kytaion in this position, not because of the concave terrain, but because he was convinced that the name "Palaiocastro" always referred back to ancient cities.

The public works engineer Basilicata places to rock the ancient city of Elea "Elea citadel and traces on the rock that protrudes near the port Fraskia" The Venetian lime kiln (Ενετική Ασβεστοκάμινος) of Palaiokastro is located on the settlement's namesake beach just below the western slope of the hill occupied by the impressive Venetian fortress.

In previous years, the competent 13th Byzantine Antiquities carried exemplary, full restoration and maintenance of the monument, which was released simultaneously from around arbitrary constructions.