Phaistos, or more correctly the Minoan Palace of Phaistos, is located in the Messara Plain in south-central Crete, 55 kilometres south of Heraklion and a short distance from the archaeological site of Agia Triada, the archaeological site of Gortys and Matala.

Phaistos is one of the most important archaeological sites in Crete, with many thousands of visitors annually. Phaistos is "Φαιστός" in Greek and you may find it also written as Phaestos, Faistos or Festos.

The Minoan palace of Phaistos corresponds to a flourishing city which arose in the fertile plain of the Messara in prehistoric times, from circa 6000 BC to the 1st century BC, as archaeological finds confirm.