The village belongs to the municipality of Lambi and has 790 inhabitants. It is located at the 51st km on the road Rethymnon-Spili-Melambes-Timbaki. It lies at an altitude of 570 m above sea-level, in the valley between Mount Kedros (1777 m) and Mount Vouvala (947 m).
The village is mentioned by name in the Venetian censi.In 1881; it is the seat of the municipality of Melambes and has several hundred inhabitants. Below Melambes, at a place called Kouroi, there was a temple dedicated to Elektra, hence the name of the river Elektras. The village boasts a wonderful village square with Venetian lion head fountain. Where one can sit of an evening in the local cafe-neo under the cool shade of a plane tree.
It has a community of both Cretans and foreigners as it give all the joys of village life as well as being only 15 minutes drive from a the beautiful resort of Agia Galini and 6kms to the nearest beach at Agios Giorgos. It is a large village as Cretan villages go and . It has all the necessities of everyday life available. Bakers, Mini-markets, caf-neos. The village also hosts a football playing field and a school so is ideal for families.
The streets are narrow and windy and are a maze of whitewashed village houses. Many of the young children from the families in Agia Galini are sent here to their grandparents during the summer months as their parents work in their various businesses in the resort. . This is getting to be a popular village for those who want to buy property at reasonable prices for renovation. It has a wonderful country feel and looks out to the Psiloritis and Kendros mountains.
