The hilltop, about 150 metres above the sea, commands views of Souda Bay and the Akrotiri Peninsula to the north, the Lefka Ori (White Mountains) to the south, and Kalives and the Turkish Itzendin Castle to the east; the city of Chania is not quite visible to the west.
In classical and Byzantine times, Kalives is the likely site of Kissamos, one of the ancient city of Aptera's two harbours.