Malia Crete

Malia is THE party place on Crete. Young adults flock here to get their fix of sun, sea and sex. Britons and Scandinavians dominate the tourist scene here, but there are a few Germans about as well. There’s a 1500m-long stretch of road leading from the national road (Iraklio – Agios Nikolaos) down to the beach. This street contains nothing but bars, nightclubs, fast food joints and amusement arcades. The beach is OK, but wildly overcrowded in the summer.

Malia ist about 25 km east of the airport of Iraklion and only a few kilometers from the biggest resort on Crete Hersonissos.

Bars and Clubs in Malia: Almost all of these are situated on one long strip of road, leading away from the beach. The most eye-catching of these is the King’s Cross club, which looks like a castle. Zoo has been the hottest open-air cocktail bar here for years. The big party only takes places in high season and lasts until the morning. Late at night the beach is awash with drunken bodies and people indulging in one-night stands.

Malia is really only a suitable destination for those who look for this kind of hedonism in their holidays. The atmosphere is pretty rough, with fights breaking out daily. Malta is dominated by young British people (18-25), and the prices in many clubs are equivalent to those in British nightclubs.

Eating in Malia: Those who love McDonalds, KFC and Subway will feel right at home in Malia. Between the fast food chains are touristy restaurants serving both Greek and international (e.g. pizza) cuisine. There are Chinese restaurants and even an Australian restaurant called Steirer Eck (closed in the last years). English breakfast is served in dozens of places.
 

Accommodation in Malia: Almost everyone here is on a package holiday. On the other side of the main road, some 2km from the beach, there’s the old, almost forgotten old town of Malia. You’ll find some rent-rooms here from €30/35 in season, and from €20 or so out of season (for year 2023).

Things to do in Malia: Most hotels here have a pool. You can swim in almost any of them, so long as you buy a drink at the poolside bar. There are many options for billiards, darts, videogames, internet cafés and so on. Water sports and waterslides are also popular in Malia. Hiring bikes is a good option – the fashion at the moment is to buy a quad (see photo below), a four-wheeled motorbike.

Old Malia: The old village is the real Malia. In the narrow streets you’ll find some pensions and Greek tavernas. Most of the holidaymakers never make it this far away from the hedonistic beach front, and as a result it’s a lot quieter here.

Malia’s Bananas: Malia is famous in Greece for its bananas, which are smaller and sweeter than ‘normal’ bananas. Driving along the main road, you’ll see some elderly women selling their bananas at rock-bottom prices. 1kg costs between €1 and €1.50.

Map Malia Crete

Palace of Malia: The real sight of Malia is its Minoan palace, though not too many of the party people make it here. It’s a popular stop for those who are staying in other parts of Crete, though. The palace is a few kilometres out of town.

Buses in Malia: Malia is served extremely well by buses. In the daytime, there are 3 or 4 buses an hour to Iraklio and Hersonissos, 2 to 3 buses to the airport in Iraklio and 1 or 2 to Agios Nikolaos. Some buses to Agios Nikolaos go on to Sitia or Ierapetra. There is almost no buses to the Lassithi Highland. There are also 1 or 2 buses a day to the small village Sissi. To the old minoan Malia Palace you can walk in less than an hour or take a taxi. (this information from early 2023).

If you have a car you should vistit the Amazonas Park, a zoo about 25 kilometers away. More information here

Interesting is also the Lasithi Plateau in the mountains about half an hour by car from Malia.