Tourist’s guide to Malia, Crete – most interesting features

At 35 km from Heraklion, the administrative center of the Greek island of Crete, is the resort town of Malia (Malia). This is a very small town, it is inhabited by a little less than 3,500 people.

Malia, Crete

Things to do in Malia

Nightlife in Malia

In Crete, and even in Greece, Malia is known as one of the most party places – young people and lovers of nightlife come here. It is necessary to make a reservation right away that these young people are mainly from France, Germany and England, there are almost no Russian speakers. People who first came to Malia and went for a walk in the late afternoon may not only be surprised, but possibly shocked. Local television channels do not stop showing what is happening in Malia in the evenings, and the people of Crete are only outraged, but do not take any specific measures.

As a rule, young people from European countries come here in large companies, relax relatively peacefully and without fights, spend a lot of money – this is one of the main reasons why they are welcomed in this small town in Greece.

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Nevertheless, in Malia there is everything to make your vacation unforgettable: a clear sea, comfortable beaches, numerous clubs and restaurants, hotels of different stars, souvenir shops, large supermarkets, various entertainments and attractions. Here you can rent any vehicle: bike, scooter, motorcycle, car.

Club Zig Zag
Zig zag

The central part of Malia is the center of clubs, bars, discos, restaurants. The most popular among young people are Camelot Castle, Candy, Appolo, Zig Zag, Malibu Club, Banana Club, Warehouse. Almost all of them work from 22:00 until the morning, admission is free, you only need to pay for ordered drinks.

In addition to restaurants and clubs, this resort in Greece has other attractions. What can you see in Malia on the island of Crete? For example, you can see the aquarium, visit the water park, take a ride on horses.

Horse riding

The stable closest to Malia is located at Leoforos Eirinis 26, Stalos, Crete. In addition, it is not only the nearest, but also the cheapest on the island – a two-hour tour costs 35 € per person.

Amarillis Stable Stable

Amarillis Stable is located in the mountains near the town of Stalis. There they keep well-groomed and well-trained horses, low pacers. There are no cafes or taverns on the territory; of the amenities – a toilet.

Horse riding
Amarillis stable

It is Amarillis Stable for horse riding that is offered by the staff of many Malia hotels and travel agencies. But you can order a guided tour by writing directly to the Amarillis Stable mail – the owner of the stable Nicholas responds very quickly and picks up from the hotel if necessary.

Tourists are offered to make a two-hour trip to the sea or longer trips (5-6 hours) to the mountains, inland of Crete to the lake, to the village of Mochos. The path to the sea is pretty monotonous (along an asphalt road along which houses and hotels stand), but everything is very beautiful on the coast. A mountain tour is much more interesting, although more tiring and sometimes more dangerous. The terrain dictates its conditions: sometimes you have to get off the horse and lead it along. During any trip, Nicholas speaks in good English about the history of Crete and interesting places encountered along the way.

Horseback riding to the sea

Nicholas tells how to handle horses better, and watches their behavior. But for beginners riding a horse for the first time, it is still better to be very careful and first make a safer trip to the sea. As for young children, it is better not to take them on a horseback ride at all.

There is another important point: you need to find out in advance whether the insurance covers medical expenses for treatment, if necessary, after falling from a horse.

Water Park Star Beach

The water park is located not in Malia, but in the city of Hersonissos, address : Hersonissos 20, Crete. Many consider the water park a great alternative to the usual Malia beach on the island of Crete, especially since the entrance is not free of charge. There are almost always a lot of people here.

Water Park Star Beach

The beach here is small, the beach strip is narrow and the sun quickly hides. But entering the sea is very convenient: sandy, gentle. There are no breakwaters here, so on some days in the morning waves rise into human growth and it is impossible to swim.

Foamy party at Star Beach

All day music plays in the water park, at 16:00 they have a foam party – both adults and children like this show.

  • From 11:00 to 18:00 slides work, a ticket for all this time costs 8 €.
  • Pools are free, umbrella rental costs 2 €, sunbed – 3 € (give a check, so you can leave and then come again). There are 2 playgrounds and 2 zones with pools for children – there are free sunbeds.

There is an open stage on the territory of the water park, where DJs perform in the evenings.

Aquarium Aquaworld
Aquarium Aquaworld

Hersonissos boasts another interesting place, which can be attributed to both entertainment and attractions. This is an aquarium located at 7 Filikis Eterias / Hersonissos Port.

This is a very small aquarium that will be interesting to visit for children. The staff there are very friendly, give hold on hand python, turtles, reptiles. In general, a good mood and many diverse photos in memory of Malia, the island of Crete and Greece are provided.

  • A ticket for adults costs 8 €, for children – 4 €.
  • Entrance for visitors is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:15.

Attractions Malia

Fans of attractions will also appreciate this small city in Greece on the island of Crete: in Malia, more precisely in the Old Town, there are many interesting things. For example, the church of St. Dimitrios, the Venetian church of St. John, the church of St. Nectarios. It’s nice to just walk along the narrow streets of the Old Town, where there are pretty houses with beautiful blue doors, with shutters on the windows and curly flowers on the balconies, where there are small taverns with live music.

But still, the most significant sights of Malia are located in the vicinity of this famous resort of Greece.

Palace of Malia
Palace of Malia

The ruins of the Malian Palace are 3 km from the resort – you can easily get there on foot or take a bus from the center of Malia in just 10 minutes.

Entrance 6 € per person. Excursion service is not provided, tourists themselves walk among the excavations, guided only by schemes and brief signatures in English.

This landmark of Greece is noteworthy in that it is in the form in which it was found during excavations, that is, without reconstruction. There is no palace as such, mainly meter-long contours of ancient large structures and several restored vases the size of a person’s height. Some of the excavations are in the open, some are under a canopy.

By the way, excavations are ongoing, and who knows what other attractions will be found here.

Open Air Museum “Lychnostatis”

Vacationers at Malia resort, among other attractions of the island of Crete, can visit the open air museum “Lichnostatis”, which is located near the city of Hersonissos (address: Plaka, Hersonissos 700 14).

Open Air Museum "Lychnostatis"

This attraction works all days of the week except Saturday from 9:00 to 14:00. It is best to go to the opening, because by 11:00 a lot of people are gathering there.

Visit to the Lychnostatis Museum

Entrance ticket costs 5 €, for an additional fee you can take an audio guide in Russian.

Museum “Lichnostatis” – one of the most colorful and visited attractions in Greece. Its exhibits allow you to learn the customs and features of life of the inhabitants of Crete, introduce the history of the development of culture. The most interesting expositions are the reconstruction of a traditional Greek farm, weaving and pottery workshops, distillery. In a small cinema, they show a film about the history and life of Crete.

The garden adjoins the museum, walking through which you can get acquainted with the rich local flora.

Beaches

Can there be a resort town in Greece without a beach? In Malia on the island of Crete there are many of them, it remains only to choose the most suitable.

Potamos Beach
Potamos Beach

At a distance of 2 km east of the port of Malia, not far from the famous attraction – the ruins of the Malian palace, is not too crowded Potamos beach. This is a spacious beach with large golden white sand, good entry into the sea and crystal clear water. A rocky ridge stretches out at some distance from the coast, and waves break on it – as a result, there is always calm and clear water without algae.

Beach food

The beach is equipped with everything necessary: ​​changing cabins, fresh water showers, dry closets (sometimes even with paper). For 6 € you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas for the whole day.

Nearby there is a cafe, several bars, a tent with fruits, and in the mornings there comes a van with ice cream, drinks and food (gyros, sandwiches).

Stalis Beach
Stalis Beach

The beach, the best and closest to Malia, on the island of Crete is considered the beach of Stalis (Stalis). It stretches along the central part of the settlement of the same name and is 4 km from the center of Malia.

A long and not too wide beach with a sandy bottom, although stones are found in some places. There is a gentle entry into the sea and very clear water; at the stones you can find crabs and even large sea turtles.

Beach Shower Stalis

Along the beach there are many cafes and restaurants with delicious food, almost all have a children’s menu.

By the way, it is in these establishments that you can rent deck chairs with umbrellas for 5-8 €. And in some restaurants (for example, Ocean, Irish Pub), visitors are given free of charge: you can order drinks and lie down to sunbathe.

Toilets are also in cafes; they are not on the beach separately. There are no changing cabins, there are only showers.

Boufos Beach
Boufos Beach

At some distance from Malia is the beach of Bufos, related to the resort graying of Sissi.

Its width is 60 m, the water is clean. The beach is pebble, entry into the water is pebbles and sand, but a little further the bottom is covered with large stones and outcrops of rock. If the wind blows harder, then large waves rise and swimming becomes dangerous. The depth from the coast gradually grows “along the chest”, then there is a rocky shallow, and then the depth sharply increases to 3-4 m.

On the beach there is a volleyball court, showers, a cafe and a bar, you can rent 2 sun loungers with an umbrella for 7 € for the whole day.

Video: Holidays in Malia in Crete.

Accommodation in Malia

The choice of housing in the city of Malia on the island of Crete is very large. The hotels of this resort (their number is about 100) have different stars and offer rooms of various price categories.

Room at Aparthotel Happy Days
Happy days

For example, for 20 € per night, you can rent a standard studio with two single beds at Happy Days Apart Hotel. The hotel is located in the heart of the Old Town of Malia, within walking distance of the best clubs and bars.

For 55 € you can stay in a standard double room, for example, in the family hotel 3 * Malia Mare.

Royal Heights Resort Apartments
Royal heights resort

Apartments, of course, will cost more. So, 200 € is a suite at 5 * Royal Heights Resort. This room has 1 bedroom with 2 single beds and a living room with a large sofa, which can sleep two children under 12 years old.

You need to consider: those who want to relax quietly, it is best to stay on the outskirts of Malia – there is no noise from parties and numerous discos.

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When is it better to come

Malia air temperature

The weather conditions in Malia are the same as in all the resorts of Crete, located on the coast of the Aegean Sea: in winter it is warm and humid, in summer it is hot.

The season in Malia, as in many Greek resorts, begins in April and ends at the end of October. Air temperature can reach + 35 ° C, water temperature is about + 25 ° C.

The warmest month in Malia is August, when the average daily temperature is about + 29.7 ° C, and the night temperature + 22.9 ° C. The sea warms up most of all also in August – an average of + 26.2 ° C.

In winter, in Malia (Crete) it is rainy but not cold: less than + 14 ° C.

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