Sandstrände

Malia Beach

Chersonissos, Heraklion · Free

Route

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

Organised

Gut organisiert

Atmosphere

Party & Beachbars

Characteristics

Activities

Wassersport

Facilities

About

Long sandy beach with shallow water and the busiest nightlife strip on Crete behind it.

Malia beach is part of a long stretch of sand that runs from Stalida all the way east. The water is shallow and clear, there are sunbeds everywhere and the beach bars keep the music going all day. Behind the party strip there is still an old village with narrow lanes, and the Minoan palace of Malia is just a few kilometres away.

Malia is the name most people connect with nightlife in Crete. The bar street behind the beach is loud and busy from June to September, mostly with young holidaymakers. During the day, though, the beach is simply a long, easy stretch of golden sand with shallow water, sunbeds, watersports and beach bars, and it's perfectly pleasant for anyone.

Don't miss the other side of Malia. The old village south of the main road has whitewashed lanes, small churches and traditional tavernas where life goes on at a slower pace. A few kilometres east lies the Minoan palace of Malia, one of the big three palaces of Crete, right next to the sea. A morning at the palace followed by an afternoon on the quieter Potamos beach is a good way to see the best of the area.

Around Chersonissos

North coast, on the Cretan Sea
Nearest town: Malia, about 1 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 34 km by road

Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion