Enorme Ammos Beach
Malia - End of Dimokratias Str. Beach Road, Malia
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Approximately 7 km from Hersonissos, the nightlife capital of Crete, is another beach resort beloved by young people from all over Europe: Malia.
With a long boulevard lined with clubs that are open until dawn and others that open at dawn, Malia offers non-stop entertainment 24 hours a day made up of clubs, disco pubs, beach bars to which theme parties and foam parties are added. Not enough for you? You can hop aboard a party boat and rock out to music on the high seas.
So far it is the Malia that everyone knows, but this town in north-eastern Crete is also worth considering for quieter holidays.
Thanks to its location between Agios Nikolaos and Heraklion, it is an excellent base for exploring the island of Crete: the island’s capital can be reached by motorway in less than 30 minutes, and other important tourist resorts can be reached comfortably.
Without moving from Malia, it is possible to see a necropolis along the coast and the remains of an important Minoan Palace1 (the third largest on the island, after the most famous ones at Knossos and Phaistos); nearby, at Marmara, there are also remains from the Romanesque period, including a 6th century basilica.
Two other good reasons to choose Malia as a holiday destination are the presence of a beautiful city beach with all amenities and the large number of accommodation options to choose from, with something to suit all tastes and budgets.
Malia Beach2 is located to the west of the old town, in the modern part of the city. It is a beach of fine golden sand about 3 km long, with alternating free and equipped areas, washed by a clean blue sea with calm waters.
The eastern part of the beach is generally quieter and recommended for those who want to snorkel due to the presence of some rocky stretches (shallow and not dangerous). The western part is busier, suitable for those who want entertainment and water sports: here you will find all the facilities, beach bars, a diving centre and numerous sports equipment rentals.
The seabed is shallow and gently sloping, so Malia beach is also suitable for inexperienced swimmers and families with small children.
For a less crowded beach, move to Potamos3, beyond the harbour in an easterly direction: it is another beautiful sandy beach, but less developed than the city beach of Malia. For more beaches for young people, however, you can go to Hersonissos or Stalis.
The nightlife area in Malia is basically one, namely a pedestrian avenue about 1.5 km long leading down to the beach known as ‘The Strip’: this is where most of Malia’s nightclubs are concentrated. It is a street that sleeps during the day and wakes up when the sun goes down, coming fully alive when it gets dark and the sky is lit up by an uninterrupted succession of colourful neon lights.
Despite its name, ‘The Strip’ is by no means a red light district; there is only one lap dance club, often frequented by groups celebrating a bachelor party.
In many of Malia’s clubs and disco pubs, entry is free (you only pay for a drink), so it is very common to have a ‘pub crawl’ in the English style, i.e. to spend the evening going from one club to another. Among the most popular clubs in Malia are Candy Club4, Corkers Nightclub5, Apollo6 and Zig Zag Club and Lounge7.
As far as music is concerned, Malia cannot be described as a trend-setter (as is the case in Europe’s best-known party destinations such as Ibiza or Mykonos), but it certainly knows how to pick up on them.
In the discos of Malia you can listen to the hits of the moment, but also to less commercial genres such as techno, trance, r&b, d&b and rock, or dance the night away to 80s, 90s and 00s hits.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
The city is divided in two by the main road: the inland part is the historical centre; the coastal part is the more modern part, where hotels and nightclubs are concentrated. It is important to choose where to stay in Malia according to the type of holiday you want to have or you risk turning a dream holiday into a nightmare.
If you come to Malia for its legendary nightlife, it is best to stay in the centre of the action. Look for your accommodation in the coastal area, which is full of modern hotels, flats and resorts, built as a result of tourism development.
If you want a quiet holiday, absolutely avoid the disco area, which is only recommended for those who come here in search of unbridled fun. Look for accommodation in the old town centre, where there is a concentration of small hotels, B&Bs and holiday homes suitable for couples or family holidays. You can also look along the coast, but it is better to move a couple of kilometres away from the new town centre.
Being a popular tourist resort, Malia offers a wide variety of accommodation and choosing can be a little difficult. We have selected for you the best hotels in Malia for location, value for money and charm; our list of recommended establishments includes beautiful seaside hotels, luxurious 5-star hotels and resorts with every comfort and service.
Instead of a classic hotel holiday, do you prefer the freedom of a flat? Don’t worry, you don’t have to waste time searching either. We have selected the best flats in Malia: among our suggestions there are good-value accommodations suitable for groups of friends, families or couples.
Malia is located along the northern coast of Crete, in the eastern part of the island. Theairport of Heraklion is about 30 km to the west; a few kilometres further on is Heraklion, the island's capital and the third most important port in Greece.
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