What’s there to do in Maleme, Crete?

Maleme is a quiet village on the island of Crete, surrounded by olive trees and vineyards, which is just how the small community likes it. Maleme is fairly new to tourism and holidaymakers, as it has remained a farming community for many years. However, this has changed with the advent of tourists and an infrastructure aimed at attracting a quieter type of holidaymaker.

Maleme Beach

If you’re looking for a relaxing day on the beach, Maleme certainly won’t disappoint. The road leading to the beach is extremely picturesque, with its lovely benches and streetlamps. In fact the town has two beaches, one has sand, sun loungers and water sports, and the other a shingle beach with less going on, but has plenty of pine trees generating some much needed shade.

There is a range of places to eat and drink that open early in the morning, allowing for a lazy breakfast. For livelier nightlife you will need to visit nearby Platanias that has a lot of bars and clubs, plus a more extensive range of shops.

As you might imagine the temperatures in Maleme are hot during the summer months, normally remaining in the 30s and you can all but bank on 12 hours of sunshine a day. You’ll hardly see any rain in July and August.

Visit Chania

Taking trips out to experience the surrounding areas is recommended. Chania is not far away, a lovely old town and harbour. The old quarter is filled with restaurants based in old Venetian buildings and the waterfront is ringed with busy bars.

Experience the neighbouring highlights

You can also visit neighbouring Kissamos, and take a boat to Gramvousa and Balos, beaches and lagoons with clear water and superb sand. They have spectacular geological formations and the flora here is especially lovely during the spring. Though we have to admit, one of the crowning glories of this area has to be a Venetian ruined castle.

There is also Elafonissi with its famous lagoon about an hour’s drive away or the Samaria Gorge for fit walkers who can cope with six hour hikes. The Gorge of Agia Irini runs down to nearby Sougia and a beautiful beach, which is a more leisurely experience.

There is a German war cemetery at Maleme, where over 4,000 German soldiers, most of whom were in their 20s, are buried. It sounds rather macabre but it is a moving experience, and one that shows that no sides win in a war.