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Malia, 36 km east of Heraklion, is one of Crete’s biggest
package holiday resorts.
Besides the tourist character of Malia a visitor could also enjoy a
very interesting archeological tour to the Palace of Malia. As the
sea breeze moves through the rose bays the dazzling sun rays light
the Minoan Palace of Malia, the third most important Minoan site of
the Prefecture. The Minoan name for the Palace is not known and it
takes its name from a local town. The first palace to be constructed
on the site was built around 1900 BCE. Little is known of this
palace though some finds from the Old Palace period attest to the
wealth of the Old Palace at Malia. This palace was later destroyed,
probably by an earthquake. The first attempt to excavate the site
was made in 1915 by Joseph Hadzidakis but the full excavation of the
Palace and much of the surrounding town was conducted by the French
Archaeological School under F. Chapouthier and are still continuing
today.
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The Minoan Palace of Malia is situated 3 km east
of the town, with an interminable range of large resort hotels, pensions and
apartments. Its long sandy beaches are most of the times crowded and its many
discos, bars and cafes host young people determined to spend unforgettable
holidays. The city consists of two parts, the north and the south divided by the
main road Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos. Along the beach road (one km towards the
sea) you will find many restaurants serving international and Greek cuisine,
cafes, several stores, souvenir shops and the majority of nightclubs and bars.
However, the best places to eat are in the old town, beside the church of Agios
Demetrios.
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