Malia Palace Archaeological Site — Attraction in Municipality of Agios Nikolaos

Great for archaeology lovers, it's cool to see and it's way less crowded than e.g. Knossos. Tickets are €6 so definitely a great price.

There is a museum at the start with a lot of information, however it is a bit overwhelming especially considering you have to remember it for the rest of the site, since there aren't any signs at the places themselves.

Besides, it is written in an academic way, meaning you have to be very good at English, know archaeological terms and have a broad understanding of the Minoan period. In my opinion it would be better to put simpler signs at the excavations.

At the site there's a cafe with a very nice lady where you can get a nice glass of fresh juice.

So I mostly recommend it for people who are into archaeology, but it's also a fun day for anyone who wants to see some old ruins. You just have to look up some information beforehand and have Google at hand so you can look words up. I also recommend taking pictures of the signs so you can...

A vast Minoan Palace area with lots to see. Not as magnificent as Knossos but then again, no crowds and the ticket price was 6 euros.

If you take a taksi from Maliá, it's 10 euros for one-way. It's about 3,5 km walk from Malia center. I don't know if there are buses to get there, but the Happy Train (Malia-Stalis-Hersonissos) stops there.

There's a very lovely beach just around the corner, the Potamos Beach. You could take a taxi to Malia Palace, explore it, then have a lunch in the nearby tavern and go to the beach.

The Palace is closed on Tuesdays and it's not open till late. So check out the timetables from the internet and/or call the Palace to make sure they're open.

Worth a visit for sure! You won't be disappointed, especially if you are into history.

Edit. For some unknown reason Google doesn't allow me to post pics from this site. Again, no logic found.

Edit.2. It seems I had to take the photos out and then add them again.. it seems to fix...

I'm so lucky to have been able to visit the site while I and my travel companion were the only two tourists to be found on site.

The Palace is large and impressive but offers nowhere near the same scale as Knossos, nor any of the impressive recò structions that give you an impression. Of what it could have been like.

Meandering around the site you are still greeted with that familiar sense of the archeologist or anthropologist in us all that asks "what's this, what was it for, and why is it here?“

However, if you are needing to decide which of the 4 Minoan palaces you'd like to visit then I'd Suggest Knossos. However, if you're like me and à history die-hard, then of course all four will be the correct course of action.

Happy hunting!

Pro-tip: look closely at the gravel as you walk as there are pieces of history literally gristling underfoot as you step and meander. The 4000 year old ostraca (pottery fragments)are littered all...