Polichrono
from £ 254 pp
View All DealsMaleme holidays sort you out with a lovely and peaceful beach, a short shuffle west from historic Chania Town.
Maleme’s name comes from ‘malama’, meaning gold. And that’s what it struck with its beautiful beach. One of Crete’s liveliest cities, Chania Town, is only half an hour’s drive. But most of the beach-seeking city slickers plonk themselves on closer towns and villages, like Platanias, leaving Maleme’s beach chilled and crowd-free.
This place deserves a pat on the back for its beach. It’s a pretty mix of white pebbles and sand. You’ve got your usual line-up of cafés and sunbeds on half of it, but the western front goes au natural – bar a few trees for shade. Divers are in luck, too – a German plane sunk just off-shore during World War Two.
Tucked behind the town, there’s a German war cemetery dedicated to the soldiers killed during the Battle of Crete in 1941. That’s because Maleme was the location of a failed German airborne assault. It’s worth popping your head into the ancient Vaulted Tomb on the way, too. Or you can overdose on history in Chania Town, which has serious Italian vibes.
Our top deals tailored to you, straight to your inbox Sign up for offers
Holiday Types
Mid/Long haul
Short Haul
Popular Destinations
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and National Travel Health Network and Centre have up-to-date advice on staying safe and healthy abroad.
See gov.uk/travelaware and follow @FCDOtravelGovUK on Twitter and Facebook.com/FCDOtravel - for the latest general FCDO travel advice, including coronavirus travel guidance, security and local laws, and passport and visa information.
See gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice - for FCDO travel advice about individual destinations.
Sign up for FCDO travel advice email alerts, so you automatically receive the latest travel advice updates and travel requirements for the destinations you want to know about.
See Travel Aware page - for travel advice from First Choice.
See travelhealthpro.org.uk - for current travel health news.
The advice can change so check regularly for updates.
All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Some of the flights on this website are also financially protected by the ATOL scheme, but ATOL protection does not apply to all flights. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each flight before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk. ATOL protection does not apply to the other holiday and travel services listed on this website..