Malia is two things in Crete at once: a beach resort known for loud nights, and the site of a Minoan palace that is nearly four thousand years old. The first palace was built around 1900 BC, destroyed by an earthquake or invaders, rebuilt about 1650 BC and then destroyed again around 1450 BC, the same wave of disasters that ended Minoan power across the island. It was excavated by French archaeologists from the 1920s, after a local scholar, Joseph Hatzidakis, had begun work in 1915. It is the third in size of Crete's great palaces, after Knossos and Phaistos.
What you see today is a maze of low walls, storerooms and big pithoi, the huge storage jars, with a wide central court once used for ceremonies. In the west court stands a strange stone disc, the kernos, with hollows around the rim, perhaps used for offerings of grain or oil, and its purpose remains a mystery. The setting is a flat plain between the mountains and the sea, planted with olives, so you can almost hear the sea from the ruins.
Malia town itself, with about four thousand permanent residents, swells in summer with holidaymakers, and has fuel, supermarkets, tavernas and bars. The old town, a short walk from the beach, is quieter, with traditional houses and cafés. Agios Nikolaos, to the east, is a prettier town with a lake in the middle, and Heraklion, the capital, is about thirty-five kilometres west. Order Cretan food, such as dakos, a rusk with tomato and cheese, and lamb with wild greens.
The roads are excellent for riding. The old national road along the coast is busy, but inland, the road climbs toward the Lasithi Plateau, a high plain ringed by mountains and once dotted with white-sailed windmills, which used to pump water for crops. The climb is a series of hairpins through olive and almond groves, with huge views. Summer is hot, so ride early, while spring brings wildflowers and autumn gives warm, soft light. Meltemi winds in July and August can be strong on exposed ridges, so keep a firm grip.