Maleme

Maleme (Greek Μάλεμε) is a town and airport 16km to the west of Chania, in North Western Crete, Greece. It is located in Platanias municipality, in Chania prefecture.

Maleme is best known as the place where German paratroopers first attacked Crete in 1941, at the start of the Battle of Crete of World War II. They captured the airstrip that was located just outside the town. Many lost their life in the attack and are buried in the German war cemetery located on a hill above Maleme. There are many stories of Cretan peasants attacking and killing paratroopers with their farming tools, walking sticks and even their bare hands.

There are 4465 German Soldier graves, the second largest in Greece (the largest in Athens with the graves of more than 10000 Germans).

A Late Minoan tholos tomb has been discovered in the vicinity of Maleme.

The modern town has a few large hotels and several pleasant apartments close to the beach and some bars and a discotheque at the western end. The beach is made of fine pebbles and is popular though often less crowded than the beaches of Gerani, Agia Marina and Platanias.

Minoan Crete Map