Another tourist resort of Heraklion, known for its history as well as its natural beauty, is Malia. The area offers notable tourist infrastructure, including luxury hotels, rental apartment complexes, numerous tavernas and restaurants where you can taste traditional cuisine, and bars playing all kinds of music to satisfy every taste. Malia Beach, with its vast sandy shore, attracts many visitors. It is well-organized and offers opportunities for water sports. In Malia, you can also visit another important archaeological site: the Minoan palace built during the same period as Knossos. It covers an area of 12,000 sq.m., and the ruins of other surrounding residences have also been excavated.