THE GARDEN
With a backdrop of wild Malian flora, palm trees, endless cacti, Indian figs and local banana trees, framing each vantage
point at the hotel, Cretan Malia Park’s botanical gardens, through which tours are available, play a significant role in the layout
and design of the hotel. Dutifully maintained by the hotel’s own in-house team of gardeners, the deluge of plants offers
a unique reference point and source of inspiration for the hotel’s architecture and style.
Intrinsic to Cretan Malia Park’s concept is its embrace of Cretan tradition; an approach that not only applies
to the food served but one that also extends to a consideration of where the food itself comes from.
Case in point, the hotel’s on-site vegetable and herb garden, where produce destined for any one of the hotel’s food
outlets is cultivated. Tended to by an in-house team, the gardens harvest seasonal crops that include pomegranates,
aubergines, onions, tomatoes and peppers, amongst other vegetables and fruits.
A stone’s throw away and two herb garden, one shaded by an immense olive tree, grow sage, oregano and rosemary,
as well as local herbs like the revered diktamos.
The beauty of Crete’s nature and the local flora are reflected in the outdoor spaces of our environmentally conscious resort.
Cretan Malia Park spreads amongst beautiful gardens which were meticulously planted over the last 40 years.
Benefiting from Malia’s fertile clay-colored soil and excellent climate, the gardens flourish with fragrant flowers, local aromatic
herbs and indigenous plants; locusts, mulberries, fig and banana trees draft the med-exotic natural landscape.
Tall palm trees – a common tree on Europe’s southmost island – from an impressive pathway to the entrance. The rocky cactuses’
garden by the Almyra restaurant, featuring the common-to-the island Indian figs and an array of succulent plants with different
textures, size and flowering, bring in images of the steep slopes and cliffs of the island. Malia is well-known all-around Greece
for the local bananas production. Smaller in size and extremely aromatic fruits grow on the resort’s banana trees.
A deep-pink colored bougainvillea ornaments the entrance of the resort, while two aged olive trees planted at the entrance round-about,
offer a heartfelt welcome to guests. Olive trees here are very much associated to the Cretan spirit; they grow by the sea, under the intense
Cretan sun, on the island’s fertile soils are strongly linked to the unruly and upstanding, yet kind and wise Cretan soul.
As part of our dedicated to the Mediterranean Responsible Living and regeneration practices, a conscious effort has been made
in the last 2 years to replace any non-endemic plants and trees with native to the eastern part of the island species.
Set amidst lush Mediterranean gardens, Cretan Malia Park offers guests the opportunity to learn about the island’s floral heritage.
Join our head gardener on a tour through our beautiful grounds and learn about a world of hundreds of indigenous species,
providing a splendid overview of what you can expect to see as you explore the island of Crete. As part of Cretan Malia Park’s
sustainability and conservation ethos, we regularly organize environmental workshops, among other things carrying out recycling
activities and cleaning initiatives – come join our efforts!
