Traces of habitation dating from Hellenistic and Roman times demonstrate the long history of the ancient city of Malla which began 2,500 years ago when the autonomous city-state was a power to be reckoned, and even had its own currency, troops and votive deities. Records from the Venetian period show it was the largest village in the Ierapetra region. Today the village has been renamed Malles and remains a charming village at an altitude of 600 m with a view of the Libyan Sea, surrounded by olive groves; olive oil production is in fact the main occupation of the residents.

The late Byzantine church of Agios Nikolaos, which bears an inscription from the 17th century, and the tiled roof church of the Panagia Mesohoritissa in the centre of the village, are well worth a visit, with wall paintings including evangelical scenes as well as scenes from the life of the Virgin.

Whether you are heading north (to Agios Nikolaos, Sitia) or south (to Ierapetra), Malles is an excellent base-camp for day trips to mountain or sea, yet one located far from bustling tourist traffic.