Myrtos is the location for two Minoan archaeological sites, at Fournou Korifi and Pyrgos, which provide evidence that the village and its environs have been inhabited since the neolithic period. There is also a Roman villa, although the ruins are now largely covered or lost due to coastal erosion and local building.
In Myrtos is a small museum, dedicated to the local history, which features a scale model of Fornou Korifi created by John Atkinson, a British potter resident in the village who is the current Museum Curator. Near the small village Mithi, about 3 miles (5 km) from Myrtos lies the Sarakina Gorge.