Travel Guide > Crete > Lasithi > Agios Nikolaos

Agios Nikolaos is a beautiful, picturesque town full of traditional charm that lies on the north coast of Crete, 65 km east of Heraklion and 10 km south of Elounda. The resort overlooks the sheltered blue waters of Mirabello Bay and is backed by mountains leading to Lasithi Plateau.

It is a quiet seaside resort that is enjoyed by families with children and couples alike, crammed full of atmospheric cafés, charming little shops and enticing eateries around a small lake.

Founded as the ancient port of Lato, it lay abandoned for centuries and was only resettled as a fishing village in 1870. Today it is one of Crete largest holiday resorts. The town centres around Lake Voulismeni, a small circular  harbour-lake, which according to local myth is bottomless, edged with open-air cafes, bars, shops and tavernas and a yachting marina where you can really unwind in laid-back style here. Shopaholics will love popping in and out of the chic boutiques and jewellery shops.There are numerous beaches close by, many of which have been awarded the European Blue Flag for cleanliness.

From the town harbour, daily excursion boats depart for the extraordinary island of Spinalonga, opposite Elounda, which was fortified by the Venetians in the 17th century to protect the Cretan coast against the Turks, then used as leper colony from 1913 to 1957.