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- Crete
- Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos (or Áyios Nikólaos), about 43 miles (69km) east
of Heraklion, was formerly known as a holiday destination for
package-tour groups but is now a cosmopolitan resort with high
standards of harbour-side café-bars and top quality restaurants.
The night clubs and karaoke bars are a thing of the past in this
relaxed, yet busy, town.
Ideal for couples of all ages, Agios Nikolaos is an excellent
base from which to explore the eastern part of the island while on
holiday. The town itself does not boast any major historical or
archaeological sites, but it does have one major curiosity: the
deep pool in the environs of the harbour, called Lake Voulismeni,
has many tales and legends attached to it, and was once believed to
be bottomless.
Ágios Nikólaos also has a fine Archaeological Museum, worth
visiting while on holiday for its growing collection of Minoan
artefacts. The museum houses finds from the cemetery of Aghia
Photia, dating back to 2300 BC, including more than 1,500 vases.
Besides all the Minoan finds the museum also has the skull of a
young Roman athlete wearing a gold olive-leaf wreath, dated to the
1st century AD.
Many visitors on holiday in Ágios Nikólaos take the excursions
to the fortified islet of Spinalónga to see the ruins of, and hear
the fascinating story of what became the last leper colony in
Europe.
Information & Facts
Activities
The area around the Agios Nikolaos resort is ideal for hiking,
and the coastline lends itself to the pursuit of all kinds of
watersports to appeal to just about every kind of holiday visitor.
Almyros Beach, a 20-minute walk from town, is pleasant and sandy,
and there are a number of pebble beaches to choose from on windy
days. The various hotels in the resort have swimming pools,
basketball, volleyball and tennis courts. The town council
organises a programme of cultural events each summer season.
Language
Greek is the national language, but English is widely
spoken.
Money
The Euro (EUR) is the official currency, divided into 100 cents.
Banks and bureaux de change are widely available and travellers
cheques and major credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs are
widespread and are generally the cheapest and most convenient
method of obtaining euros.
Negatives
Restaurants and tavernas down by the harbour tend to be pricy
and party animals will be disappointed with the limited nightlife
options in Agios Nikolaos.
Night Life
Ágios Nikólaos used to be famous for its bar culture when
thousands of holidaymakers would flock here every year for a good
party. Today, it still maintains a few 'touristy' bars serving up
the traditional mix of 80s disco music, and a couple of
British-style pubs and sports bars. The more modern and relaxed
café bars on the south side of the harbour tend to attract more
customers nowadays and are popular with the locals as well as
tourists.
Restaurants
The Agios Nikolaos lake area is full of tourist-orientated
tavernas that charge more for the location than the quality of the
food. Aggressive waiters will often try to pull you into the
restaurants on the lake and firm 'No' is often required. 9 Muses,
Psaraki and Knossos Taverna are consistently good. For meze (small
dishes of different foods) Xryssofilo (Kitroplatia) is hard to
beat. For northern European variety try Obelix, a Dutch run
restaurant near Ammoudi beach.
Shopping
Good clothing and shoe shops, as well as high-quality jewellery
stores are available in Agios Nikolaos and holidaymakers won't be
disappointed. The street market (Wednesdays from 7am to 12pm) is a
good place to rummage with the locals for clothes and bargains. The
top end of the market is a great place to buy traditional
foodstuffs and local thyme honey, herbs, fruit and vegetables.