Agios Nikolaos sits on the eastern coast of Crete in the Gulf of Mirabello — one of the most beautiful bays in the eastern Mediterranean — approximately 65 kilometres east of Heraklion Airport. The transfer takes around 55–65 minutes, which is longer than the north coast resorts but entirely manageable for the right type of guest. The drive east from Heraklion follows the coast through increasingly dramatic Cretan landscape before the Gulf of Mirabello opens up below you — one of those arrival moments that sets the tone for the holiday from the first hour.
The defining feature of Agios Nikolaos is Lake Voulismeni — a circular volcanic lake in the centre of the town, connected to the sea by a short channel and surrounded by restaurants and cafes on all sides. The lake creates a townscape unlike anything else in the Greek islands: boats moored on the channel, the surrounding hills reflected in the water, and the ease of walking from the lakeside to the harbour to the beach within a few minutes. It is a genuinely attractive town in a way that most Greek resort bases are not.
The beaches around Agios Nikolaos are varied in character. The town beaches — Kitroplatia and Ammos — are small and sandy, pleasant for a morning swim but limited in scale. The more impressive beaches are a short drive away: Almyros, a long sandy beach south of the town, and the beaches around Elounda and Plaka to the north offer considerably more space and even cleaner water. Eleni considers the Gulf of Mirabello one of the most beautiful stretches of sea in the whole of Crete — the combination of the deep blue of the gulf, the island of Spinalonga in the distance and the surrounding Cretan mountains creates a landscape that the crowded north coast simply cannot match.
Spinalonga Island — the former Venetian fortress and, more recently, one of Europe’s last active leper colonies, immortalised in Victoria Hislop’s novel The Island — is one of the most visited historical sites in Crete and is easily accessible by boat from Agios Nikolaos or nearby Elounda. For guests with any interest in the history of the island, a boat trip to Spinalonga is one of the most memorable half-day excursions available anywhere in Crete.
The hotel offer in and around Agios Nikolaos leans towards the upmarket end of the spectrum. The Elounda area, a few kilometres north of the town, is home to some of the most prestigious luxury hotels in Greece — the Elounda Beach Hotel, the Blue Palace and the Daios Cove among them — properties that attract an international luxury clientele and consistently rank among the finest resort hotels in the Mediterranean. For guests whose budget allows it, an Elounda-based holiday from Agios Nikolaos represents a genuinely exceptional level of Greek island luxury.
One honest note: Agios Nikolaos is further east than most Crete north coast resorts and the transfer from Heraklion is longer. The all inclusive offer here is more limited than in Hersonissos or Rethymno, and the town beach is small. Guests whose primary requirements are a large all inclusive resort, a long sandy beach and a short airport transfer will find the north coast resorts more suitable. Agios Nikolaos is for guests who want Crete at its most beautiful, most atmospheric and most different from the standard package resort experience.
For luxury Crete holidays, Agios Nikolaos holidays from the UK or Crete package holidays — book through GotoBeach with full ATOL protection under licence #11211, low deposits from £30 per person and the honest advice of someone who was born on this island.
