Agios Niκolaos
This city has it all: a beautiful city centre, numerous attractions, magnificent beaches and an authentic Cretan flavour. Agios Nikolaos exudes a majestic aura that is rarely found in other destinations, and it is precisely for this reason that it is immediately appealing.
Take a stroll through the city centre with its elegant neoclassical buildings, travel further north to the cosmopolitan Elounda, take a trip to the nearby villages of Sitia and Ierapetra, and visit the many archaeological sites as you travel back in time (see map of Agios Nikolaos).

Inexperienced visitors can choose between two types of holiday: they can 'hang out' in the town centre and enjoy the nearby beaches, taking a leisurely stroll through the beautiful lanes, or they can show their curiosity and set out to explore the region's vast natural riches, visiting inaccessible gorges, archaeological sites and villages forgotten by time on the vast plateau.

The ultimate expression of Agios Nikolaos' charm and a must-see starting point, the famous Voulismeni lake, it is connected to the picturesque port by a link to the sea.

If you head away from the centre of Agios Nikolaos, starting from the towns of Sitia in the north and Ierapetra in the south (see map of Agios Nikolaos), you can visit beautiful beaches, magical islands in the south and famous archaeological sites. They're all well worth a visit if you're planning a long stay in Crete.

From the tourist resort of Elounda, you can visit the historic islet of Spinalonga, it was here that the lepers of Crete were isolated from 1903 to 1957. It was perfectly fortified by the Venetians, both in terms of its construction and architecture and the aesthetics of the overall landscape, which still retains its unrivalled beauty today.

Panagia KeraThe most famous Byzantine monument in Crete (13th-14th century) is the Church of the Virgin Mary, one kilometre east of the village of Kritsa. It is a three-aisled church, with the central nave topped by a dome depicting the Virgin Mary.

The Monastery historical and fortified  of Toplou is one of the richest and most important monasteries in Crete. It is located 10 km from Sitia, before Vai (for bus links, see website). KTEL)

Other attractions, the beautiful Vai beach, in an exotic forest of palm trees, the bay, at the end of the world, of Kato Zakrosthe arid landscapes of Xerokambos, between the sea and the mountains, theChrissi island (Gaidouronisi) opposite Ierapetra ... (see map of Agios Nikolaos)