Agios Nikolaos, Spinalonga island
Agios Nikolaos, in the east of Crete, is a small town of 20,000 inhabitants, in the splendid Mirabello Bay. , the cosmopolitan capital of eastern Crete, often compared to το γαλλικό Saint-Tropez. In the centre of this seaside town, the port and the small circular lake of The Voulismeni lake are a meeting point for Cretans and tourists alike. 10 km north of Agios Nikolaos, the village of Elounda, Crete, luxury tourist destination, and, opposite, the famous island of Spinalonga, with its beautiful Venetian fortifications. (see « Agios Nikolaos city » of our blog)
How to get there
Agios Nikolaos has no airport, so you have to go via Heraklion, an hour's drive away. It can also be reached by boat from Piraeus but the connection is not direct. There are several stopovers in the Cyclades and the journey takes over 15 hours. On the other hand, the connection by boat with Karpathos and Rhodes the link is direct and very interesting (for buses, see KTEL)
To know, to visit, to do
In recent years, Agios Nikolaos has developed into a fashionable seaside resort, its main assets being the beautiful beaches in the vicinity, its tranquillity during the day, its oriental charm and, at night, its lively nightlife.
To visit in the surroundings
, a popular seaside place with luxury hotels and beaches. Panagia Kera, a remarkable white Byzantine church in the middle of olive trees. And, finally, to visit the island of Spinalonga, a beautiful Venetian citadel but also a place of exile for lepers until 1957. Victoria Hislop's best-selling novel "The Island of the Forgotten", translated into 30 countries, described the lives of its unfortunate inhabitants, isolated on the island, during the first half of the 20th century.
Restaurants
Karnagio (12-20€), family atmosphere and local cuisine. Gioma mézé (12-20€), Cretan cuisine and beautiful views of Lake Voulismeni.
