Lassithi Agios Nikolaos

More about Agios Nikolaos

Brief history

The present-day town is built on the site of the ancient Lato pros Kamara, the port of the mountainous Doric city of Lato. Lato pros Kamara flourished during the Hellenistic times, and excavations have revealed a number of statues, inscriptions and tombs. The grave goods are now exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos, along with the other findings.

During the early Byzantine period, Kamara continued to be a significant center, while, in the early 13th century, it came under the control of the Genoese and the Venetians, who constructed a fort on the site of the current Prefectural building. It is to this fort, which was known as Castro Mirabelli, that Mirabello Bay owes its name. Unfortunately, the fort was destroyed in the 17th century, during the war between the Venetians and the Ottomans, and it was never rebuilt. During the Ottoman era, the town was deserted and was only resettled in the 19th century.

What to see and do

Today, Agios Nikolaos has developed into one of the most popular tourist resorts in Crete and constitutes the commercial center of Lassithi.

In this attractive town, traditional houses blend harmoniously with neoclassical buildings, whereas the port of Agios Nikolaos is ideal for relaxing and romantic walks, especially at night. On Cape Nisi (or Mpourouni), visitors will find a 13th-century chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas, which gave the city its current name.

The landmark of the town is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, Lake Voulismeni, a small lagoon that lies in the very heart of Agios Nikolaos. The lagoon is connected to the port via a canal that was opened in 1870 and is surrounded by a plethora of myths. According to the most ancient of them, it was a favorite spot of the goddesses Artemis and Athena, who used to bathe in its waters, while the most recent ones claim that it is bottomless or that it is linked to the Santorini volcano. The latter urban legend emerged after the volcano’s last eruption, which caused the waters of the lake to rise and dead fish to appear on its surface. A lovely park overlooking the lagoon is a great spot for enjoying panoramic views of the whole town.

Another awesome site whose history fascinates both visitors and locals is the island of Spinalonga, which lies to the north of Agios Nikolaos and used to function as a leper colony till 1957. With its stone-built castle, this rocky islet looks like a fortress floating on the azure waters of Elounda Bay, so boat tours regularly depart from the ports of Agios Nikolaos, Elounda and Plaka.

The islets of Agioi Pantes and Faros also lend themselves to a highly rewarding experience, as they have been declared preservation areas for the protection of the famous kri kri Cretan wild goat. Though the two islands lie so close to one another, they are a living lesson in natural history, as the flora and fauna species they house have followed a different evolutionary course.