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Agios Nikolaos
Tourist information - Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos Crete is set around a supposedly bottomless salt lake, now connected to the sea to form an inner harbour. It is supremely picturesque and has some style and charm, which it exploits to the full. There are no sights as such but the excellent archeological museum (Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm;) and an interesting folk museum (daily except Sat 10am-1.30pm & 7-9.30pm;) are both worth seeking out. The lake and port are surrounded by restaurants and bars, which charge above the odds, and whilst the resort is still very popular, some tourists are distinctly surprised to find themselves in a place with no decent beach at all.
There are swimming opportunities further north however, where the pleasant low-key resort of Elounda is the gateway to the mysterious islet of Spinalonga , and some great backcountry to the north - perfect to explore on a scooter. Inland from Áyios Nikólaos, Kritsá with its famous frescoed church and textile sellers is a tour-bus haven, but just a couple of kilometres away, the imposing ruins of ancient Lató are usually deserted.
At least when it comes to eating there's no chance of missing out, even if some of the prices are fancier than the restaurants. There are tourist-oriented tavernas all around the lake and harbour and little to choose between them, apart from the different perspectives you get on the passing fashion show. Have a drink here perhaps, or a mid-morning coffee, and choose somewhere else to eat. The places around the Kitroplatía are generally fairer value, but again you are paying for the location.
After you've eaten you can get into the one thing which Ayios Nikolaos undeniably does well: bars and nightlife . Not that you really need a guide to this - the bars are hard to avoid, and you can just follow the crowds to the most popular places centred around the harbour and 25-Martíou. For a more relaxed drink you could try Hotel Alexandros on Paleológou (behind the tourist office), with a rooftop cocktail bar overlooking the lake, which after dark metamorphoses into a 1960s to 1980s period music bar. A similar pace rules at Zygos on the north side of the lake which serves low-priced cocktails and ices until the small hours. One curiosity worth a look in the harbour itself is Armida, a bar inside a beautifully restored century-old wooden trading vessel, serving cocktails and simple mezedhes.
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