Places of Interest

Lato

Visit Lato, one of the most important city-states in Dorian Crete (1100 – 700BC) with substantial economic power and let the beautiful panoramic view of the area and of Agios Nikolaos sink in on you.

The archaeological site of Lato dates from Dorian period Crete and provides a beautiful panoramic view of the area and partially of Agios Nikolaos. Lato, named after Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis, grew into one of the most important city-states in Dorian Crete, although it must have existed before the coming of the Dorians. It is built on a saddle between two hills, a location that protected it from possible attacks but that also blessed it with a splendid view over a large area of the Bay of Mirabello. The harbour of the city was Lato pros Kamara (today’s Aghios Nikolaos), which was so flourishing by the middle of the 2nd century A.D. that the administrative centre was transferred there and thus Lato was gradually abandoned. Before the end of the 3rd century B.C., the inhabitants of Lato participated in the League of the Cretan cities and shared the same laws. However, they were in continuous conflict with the neighbouring city of Olous, for the arrangement of the borders between them.

Upland Plateau of Katharo

Sixteen km west of Kritsa and at an altitude of 1150m, is the upland plateau of Kritsa. Smaller than the plateau of Lassithi, it covers a surface area of some 15,000 acres and is crop-cultivated and covered with vineyards and orchards, home to flocks of thousands of sheep and goats.

Panagia Kera / Kritsa

Kritsa is one of the oldest and most charming villages around. Mostly known for its embroidery, it has its own charm beyond its tourist face. Explore the alleys in the old village, admire the little churches and watch women do needlework, sitting outside their homes.

Lake Voulismeni

Still Waters Run Deep...

Prey to fantastic stories, many a man in Agios Nikolaos believes the lake to be bottomless. Allegedly, sea researcher Jacques Cousteau dived the lake and could not find the bottom; In World War II German soldiers are said to have thrown tanks and cannons into the lake that were never found; A truck that accidentally ran into the lake years ago just disappeared;

In 1956, after Santorini’s last volcanic eruption, dead deep-sea fish turned up in the lake out of nowhere. This strengthened the fantastic theory that the lake should be connected underground with the sea, or even with Santorini itself. Never a dull moment with us Cretans! The English Captain Spratt is said to have it had measured in the nineteenth century and found it to be exactly 64m deep. He’s probably right!

The lake’s various names include Xepatoméni ("the bottomless"), Voulisméni ("the sunken") and Vromolimni ("smelly lake"). This last name holds a nucleus of truth, as until 1867 it used to be stagnant and gave off a stinky smell, especially in summer. This stopped when a canal was built that linked it with the sea.

Archaeological museum of Agios Nikolaos

The archaeological museum of Agios Nikolaos holds extremely rich finds from Eastern Crete and Malia and takes you from the Neolithic period past Minoan, Geometric and Classical/Hellenistic times into the Roman period.

Spinalonga

A strategic stronghold in Venetian times, the fortress of Spinalonga was built in 1579 to defend any approach to the Gulf of Mirabello. It appears to have been impregnable: the fortress was handed over to the Ottomans only by treaty in 1715, some fifty years after the rest of the island was subdued.