Agios Nikolaos

Agios Nikolaos (or simply Agios, as locals use to call it) is the smallest city of Crete but for some the most beautiful. The main characteristic of the city is Voulismeni Lake. It is a small lagoon, around which the entire city is built.

Many ancient legends reference Voulismeni Lake of Agios Nikolaos. But some contemporary ones as well, an urban legend says that this lake has not bottom or that it is linked underground with the volcano of Santorini (during the last upheaval, lake waters blew up). They also say that in the bottom of the lake there is German war equipment from the Second World War.

There is no way to know for sure whether these stories are real. What we do know is that the city of Agios Nikolaos owes most of its current beauty and charm to Voulismeni Lake.

If you do come to Agios Nikolaos, do not miss Spinaloga. It is the island where lepers were "exiled" in the past years – and this is definitely not a legend but a shocking reality. Today, the buildings and the houses where the lepers used to live in are considered archaeological sites. There are regular routes to and from the island from Elounda.