Agios Nikolaos – Holidays in Crete

This fashionable and quite sophisticated town named after St Nicholas is built around a small sweetwater lake. Local urban legend has it that Voulismeni Lake is bottomless and that the goddess Athena once bathed in its waters. But tales aside, the lakeside waterfront is in reality the vibrant heart of the town. In the summer months, there are open-air theatre performances by its shores and al fresco restaurants abound.

Those looking for a little culture will enjoy the Archaeological Museum, with pieces dating back to the Minoan period, or the seventh-century Byzantine church, with its fine frescoes above the entrance. If your tastes run a little more towards shopping, there's a superb selection of boutiques, with handcrafted jewellery, textiles and traditional artwork. For a quiet stroll, the fishing harbour is a popular spot to catch the sunset, often followed by a pre-dinner drink in one of the harbourside bars. The town's restaurants range from relaxed to stylish and lively, so you'll be spoilt for choice when deciding where to dine.

A stay in Agios Nikolaos can offer you the best of both worlds – all the sophistication of a bustling harbour town with an easy escape into the nearby countryside.  The beautiful unspoilt village of Krista is only a 10km drive away or you can take the ferry to Agios Pandes, a nature reserve in the bay, nicknamed Kri-Kri Island by the locals after the rare wild goats that inhabit it.