Greece - Korina Miller [407]
Sgouros Hotel ( 28410 28931; N Pagalou 3; www.sgourosgrouphotels.com; s/d/tr incl breakfast €50/68/75; ) Although not Agios’ cheapest hotel, the recently renovated Sgouros represents great value. Well located overlooking Kitroplateia Beach, the hotel has 22 freshly painted, clean rooms with nice bathrooms, plus one suite and four interconnected family rooms.
TOP END
Palazzo ( 28410 25080; www.palazzo-apartments.gr; s/d/ste incl breakfast from €130/160/220; ) Opposite Kitroplateia Beach, these 10 snazzy apartments have mosaic-tiled floors and marble bathrooms, the front rooms with lovely balconies. But, considering the price, it would benefit from a more highbrow location.
Eating
Lakeside restaurants, and most on Kitroplateia, are touristy and overpriced. Locals prefer the small backstreet places.
Chrysofillis Mezedopoleio ( 28410 22705; Kitroplateia; mezedhes €4-7) Reserving ahead at this excellent and fairly priced mezedhopoleio is not a bad idea. A newspaperlike menu explains Cretan terminology and outlines the specials: fresh mussels, barley pasta with prawns, fried rabbit, excellent myzithropitakia, and lively, light salads are just some. The balcony water view is complemented by a stylish interior; the classic old framed photos are for sale (€22 to €40).
Taverna Itanos ( 28410 25340; Kyprou 1; mayirefta €4-9) Locals frequent this no-nonsense taverna, known for its home-cooked mayirefta, such as goat with artichokes or lamb fricassee.
Aouas Taverna ( 28410 23231; Paleologou Konstantinou 44; mezedhes €5-9) This family-run place with a nice enclosed garden does tasty Cretan specialities such as herb pies and pickled bulbs, plus tasty grills.
Pelagos ( 28410 25737; Katehaki 10; fish €8-16) For fresh fish and seafood, this place, in a restored house with ambient garden, is very good – and also quite expensive. The mezedhes are excellent.
Drinking
Nightlife is quite active in summer – just follow your ears. Places popular with Greeks and tourists alike ring the lake, and extend towards the Kitroplateia.
Bueno Cafe ( 28410 24289; Kitroplateia; 8am-1am) One of several popular cafes right on the town beach, with a big array of cold coffees.
Alexandros Roof Garden Cocktail Bar ( 28410 24309; cnr Kondylaki & Konstantinou; 12pm-late) With its hanging plants, soft trees and funky decor, this elevated cocktail bar is part Vegas, part Tahiti. It offers excellent views of the lake and town, lit up at night. The friendly Giorgos Halkadakis has been operating the place for 30 years, and plays an eclectic mix of popular music from five decades, for a similarly mixed Greek and international crowd.
Getting There & Away
BOAT
For ferry services from Agios Nikolaos, Island Hopping.
BUS
Agios Nikolaos’ bus station ( 28410 22234) serves Elounda (€1.50, 20 minutes, 16 daily), Ierapetra (€3.50, one hour, eight daily), Iraklio (€6.50, half-hourly), Kritsa (€1.40, 15 minutes, 10 daily) and Sitia (€7.30, one hour, seven daily). Direct buses to Lasithi villages are only on Sundays, though run frequently from nearby Neapoli. To reach the bus station from downtown, walk (10 to 15 minutes) or take any local bus (€0.50, half-hourly), which stops precisely on the bridge, opposite the tourist info centre.
Note that to visit Elounda, you needn’t start from the bus station; just go to the small bus stop opposite the tourist information centre. It displays timetables too.
Getting Around
You can hire cars from Club Cars ( 28410 25868; www.clubcars.net; 28 Oktovriou 30) from €40 per day; Manolis ( 28410 24940; 25 Martiou 12) has scooters, motorcycles, quad bikes and mountain bikes.
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AROUND AGIOS NIKOLAOS
Elounda Ελοτα
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Some 11km north of Agios Nikolaos on a gorgeous road overlooking the coast, Elounda (el-oon-da) is Crete’s playground of the rich and (sometimes, very) famous. It’s arguable whether the resorts, which unsurprisingly possess helicopter pads and even occasional