Cruise Travel to Ayios Nikolaos

Ships dock right in the center of this lively town, making it easy to go ashore for a stroll. The town’s waterside promenades and pedestrian-only shopping streets are right at the end of the wharf where ships dock.

Boats leaves from the town wharves next to the cruise ship landing for the most popular local excursion, to Spinalonga, an island in the Gulf of Mirabello that was once a leper colony. Boat tours (about €30) often include a barbecue and a swim, along with a walk around the evocative ruins of the town that once flourished on the island, but cruising the blue waters of the gulf past dramatic hillsides is the real thrill. If you have a full day, consider renting a car (about €40 a day) from any of the agencies in and around the port for a look at rural, inland Crete on the beautiful Lasithi Plateau, about 50 km (30 miles) west through beautiful Cretan landscapes of forests and grazing lands.