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Agios Nikolaos Tours |
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Every day during the season (about April to October) there is a train in Agios Nikolaos. It is a kind of small train that runs on the road. Tourists can take a trip by car. Departure is from the port of Agios Nikolaos.
Three different tours with the Blue Train are offered. Excursion 1 is a city tour of Agios Nikolaos and by far the most popular tour (about 3 to 5 times a day). The trip takes about 35 minutes and costs 9 Euros on our last visit (October 2016). The second excursion with the "Trailway", as such a vehicle is officially called in German, goes up Mount Kalithea, translates as "Good View". From up here you have a wonderful panorama on Agios Nikolaos as well as on the bays and the sea in the surroundings. This excursion lasts about 70 minutes, fare is 13 Euro for adults. The third trip is much longer. One drives with the Bimmelbahn into the traditional village Kritsa, which is known among other things for handicrafts. One of the most famous churches on Crete is in Kritsa. This excursion takes place only a few times a week (duration about 4 hours, price for adults 25 Euro in 2016). Children pay significantly less on all three excursions. Creta Semi Submarine Translated Crete Semi Submarine means "Crete Half Submarine". It is a ship with a transparent bottom. Thus one can observe the underwater world during the boat trip. The catamaran Nautilus is 15 meters long and was built especially for underwater tours.
With a little luck you can see many fish in different species, giant turtles and dolphins. The tours start daily during the season in the port of Agios Nikolaos. Creta Semi Submarine is very popular and always gets good reviews. The staff is friendly and informative. An excursion (about 85 minutes) costs about 16 Euro for adults at the beginning of the 2017 season. Nostos Cruises This company is the market leader for excursions by ship in Agios Nikolaos. In total, Nostos Cruises owns about five passenger ships, the two largest of which, Ostria and Kalidon, can carry up to 400 passengers.
Daily in the season Nostos Cruises organizes tours by ship from Agios Nikolaos to Spinalonga. This small island was a place of exile for leprosy sufferers from Crete until well into the 20th century. The residential complexes, hospitals and much more are still standing today. Spinalonga is by far the most important sight in the region of Agios Nikolaos and Elounda. Every day many hundreds of tourists come to the island Spinalonga. The trip to Spinalonga with Nostos Cruises costs only 8 Euro and takes 4-5 hours. In October 2016 the departure time was 12:30, return at 17 o'clock. Children and students can even travel with their parents free of charge. Further trips with Nostos Cruises are for example fishing tours or trips to Spinalonga including barbecue. The excursions start in the port of Agios Nikolaos. Those who want to go to Spinalonga can also take the car or bus to Elounda or Plaka first. From here the crossing is much shorter. As the trip with Notos Cruises from Agios Nikolaos costs only 8 Euro, a trip from Elounda will hardly save money. The entrance fee for Spinalonga is extra for all boat trips (to our knowledge only 2 Euro in 2015 In addition to Notos Cruises, Agios Nikolaos also offers a number of other day trips to Spinalonga. Bus Tours Many travel agencies in Agios Nikolaos offer day tours by bus. There are many destinations all over Crete. Examples are the palace of Knossos, the south coast of Crete like Matala, beaches like the famous palm beach of Vai, walks through gorges, the nearby and interesting Lassithi plateau and Heraklion with its famous archaeological museum. Such bus excursions are good opportunities to see more of Crete on holiday. This is especially true for holidaymakers who do not have a rental car. In good supplier is Astras Tours. Most day trips cost between 20 and 50 euros per person. Great is the new Amazonas Park on Crete near Neapoli. It is also easily accessible by rental car (distance only about 20 km). We also recommend excursions by bus from Agios Nikolaos and then by boat from Ierapetra on the south coast of Crete to the island of Chrissi.
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