Municipality of Aghios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece is known for the amazing beauty of its villages.

The  villages of the Municipality of Aghios Nikolaos  are:
Pines, Plaka, Vrouchas, Skinias, Loumas,  Lenika, Limnes, Zenia, Mesa & Exo Potami, Katharo, Tapes, Kroustas, Mesa Lakonia, Exo Lakonia, Prina.

Pines
Pines sits above Pano Elounda on the road to Neapoli, with its windmills and traditional architecture. It is approximately five minutes from Elounda Schisma by car.

Plaka
Plaka is a traditional fishing village, with amazing view to the Spinalonga Island. Plaka is famous for the good quality fish restaurants near the sea and small hotels and tavernas. The beaches are small but uncrowded. Tourist boats depart from Plaka to Spinalonga on a daily basis. The one way boat passage requires approximately ten minutes.

Vrouchas
Visiting Vrouchas is rather like stepping back in time – the village is refreshingly untouched by commercialism, and remains largely undiscovered by tourists. Like many small villages on the island, Vrouchas has a beautiful mountain setting, surrounded by olive groves and wooded hills. This part of the island is steeped in history - according to legend, this part of Crete was the birthplace of the most important of Greek gods, Zeus. There are several villas to rent in and around the village and a few traditional tavernas.

Skinias
On the northwestern edge of the municipality is located the district of Skinias which, according to the 1991 census is composed of the settlements of Saint George, Baltos or Bartos, and Hontobolakus.

Lenika
Village is located half way (4,5km) between the two seaside towns of Agios Nikolaos and Elounda on the highest point of the road. In the village are the ruins of a temple to Aries and Aphrodite.

Limnes
At the edge of the plain of Mirabello, under “Maha Hill”, the village of Limnes is located. Its name probably originated from the geographical phenomena of the many lakes which form after rainfall, resulting in a fertile and productive agricultural area. It is the village with the greatest number of houses, many of which have been abandoned in recent times.

Zenia
Located at a height of 750m, ten kilometres west of Aghios Nikolaos, beyond the cultivated valley of Drasi.

Katharo Plateau
A wonderful place for botanists and bird watchers, this Plateau is reached by continuing to climb from Kritsa. It was here that scientists discovered fossils of elephants and dwarf hippopotamus, although today the visitor will see only large flocks of goats and sheep.
In early summer, the Plateau is covered with the snow-like blossoms of the hundreds of fruit trees planted here and in autumn the vines are weighed down with large clusters of black and white grapes. There are several traditional tavernas.

Tapes
This is one of the oldest villages of the area - it has been continuously inhabited since Minoan times, for proof of this takes a look at the ruins in the Kasteras area.

Kroustas
 It is build on a hill 520 meters above the sea level. Kroustas is known for its magnificent view over the Mirabelo bay of the east Crete. It is also known for its traditional cuisine including myzithropites (special cheese pies) and aiga vrasti (boiled goat). Characteristic of Kroustas is the smell of Raki distilery in October, the dry but cool summers, the dry and rocky landscape and the old ladies with the black scarfs and the wrinkled faces. What could you buy from Kroustas? Pure food like honey, almonds, wallnuts, myzithra (soft sour cheese) and raki (localy distilled spirit).