Porto Maltese Boutique

Once owned by the award-winning Greek filmmaker, Nickos Koundouros, this boutique hotel maintains a wonderfully typical Cretan look both inside and out. You'll be unwinding among terracotta walls and tiled floors, pretty plant-strewn courtyards and the tinkling sounds of Agios Nikolaos port right outside. The hotel is actually housed in a historical mansion, which happens to be one of the oldest in the town.

Around the port itself, you'll find a plethora of cafés, bars and tavernas peppering the bustling seafront, but if you fancy getting away from it all, Agios Nikolaos is a fabulous base for those who want to explore the dizzying variety of tiny quaint villages in the area.