On the beach
Right now
Live conditions from Open-Meteo, refreshed hourly.
7-day outlook
7-day marine forecast from Open-Meteo.
Sea temperature
Next 7 days, °C
Wave height
Next 7 days, metres
View as table
| Day | Sea temp (°C) | Wave height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 | 27.1 | 0.5 |
| Thu 3 | 27.0 | 0.9 |
| Fri 4 | 26.8 | 1.1 |
| Sat 5 | 26.8 | 1.2 |
| Sun 6 | 26.8 | 0.8 |
| Mon 7 | 26.9 | 1.0 |
| Tue 8 | 26.7 | 1.2 |
Water quality history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Excellent2015
- 2016: Excellent2016
- 2017: Excellent2017
- 2018: Excellent2018
- 2019: Excellent2019
- 2020: Excellent2020
- 2021: Excellent2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Excellent2023
- 2024: Excellent2024
- 2025: Excellent2025
Excellent in the most recent season, and 11 of 11 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Excellent |
| 2016 | Excellent |
| 2017 | Excellent |
| 2018 | Excellent |
| 2019 | Excellent |
| 2020 | Excellent |
| 2021 | Excellent |
| 2022 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Excellent |
| 2024 | Excellent |
| 2025 | Excellent |
Typical sea temperature by month
Modeled estimatePlausible seasonal climatology derived from latitude, for illustration — not a measured average.
Monthly sea temperature
Typical range across the year, °C
View as table
| Month | Typical sea temp (°C) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 17 |
| Feb | 16 |
| Mar | 17 |
| Apr | 19 |
| May | 22 |
| Jun | 24 |
| Jul | 26 |
| Aug | 27 |
| Sep | 27 |
| Oct | 25 |
| Nov | 22 |
| Dec | 19 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- Mirabello684 mCrete
- Agios Nikolaos710 mCrete
- Ammoudi924 mCrete
- 1.1 km
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- Easy by car — there's parking close to the beach.
- Bus stop: ΑΓ. ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΥ, about ~460 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Άγιος Νικόλαος, about ~1.0 km away.
- 2 places to eat within 1 km Closest is Nuevo Loca beach bar, about ~120 m away.
- 1 place to stay mapped nearby Closest is Free Camping, about ~320 m away.
What kind of beach is this?
This beach belongs to a small coastal village. It's usually calmer than a resort or town beach, though a popular village spot can still fill up on the best summer days.
Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).
Is the water clean at Agios Nikolaos?
Agios Nikolaos sits on a stretch of coast classed as a coastal bathing site, carrying an official EU Bathing Water rating of Excellent for the 2025 season. Under the EU Bathing Water Directive, national authorities test for intestinal enterococci and E. coli through the season and report the results the following spring — the 2025 rating was published in spring 2026, and 2026's won't follow until spring 2027. In addition to that yearly rating, some national authorities — for Croatia, the national environmental authority — publish individual water sample results during the season itself, ahead of the annual report. It sits in Crete. There's parking about ~200 m from the beach.
That rating has been consistent: every one of the 11 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. If you're timing a visit around water temperature rather than crowds, July–September is the safest bet, with August typically the peak — expect a cooler, calmer sea either side of that stretch. Water quality here is tracked across 2 separate monitoring points along the shoreline. The nearest town, Άγιος Νικόλαος, is about ~1.0 km away.
“Excellent” is one point on a four-step scale — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — assigned once per year from that season's water samples, not a live reading. It describes how the site performs on average across the season, not the exact water quality this afternoon; for day-to-day sea conditions, see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above. There are 2 places to eat within a kilometre — Nuevo Loca beach bar is the closest, about ~120 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Should you swim at Agios Nikolaos?
Yes — Agios Nikolaos carries the top EU Bathing Water classification, Excellent, for 2025, and 11 of its 11 classified seasons have rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
What temperature is the sea at Agios Nikolaos right now?
The most recent reading for Agios Nikolaos shows the sea at around 27°C. For live, up-to-the-hour conditions, see the “Right now” panel above. That's the reading right off Crete. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When is the best time to swim at Agios Nikolaos?
If you're planning around water temperature, July–September is the window to target — the modeled sea temperature is typically highest then. That applies to the water around Crete. Within that window, August is typically the single warmest month.
How is bathing water quality actually assessed?
Once a year, national authorities report a full season of testing for intestinal enterococci and E. coli to the European Environment Agency, which grades the season Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor under the EU Bathing Water Directive. A handful of countries, including Croatia via IZOR, also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that report — Agios Nikolaos doesn't have that feed set up yet.
Is there parking near Agios Nikolaos?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is ΑΓ. ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΥ, about ~460 m away. The nearest town is Άγιος Νικόλαος, about ~1.0 km away.