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
- Ammoudi233 mCrete
- Agios Nikolaos710 mCrete
- Mirabello1.1 kmCrete
- Kitroplateia1.3 kmCrete
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- Easy by car — there's parking close to the beach.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Αλυκή, about ~3.0 km away.
- 4 places to eat within 1 km Closest is Ταβέρνα Ακρογιάλι., about ~20 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. You can park about ~170 m away.
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. Αλυκή — the closest town — sits about ~3.0 km from here.
That “Excellent” label comes from a full season of official water sampling, not a single test — it's one step on a four-point scale (Excellent, Good, Sufficient, Poor) reassessed once a year. Today's actual conditions can differ from the seasonal average, so for a live snapshot see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above. It's been a consistently reliable spot too — the rating has held at Excellent for 11 straight years. There are 4 places to eat within a kilometre — Ταβέρνα Ακρογιάλι. is the closest, about ~20 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is Agios Nikolaos a safe beach for swimming?
It's about as safe as bathing water gets: Agios Nikolaos's 2025 EU rating is Excellent, the top tier on the scale, and 11 of 11 classified seasons have come back Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
How warm is the sea at Agios Nikolaos right now?
Right now, the sea at Agios Nikolaos is measuring around 27°C; see the “Right now” panel above for the latest conditions. That's the reading right off Crete.
What's the best month to visit Agios Nikolaos for swimming?
July–September is typically the most reliable swimming window, with the sea usually warmest in the second half of summer. That applies to the water around Crete.
What does the water quality rating actually measure?
The grade comes from a full season of official sampling for intestinal enterococci and E. coli, reported to the European Environment Agency each spring under the EU Bathing Water Directive, which assigns Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor. Some countries (Croatia, via IZOR) also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that report; Agios Nikolaos doesn't have that feed yet.
Can you drive to Agios Nikolaos?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. The nearest town is Αλυκή, about ~3.0 km away.