Today it is a cosmopolitan centre throb-
bing with life, with elegant shops,
restaurants, tavernas, bars, discos etc.,
where one can spend unforgettable

holidays and indulge in a wide variety
of interesting and enjoyable activities.
Aghios Nikolaos is built on the site of
the ancient town of Lato towards Ka-
mara, which was a seaport of Lato Hetera (the Other Lato). It flourished during the 3rd century BC and, being an autonomous city, it minted its own coins. During the Roman and early Byzantine periods, it continued to nourish and is mentioned as a bishop's see in the 6th century AD.

After this time, our information
concerning the town grows scant and
we only find it mentioned again during
the Venetian period, when the Vene-
tian occupiers built the Mirabello (meaning "lovely view") fortress, on a hill near the sea - where the Prefecture headquarters are situated today - in order to protect the small port. Nothing remains of this fortress but its name, which has now extended over the entire province and the bay which it once dominated. The fortress was destroyed by an earthquake in 1303, was rebuilt, was once more destroyed by pirates and rebuilt by the Venetians.

The town was deserted during the
Turkish occupation, but its harbour
still continued to be used, and was
known as Mandraki.

During the later years of Turkish occupation, a small settlement grew up
around the port, which took the name of
Aghios Nikolaos from the old domed
church with a single nave, dedicated to
Saint Nicholas, which stood on the
small peninsula in the harbour.

The "trademark" of Aghios Nikolaos is
the Voulismeni lake in its middle, which is linked to the sea by a canal.
This is a particularly picturesque part
of the town, with many outdoor coffee-
shops and restaurants all along the coast.