Agios Nikolaos (or Aghios Nikolaos) is the capital town of the prefecture Lassithi , lying east of the island's capital Heraklion, north of the town of Ierapetra and west of the town of Sitia. In the year 2000, the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos, which takes in part of the surrounding villages, claimed around 19,000 inhabitants.

Lassithi area : is the easternmost prefecture on the island of Crete, to the east of the prefecture of Heraklion. Its capital is Agios Nikolaos, the other major towns being Ierapetra,Sitia and Neapoli. The mountains include the Dikti to the west and the Sitia Mountains to the east. The Sea of Crete lies to the north and the Libyan Sea to the south. To the east of the village of Elounda lies the island of Spinalonga, formerly a Venetian fortress and a leper colony. On the foot of Mount Dikti lies the Lassithi Plateau, famous for its windmills. Vai is well-known for its palm forest.Thanks to stunning beaches and its mild climate year-long, Lasithi attracts many tourists. Mass tourism is served by places like Vai, Agios Nikolaos and the island of Chrissi. More off-beat tourism can be found in villages on the south coast like Myrtos, Makrys Gialos ,Xerokambos and Koutsouras.The prefecture is home to a number of ancient remains. Vasiliki, Fournou Korifi, Pyrgos, Zakros and are ruins of Minoan -date, Lato and Itanos were Doric towns. Gournia