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Agios Nikolaos Beach is nestled in one of the many small bays that form the southern coast of Paros. This sheltered and accessible beach offers a family atmosphere, in a charming setting. If the sandy and rocky beds are not spectacular, you will find in the area high densities of fish including sargo, saddled seabream, sand steenbras, mullets and wrasse.

School of salema in rocky bed
A school of salema in the rocks.

How to get to Agios Nikolaos snorkeling spot?

Agios Nikolaos Beach (Saint Nicolas Beach) is one of the main beaches in Aliki, a small village on the south coast of Paros. The snorkeling area extends into Aliki Bay, roughly opposite the port. It is easy to park along the gravel road that runs along the beach or in the large car parks nearby.

Agios Nikolaos Beach snorkeling map, Paros

Water entrance for snorkeling Agios Nikolaos

To snorkel this location, the recommended water entrance is at the western end of the beach, on your right when you are facing the sea. Enter the water from the rock pool, where small boats are moored. You will thus be very close to the best snorkeling area.

Agios Nikolaos snorkeling exploration tips

We recommend that you follow the rocky coastline to the west of the bay. You can stay in the areas close to the beach, or snorkel along the shore for several hundred meters.

Sand steenbras in Aliki
Sand steenbras are easy to spot in sandy areas.

This spot has a gently sloping profile, with quite shallow waters, from 1 to 6 ft/0.5 to 1.50m on average. We advise you to stay on a narrow strip (a few tens of meters) along the rocky coastline. The seabed is mostly sandy and rocky, with almost no seagrass coloring the landscape. Near the shore, the seabed features pebbles and gravel, before giving way to large sandy areas.

Comber in Agios Nikolaos
Comber in Agios Nikolaos.

The main interest of Saint Nicolas Beach is its abundance of fish of all kinds, which are easily spotted at shallow depths. When the visibility is good (which is very often the case), the site is ideal for taking photos of the fish and invertebrate species that inhabit the bay.

As you snorkel the bay, you will cross paths with the many twobanded seabream, saddled seabream, dusky spinefoot and sargo that live in the shallows. Equally abundant are the ornate wrasse and the rainbow wrasse, which are living in rocky areas. Rarer, combers like to shelter at the foot of the small drop-offs. Sandy beds also support specific species, such as sand steenbras and mullet.

Agios Nikolaos Beach, Aliki
The snorkeling area at Agios Nikolaos.

Restaurants and accommodation nearby

There are a few accommodations around the beach. Several restaurants are located on the other side of the bay, along Aliki Beach and the harbor, a 600 to 700m walk from the snorkeling area.

 

  • Level required Beginner
  • Maximum depth10ft/3m
  • Water entranceFrom a sandy beach
  • LifeguardNo
  • Visitor numbersLow
  • Access costsFree

MAP Spot

These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life.

This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.