Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on January 14, 2023
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
