Inaugurated on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, the upgraded Agios Nikolaos Municipal Marina in Crete, Greece, now has new facilities from a €1.9 million ($2.2 million USD) project focused on energy efficiency, safety and accessibility.

Agios Nikolaos Marina is located in the town centre on the eastern end of Crete, Greece’s largest island, and offers more than 250 berths across concrete and floating pontoons, along with dry-docking facilities for over 160 vessels. It also has a travel lift, business centre and laundry facilities, with restaurants, bars, supermarkets and shops nearby.

New floating pontoons, modern electricity and water supplies for vessels, and a smart lighting system with 41 LED lights were added to the marina. The upgrade also introduced solar panels, electric vehicle charging points and shade structures, as well as infrastructure designed to provide safer access to the pontoons for people with disabilities.

With a total budget of exactly €1,907,185.81 ($2.2 million), plus 24 percent value added tax, the project was carried out through the Agios Nikolaos Municipal Corporation (DAEAN). It was funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility - NextGenerationEU, as part of the ministry of tourism’s “tourism development” action plan, under the “upgrading of tourist ports” sub-project.

The completed upgrade is expected to provide opportunities for further investment, funding and development, with the aim of strengthening the marina’s connection to the town and local economy. The municipality said the project also comes as the marina secures its tourist port licence, an issue that had remained pending for more than 30 years.

Speaking at the inauguration, Agios Nikolaos mayor Manolis Menegakis said the project involved considerable work on studies and planning permissions, as well as efforts to address difficulties during its implementation. He thanked tourism minister Olga Kefalogianni and first deputy speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Ioannis Plakiotakis for their support and cooperation, along with DAEAN, municipal departments, staff, partners and others involved in completing the project.

Images courtesy of Municipality of Agios Nikolaos.