Ammoudara is a nice little sandy beach which is located not far from Agios Nikolaos. It is an organized beach where you can rent umbrellas and sunbeds, and where you can have something to eat and drink. The largest tavern on the beach, "Ammoudara Tavern" is not bad at all and a nice place to stop for lunch when you are on your way. We had dinner here a number of times when we were at the beach. Besides this there is also a cafe and a supermarket in Ammoudara opposite the beach across the road. The Ammoudara beach has fine sand and is shallow, and therefore it is also suitable for families with small children.

Ammoudara is an option for people that like the town of Agios Nikolaos but prefer to stay near a beach rather than in the town itself. In Agios Nikolaos itself there is not much beach to be found. Not far from Ammoudara you can find some other beaches such Almiros and the beaches around Istron. Also around the Bay of Ammoudara you have some smaller coves with pebble beaches, such as the beach in front of the Cretan Village Hotel where we stayed a few days. It is a great base for exploring the east coast of the island and to discover archaeological sites such as Lato or Tripitos, the church Panagia Kera in Kritsa or to go and see the towns of Agios Nikolaos and Sitia or interesting villages nearby (Messa and Exo Mouliana, Mirsini, Elounda, etcetera).