The Byzantine church of Agios Nikolaos is considered by some people to be one of the most beautiful churches in Crete and has many lovely and well-preserved wall paintings with a strong emphasis on shades of blue. The church is a fine example of Byzantine architecture on the island. It is of cruciform architecture, but its nave (west-east) is much larger and wider than the transept (north-south), so that the church inside is almost rectangular. The church has blind arches on each side. The windows are decorated with semicircles of brick. The side windows have a column with a column capital which creates two openings to its right and left for the light. The church has an exceptional elongated drum supported at the intersection. The dome has a roof of tiles, and it has long, narrow windows very beautifully decorated with bricks. In the front of the church there is a very large narthex of a much more recent construction. The church is presently undergoing renovation.

The key for the church is in the coffee shop at Samonas. The custodian will accompany you to the church.