Ancient Lato is a Dorian Greek city from the seventh to the third centuries BC, situated on a double-peaked hilltop 6 km northwest of Agios Nikolaos. It is one of the best-preserved ancient cities in Crete and is rarely crowded — a genuine archaeological site rather than a tourist production.
The ruins include fortification walls, a prytaneion (public hearth building), temples, houses, and the remarkable agora with its stepped terraces. The setting is spectacular: from the upper parts of the site you can see both the Mirabello Bay to the east and the Lassithi plateau to the west. The site is open year-round and admission is free. A hire car or taxi from Agios Nikolaos takes about 20 minutes.