How to get from Crete to the island of Spinalonga. Spinalonga - the island of the damned
In 1967, the aspiring German director Werner Herzog, who later became one of the most iconic figures in world cinema of the 20th century, shoots his first feature film, Signs of Life, in Crete.
During the filming of the film, he simultaneously creates an experimental black-and-white short film "Last Words", which tells the story of the last inhabitant of Spinalonga, who spent most his life on the island of lepers, and when the leper colony, which was there, was abolished, and all the inhabitants left for the mainland, he refused to return to civilization and remained to live on a deserted island, eating herbs, thorns and lizards.
When relatives and local authorities they brought him back home by force, he closed himself in it, refusing to talk and communicating with the outside world only through music, playing sad melodies on the Cretan lyre. His last words were: “I won’t say anything ... I finished .. So I wish ... And these are my last words!”
Ancient Elounda
There is, in Lasithi, a place that has a name but does not have enough words to describe it. Located 10 km north of the city Agios Nikolaos, on the shores of the picturesque Mirabella Bay, which can be seen from the coastal mountains, has been the center of all the island's links with the outside world since ancient times. This place was, one can confidently say, the key to Crete. Not without reason, all civilizations that have owned the island for thousands of years have tried, first of all, to gain a foothold here. And the one who owned Crete, he dominated the entire Mediterranean.
Already in the third millennium, copper production existed on the shores of the bay, so, without exaggeration, we can say - bronze age in Europe started here.
And a little later, already in the days of the ancient Minoan culture, which ruled the island for more than ten centuries, this place was one of the largest and well-fortified city-states of the island, called Olunda in those days.
In the harbor of Olunda, closed on all sides, converged trade routes all Mediterranean countries. Here they found shelter from pirates and from bad weather ships going from south to north and from west to east. It minted its own coin, known throughout ancient world. In the local sanctuary, as a most valuable relic, a wooden statue of the goddess Artemis-Vritomarti was kept, sculpted, as they claimed, by Daedalus himself, the builder royal palace in Knossos. On the sharp cape high mountain, which dominated the entire bay, a well-fortified acropolis fortress was built.
Earthquake, formation of Calydon
In the 4th c. e. a powerful earthquake that split the shores of the Mirabella Gulf separated the Calidon Peninsula from the mainland by a narrow bay, later renamed Spigalonga.
Huge cracks formed as a result of the earthquake are still visible on coastal rocks. Most of Olundy went under water, destroying the ancient civilization.
The Roman and then the Byzantine empires, at that time, were not up to a small bay on distant Crete, they solved their own, more pressing and global problems, but in a narrow bay protected from the winds and within the walls ancient fortress over time, medieval Mediterranean pirates found a safe haven for themselves.
In the ninth century Crete was conquered by the Saracen Arabs, who founded the Emirate of Crete and from here raided the cities of Greece and the Byzantine Empire.
Only in the X century. Byzantine commander Nikephoros Foka, who later became the emperor of Byzantium, expelled the Arabs from the island. In honor of this event, the church of St. Foka was erected on the Calydon peninsula, which is still located here. And not far from it, on the seashore, you can find the remains of an early Christian basilica of the 5th century, from which a floor mosaic depicting fish has been well preserved.
Spinalonga becomes a fortress
But the Byzantines did not stay long here, already at the very beginning of the 13th century. Crete went to the crusaders who captured Constantinople. Those, in turn, sold the right to own the island to the Venetian Republic. From this moment, the revival of ancient Olunda begins, which began to be called, and the Calydon peninsula received Italian name Spinalonga. The Venetians established salt production here, the remains of which are still in Elounda in the form of a salt lake located along the narrow road leading to the peninsula.
The fall of Constantinople in 1453 forced the Venetians to fortify defensive structures with the construction of a powerful fortress on the site of an ancient acropolis.
In 1526, they separated the sharp cape of the peninsula with the fortress located on it by a narrow strait, and by 1586 they completed the construction of new fortress walls, thus creating a small, well-fortified island that protected the entrance to the harbor from the sea. And, it should be noted, well defended. The Ottoman Turks, who captured Crete in 1649, were able to capture Spinalonga only in 1715. By the way, Spinalonga remained for the Turks last stronghold on the island after the Cretan uprising of 1898. They left this place only after the Greek authorities of new Crete created a leper colony here - a hospital for patients with leprosy.
Island of the Living Dead
Now almost forgotten, but once a terrible, incurable disease, leprosy, or leprosy, has been known to mankind since ancient times. Mentions of it are already found in Egyptian papyri and in the Old Testament. The disease has become widespread and medieval Europe. The only way to deal with it at that time was to place patients in special places isolated from the outside world - leper colonies.
Those who got here never returned to normal life, remaining buried alive in these terrible places.
IN medieval France there was even a terrible ritual when a patient with leprosy, placed in a coffin, was buried in a cemetery, then dug up and with the words: “You died for us”, sent to a leper colony.
Disfigured by illness, the sick, wandering along the roads of Europe, were forbidden to enter the city walls. They were required to wear bells, warning healthy travelers by ringing them so that they could bypass them in time.
There were special places for lepers, called "meskinia", and in Crete. In 1903, it was decided to move all the patients to one place - the former fortress of Spinalongu, and here, in the houses abandoned by the Turks, the first of them were placed. In 1913, when Crete became part of Greece, the leper colony became international and patients were brought here not only from Greece, but also from Europe.
How did the lepers live on Spinalonga?
The authorities, preoccupied with the creation of a new state, foreign policy problems and a series of wars, paid little attention to the hospital.
Patients who received a beggarly allowance lived from hand to mouth, in complete poverty. Quarters, once beautiful city in the fortified walls, turned into slums. Some sadly awaited their last day, others, out of hopelessness, made a terrible decision to voluntarily die.
But in 1936, a new patient arrived here - a former student of the Faculty of Law, 21-year-old Epaminondas Remundakis. A savior angel has arrived on a forgotten, abandoned island, only without wings.
From his very appearance on Spinalonga, as Remundakis tells in his autobiography, he decides not to give up, not to succumb to the disease, the allies and helpers of which were despair and hopelessness.
In the very first days of his stay on the island, he organizes a memorial day for the largest political leader of Greece of that time, Eleftherios Venizelos, who died shortly before this, and was extremely popular in Crete.
He sends letters of invitation to all nearby villages and the gates of the sad fortress are opened for the first time to visitors from the outside world, in in large numbers arriving for the ceremony.
In a few days, the Easter holidays come, and Remundakis organizes the celebration as it was customary in the outside world - with colored eggs, Easter cakes, a procession around the island.
At the same time, he makes a decision, and then brings it to life, on the creation and registration of the public organization "The Brotherhood of Patients of Spinalonga Saint Panteleimon."
A month later, the association, with 160 founding members, was officially registered in court. Despite the indisputable right of the leader, Remundakis holds elections for the chairman of the organization, where, of course, he was elected unanimously, but all the inhabitants of the island appreciated how, having spent time on the elections, he managed to unite them around a new goal.
A wonderful transformation takes place on a small island. Sick with every step new organization gain confidence in own forces and hope for the future.
Life is changing on Spinalonga, the old Byzantine church of St. Panteleimon is being restored, a public cleaning company is being organized, and a ring road is being built. Even the blind and infirm are not forgotten, for whom barriers and resting places are built on the roads. For dental clinic a doctor was found who agreed to move to the island, and for nurses, the association secured an increase in salaries. The island has an electric generator and was electrified even earlier than the surrounding mainland settlements.
Thanks to Remundakis, a theater and cinema, a hairdresser and a cafeteria appear on Spinalonga. Sounds come from the loudspeakers in the streets classical music, a school is organized, in which one of the patients becomes a teacher, a humorous magazine is even published. Marriages are made on the island and the birth of 20 children is registered.
As Remundakis wrote in his autobiography, which he called The Eagle Without Wings: “... I spent 36 years in prison without committing a crime. Over the years many people have visited us. Some to take photographs, others for literary purposes. Why did some want to show disgust, while others wanted to show compassion? We don't want hate or condolences. We need kindness and love…”
Ghost town
Tiny Spinalonga is an island-rock in the Cretan Sea, to which the largest civilizations of the Mediterranean have strived and fought for centuries, overnight turned into a piece of land, avoided and bypassed by everyone, the last inhabitants left in 1957. At that time, a cure was found from a terrible disease. Some patients recovered and returned home.
Those few patients whose disease was already in an incurable stage, including Remundakis, were transferred to other infectious disease hospitals in Greece.
The leper colony on Spinalonga ceased to exist. Small island was forgotten by everyone for a long 20 years.
New life of the island of tears
Only in the 70s began regular visits to the island by tourists. Organized tourist routes and excursions, gradually gaining momentum tourism infrastructure in nearby villages. But the real boom began after Victoria Hislop's bestseller The Island was published in 2005 in England, and then in other countries. The novel was also a great success in Greece, where the TV series of the same name was filmed by MEGA in 2010.
Everyone who is going to visit Crete and visit Spinalonga is undoubtedly recommended to read this book, but it is better to watch a movie in order to plunge into a touching and mysterious story love, accompanied by wonderful Greek music and incredibly beautiful views of the island of Crete.
How and for how long can you get to Spinalonga?
You can get to Spinalonga from Agios Nikolaos (Agios Nikolaos) or from Elounda by small boats plying in the summer months from morning until late at night. From the village of Plaka, located on the coast opposite the island, and therefore the closest - by small boats in just 10 minutes, paying 8 euros for a ticket. From Elounda - half an hour and 15-16 euros, respectively.
In Agios Nikolaos, you can take a day boat trip around all the islands and Mirabela Bay, which, if you're lucky, will cost about 60 euros. It is highly recommended that you bring water and sunscreen with you when visiting the island.
Agios Nikolaos can be reached from the capital of Crete, the city of Heraklion, by or by KTEL bus. The bus runs approximately every half an hour from 06:30 to 21:45. The ticket price is 7.1 euros, the journey time is approximately 1.5 hours.
Walks from Agios Nikolaos to Elounda local bus starting from 7:00 to 20:00. Travel time is approximately 30 minutes. The ticket price is 1.70 euros.
There is a bus from Agios Nikolaos to Plaka every 2 hours from 9:00 to 17:00. The ticket price is 2.10 euros.
A taxi from Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos costs 60 euros, to Elounda - 75 euros.
Leprosarium lasted until 1957, when they learned how to treat the disease
The island is currently uninhabited and only daily excursion groups fill it with life. Especially a lot of people began to come after Victoria Hislop's novel "The Island" was published in 2005. In 2010, the book was made into a TV series.
You can see everything in an hour and a half or two. First of all, tourists are attracted by the fortress. In addition to historical and architectural interest, people climb here to enjoy panoramic views. In addition, many houses contain household items used by local residents.
The island is open for individual visits from April 1 to October 31. Opening hours from 9:00 - 19:00.
Entrance to the island of Spinalonga is paid, 8 euros (July 2017).
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How to get to Spinalonga
The island is located opposite the villages of Plaka and in the eastern part of Crete. You can get to Spinalonga from or Elounda on small ships. But the closest sail from the village of Plaka is only 10 minutes. The fare will cost 8 euros. From Elounda sail for half an hour, the fare costs 15 euros.
You can get to these villages from Agios Nikolaos by bus, which runs every hour or two. Drive about half an hour. The fare is about 2 euros.
To get to the island of Spinalonga in your own car, head to the northeast of Crete and follow the signs to Agios Nikolaos. As you pass it, then after 10 km there will be Elounda. There will also be signs, so don't get lost.
In Agios Nikolaos, you can buy a tour of Mirabello Bay, which will include a visit to the island.
Many guides say that people still returned from the island. If a healthy child was born here, then he was returned to “ big land". Some tourists do not believe this statement, believing that a healthy child cannot be born to a leprous mother. Maybe! Leprosy affects people very selectively, some people get infected easily, and some people have immunity that easily kills the bacterium.
What to see: beautiful views of the bay and the sea
Do not be too lazy to climb to the very top, as the most bewitching views of the sea and the bay open from there. Such views are the second reason why you should go on an excursion to Spinalonga.
Climbing up is not very difficult. The top of the island is at an altitude of about 100 meters (according to our own estimates). Greece has .
Especially beautiful is the bay, which was formed as a result of an earthquake. It is not deep, and because of this, the color of the water is replete with shades from dark blue to almost white. This is a mesmerizing sight.
There are no shops or cafes here. Be sure to bring water and something to eat.
Don't forget your hat. There is almost nowhere to hide from the sun.
How to get to this attraction
The easiest way is an organized tour, which costs 50-60 euros. You will spend two hours on the island of Spinalonga, which is more than enough to get around it all.
Usually, in this excursion, tourists are also taken to the city of Agios Nikolaos. The city is named after St. Nicholas the Pleasant, although he did not live in Greece, but in Turkey. There you can see beautiful lake and go shopping for .
During the tour, you can also be taken to one of small islands swimming and barbecuing. All this is included in the price. It turns out a very good set of impressions for quite reasonable money.
You can get to the island of Spinalonga on your own. Nearby there are two villages from which boats run. From the village of Elounda you can swim to the island for 10 euros, and from the village of Plaki even cheaper. Plaki is only 500 meters from the island of Spinalonga, one tourist even claimed to have swum there. We do not recommend this method.
In the villages there are organized parking lots, if you come by car, you can leave the car and safely get on the boat. Don't forget to prepare another 2 euros for the entrance to the fortress.
At the end of the article, we will share an interesting observation
Have a good trip, and read our articles about Greece ( links below).
Spinalonga is one of the most beautiful corners Crete, Mirabello Bay. Already at the entrance, a stunning, breathtaking view opens up from the mountain. Today we will talk about the history of the island and take a walk along the ancient buildings.
History of Spinalonga
Spinalonga is very small but has a long history. Once Spinalonga was part of the land on which the city stood. The city was destroyed and went under water after the earthquake. Later, from the 16th century, the Venetians decided to build a fortress on the island to protect Mirabello Bay from Turkish raids. And this idea was very successful. The fortress was impregnable. And even after the capture of Crete by the Turks, the fortress and the island of Spinalonga were in the hands of the Venetians for about 40 years.
But in the end, the Turks settled there and even built a village under the walls of the fortress so that the Greeks could not settle there. The Turks owned the island right up to the beginning of the 20th century. The Greeks, in order to survive the Turks from Spinalonga, began to bring lepers to this island from all over the country. The Turks left, and from 1903 to 1955 (according to some sources, to 1957) there was a leper colony on the island.
Then there was no cure for leprosy and this island became the last refuge for many patients. They couldn't leave this tiny island, food and necessary things were brought to them by boat from Plaka. People were forced to build here new life. The most difficult was the sick children, who were pulled out of their families and sent to live in Spinalonga. They lived in houses left over from the Turks, in poverty and forgotten by everyone. Until a new patient, Epaminondas Remundakis, appeared in 1936. He organized the "Fraternity of the Sick of Spinalonga" and throughout his life on the island fought for the improvement of the living conditions of the sick on the island. A hospital, and a church, and a bakery, and a school, and a cafeteria, and a cemetery appeared here.
Community of Spinalonga
Small, closed from others, the world. Given the fact that lepers were brought from all over the country, different people, among them were engineers and architects, teachers. Thanks to them, Spinolonga, before electricity appeared in Crete, they were able to build a water pipe. During the Second World War, the Germans, being wary of leprosy, did not touch Spinalonga, but constantly guarded from land so that the lepers would not scatter from the island throughout Crete.
After the discovery of a cure for leprosy, convalescents went home, seriously ill, to the infectious diseases hospitals in Greece in 1957. the last inhabitant of the leper colony left the island.
Now this island tourist facility, and there are a lot of tourists here during the season, despite the fact that many are afraid to come here. And the Cretans still believe that the undead souls of lepers walk around the island and say that voices and bells are heard at night. In 2005, Victoria Hyslop wrote a novel about Spinalonga and its inhabitants, The Island, and subsequently a TV series was based on the book. In general, there are many legends associated with the island.
Where is the island of Spinalonga and how to get to it
Spinalonga is located in the eastern part of Crete, 10 km from Agios Nikolaos, in Mirabello Bay, opposite the fishing village of Plaka. You can get here by taxi, rented car, or by bus from Agios Nikolaos. Boats depart from Plaka every half an hour to the island, costing 8 euro. 10 minutes on the way and you are on the island.
You can also sail on a boat to Spinalonga from Elounda and it will cost 16 euros, or you can take an excursion to Agios Nikolaos and get a full boat trip and a tour of Spinalonga. But, in my opinion, it is better to visit the island, not with a tour, but on your own, so as not to run away with a crowd of tourists, in a hurry, because. time is limited. And you can calmly see everything yourself, feel the history, atmosphere and admire the beautiful panorama.
We arrived in Plaka by car. The village is quite small and cozy.
Lots of fish taverns. A little to the left of the pier there is a clean, but really pebbly, beach. But then a boat came up and we set off for Spinalonga.
Walk around the island of Spinalonga
The entrance to the island is 2 euro. A small tunnel leads from the pier to the village, the walls of which are completely covered with mirrors. This is an art project by Kostas Tsoklis, a Greek artist who sought to convey through art the suffering of those people who lived and died here. Many of the patients only once passed through this tunnel, and never returned.
There are many dilapidated houses and buildings, stairs in the village.
Some houses are being restored, in some places building materials are already lying. It is possible that in a few years you will no longer see these ruins. You need to walk between them carefully, old buildings can collapse.
Here are the ruins of the bakery
And here is the current church of St. Panteleimon, which was built on the island by lepers. By the way, a priest served in it, who was completely healthy, but decided to live his life with the sick.
After passing through the ruined streets of the village, we rise to the fortress.
The fortress walls are very thick, impregnable.
A road leads around the entire island, you can walk along it, admire the beauty of the beautiful bay on Crete. The whole island is surrounded by a fortress wall.
On opposite side from the village you will see another church - the church of St. George.
And you can climb even higher than the fortress, to the top of the island, the view is breathtaking.
Then we slowly return to the pier.
You can sail back to Plaka on any boat, they start every half hour, so if you arrived on the island on your own, you don’t have to worry about the time. On average, a leisurely walk takes 1.5 – 2 hours.
It is better to visit the island in the morning, the boats start sailing from 10 am. You will not find shadows on Spinalonga. Stock up on panama hats, sunscreen and water - there are no shops on the island.
I think that after visiting Spinalonga, no one will remain indifferent.
Rich ancient city, destroyed by an earthquake, a salt mine, a fortress and, finally, a leper colony - the island of Spinalonga seems to have gone through almost all the circles of hell. Today his visit is included in compulsory program travelers coming to East Crete. In this article, you will learn about amazing story Spinalonga, as well as how to go to it with a tour or on your own.
Strictly speaking, Spinalonga is the name of a peninsula connected to Crete and the town in Mirabello Bay by a narrow sandy spit. Name this geographical feature given by the Venetians in the 13th century.
Translated from Italian, Spinalonga means "long spike, spear." And the island, about which will be discussed, has another name - Calydon. But Spinalonga is more famous, and the tradition of naming this island that way has already been established.
Three thousand years of history of Spinalonga
Little is known about the ancient period of Spinalonga. However, the mention of the city of Olus, which existed in its place, is already in Homer. At that time, Spinalonga was neither an island nor a peninsula: there was solid land between it and the territory of modern Elounda.
But in the II century. there was a terrible earthquake, as a result of which the city disappeared under water. Only a piece of land remained from it - the peninsula, and the toponym "Olus", from which the name of the town of Elounda came many centuries later.
The Mirabello Bay was also called by the Venetians "the bay with beautiful view» for its stunning beauty of the coast, wild beaches and bright blue waters
The peninsula alternately belonged to the Romans, Arabs, Byzantines, Venetians. It was the Venetians in the middle of the XV century. and decided to ennoble this unfriendly area. There was a reason for this, and a good one: there were the most favorable conditions for the extraction of salt.
The region gradually became quite significant commercially, which attracted not only merchants, but also pirates.
To protect the mine, a fortified fort was needed, and in 1526, according to the testimony of the famous cartographer of the turn of the 17th-18th centuries. Vincenzo Coronelli (by the way, it was he who created the globe of the Earth and the globe of the firmament for Louis XIV), the Venetians separated part of the peninsula by breaking through a deep canal.
On the emerging island, it was decided to build a fort, and then, in 1579, when real danger from the Turks, who captured Cyprus in 1574, and the fortress.
The fortress with a double ring of walls, built according to the project of the engineer Bressani on the ruins of the ancient acropolis, on a hill 53 m high, was almost impregnable. At the same time, the area of the island was small - only 0.085 km2 (85 ha).
The fortress, erected by the Venetians on the ruins of the ancient acropolis, located on a hill 53 m high, was almost impregnable
The Turkish-Venetian war of 1645-69, as a result of which Venice lost Crete, was another turning point in the history of the island.
True, it finally passed to the Turks only in 1715, but during the war and for 46 years of existence in a "suspended" state, Spinalonga received many refugees on its territory. Among them were rebels (Khaynids), who used the island as a base for raids on villages and garrisons. Ottoman Empire on Crete.
However, the fortress, in the end, passed to the Turks. At first, due to the restless situation in the region, the Turks did not dare to settle in Spinalonga: apart from the military, only fishermen lived there. But in the middle of the XIX century. the area again became attractive for commerce, and by the end of the century, about 200 families of merchants lived in the town on the island.
The horror and pain of the island of Spinalonga
In 1898, after numerous clashes between the Turks and Christians in Crete, at the request of the European community, the Cretan state was created under the rule of Prince George, the second son of King George I of Greece.
The Ottoman Empire had to withdraw its troops from the island. Most of the Turks left Crete with them. Some of the inhabitants of Spinalonga also left for their historical homeland. The rest had to leave it a little later - in 1903: by decree of Prince George, it was decided to open a leper colony on the island.
The prince, thus, pursued a double goal: he expelled the remaining Turks and isolated from society people affected by an incurable dangerous disease.
Arriving at the leper colony, the first thing the patients saw was the inscription: "Abandon hope, everyone who enters here." They had no way back, only a cemetery
At first, 250 people were taken to Spinalonga from Heraklion: leprosy in these cities was then one of the biggest problems. Since 1913, after joining Greece, patients from other Greek regions began to be placed in the leper colony, and soon from all over Europe.
The once prosperous Spinalonga became an island of lepers, and over the gates to the fortress they were met by the same inscription as over the gates of Dante's Hell: "Abandon hope, everyone who enters here."
The unfortunates really had nothing to hope for and almost no one. In Plaka, located opposite the island, and in Elounda, the servants of the leprosarium bought food for the meager state of the sick, and they also received medicines there. Despite the fact that both doctors and nurses worked at Spinalonga, people stricken with an ancient illness died in terrible agony.
Nevertheless, the sick restored the Church of St. Panteleimon, erected by the Byzantines; services were conducted by a volunteer priest. A barbershop and a bakery appeared on the island. People tried to come to terms with their unenviable fate and even got married. Healthy children born to such couples were handed over by the staff of the leprosarium to relatives or placed in an orphanage.
The Church of St. Panteleimon, erected by the Byzantines, was restored by the sick leper colony, and services were conducted by a volunteer priest
Much changed in the leper colony in 1936, when Epaminondas Remundakis, an ill student, got there. On his initiative, new houses were built on the island, roads were restored, a marina market was opened, and an amateur theater was organized.
Moreover, thanks to his efforts, electricity appeared on the territory of the town and the hospital even earlier than on Crete itself. After that, the authorities allowed to open a cinema on the island of outcasts and install several loudspeakers from which pleasant music flowed.
During the Second World War, the Nazis, for obvious reasons, did not occupy Spinalonga, and the sick could listen to the latest European news on the radio without fear of any sanctions.
In 1948, a vaccine was finally discovered to help deal with leprosy. People began to gradually leave the island, but then they returned anyway, unable to adapt to life outside of it. The leper colony existed until 1957.
Journey to Spinalonga
Spinalonga is now a protected archaeological area. Some of the buildings - leprosariums, houses of attendants - were demolished. The ruins of the town, where the Venetians and Turks lived, and later the unfortunate patients, are constantly maintained in such a way as to prevent their final destruction.
The best preserved, of course, the walls of the fortress. The church of St. Panteleimon continues to operate on the island, where tourists usually put candles in memory of all the events on Spinalonga.
Boats to the island depart from Agios Nikolaos, Elounda and Plaka every 15-30 minutes and run from morning to evening
When preparing for a trip, you should ditch open shoes in favor of sneakers or sports boots. Walking the rocky, pitted paths and climbing to the top of the hill in sandals or flip flops is a surefire way to break your feet.
Prices in bars on boats that bring tourists to Spinalonga in Crete are usually quite high. True, there is a small snack bar by the pier, but a bottle of water, and, if desired, some dry rations from a shop near the hotel, will not interfere.
Water, however, will come in handy in any case: the Cretan sun does not favor the careless. In the same way, a hat, sunglasses, beach cosmetics will come in handy.
To get to Spinalonga, you must first drive to a rented car or bus. After that, decide whether to take the boat right away or still continue on to Elounda or Plaka: the journey from there will be cheaper. Boats to Spinalonga leave from Agios Nikolaos, Elounda and Plaka every 15-30 minutes and run from morning to evening.
Excursions to Spinalonga from Crete
Another way to go to Spinalonga in Crete is within organized excursion and they are very popular. The fact is that enterprising Cretans make such a vinaigrette out of this trip that it is simply impossible to resist.
Judge for yourself: boat trip, guided tour, visit desert island Kolokytha, as well as a barbecue and a check-in on the way back also to Agios Nikolaos.
Transfer from and to hotels is of course included (for trips from following places: Ammoudara, Analipsi, Gournes, Gouves, Karteros, Hersonissos, Malia, Stalida, Kokkini Hani, Anissaras, Heraklion).
A trip to Spinalonga includes: a boat trip, a guided tour, a barbecue, a visit to the uninhabited island of Kolokitha and a stop at Agios Nikolaos
You can find out the current prices for excursions to Spinalonga and book your trip with the help of the Russian-speaking Cretan guide Victoria (). To do this, you can write to her by e-mail or send a message via the form feedback under this article.
In the summer months, it makes sense to book participation in advance, since it is not held every day, and there are a lot of people who want to go. At the same time, it makes sense to ask her to send the entire list of excursions, because with the help of Victoria you can also go to Santorini, Balos Bay and many other interesting places.
