Spinalonga Island

About

Venetian sea fortress that later became a leper colony until 1957.

Spinalonga is a small rocky island in the bay of Elounda, with one of the most moving stories in Greece. The Venetians built a sea fortress here in the 16th century, and it held out against the Ottomans until 1715. From 1903 until 1957 the island was used as a leper colony, where people with Hansen's disease from all over Greece were sent to live in isolation.

Victoria Hislop's novel The Island made Spinalonga famous, and today you can walk along the old street with its shops, houses, church and the disinfection building, then up along the Venetian walls for views over the bay. Information boards tell the story of the people who lived here, and it is hard not to be touched by it.

Boats cross all day from Plaka (a 5 minute trip), Elounda and Agios Nikolaos. Plaka is the shortest and cheapest crossing. Bring water and a hat, as there's little shade on the island, and plan about one and a half to two hours on the island itself.

Getting there

Boats from Plaka (approx. 10 min), Elounda and Agios Nikolaos. Island entrance ticket is separate from the boat.

On the map

35.29700, 25.73800 · See on map