Explore enchanting Spinalonga Island off Crete’s north coast on this full-day tour. Start with a visit to the colorful mainland village of Agios Nikolaos, and then travel to the portside at Elounda. Ride a boat to the rocky island, site of an old Venetian fortress and one-time leper village. After a walking tour of the preserved buildings and streets, finish with a barbecue lunch and time for a swim before the journey back.
Tour commences from selected Crete hotels (Google Map)
8am
Hotel pickups commence prior to this time, you must contact the local service provider to verify your exact pickup time.
Begin your experience with a pickup from your hotel in the Ammoudara, Malia, Sissi, Milatos, Aghios Nikolaos, Elounda or Heraklion areas of Crete. Relax into your air-conditioned vehicle and travel to the seaside town of Aghios Nikolaos. Admire the pretty harbour and Lake Voulismeni — said to be bottomless — and enjoy a coffee here before you venture onwards to Elounda. Here, ride a boat to nearby Spinalonga Island, home to a ruined 17th-century Venetian fortress and one-time leper colony. Step ashore on the rocky island and enjoy a guided tour of the fortifications and leper village. Enter through the gate in the walls and explore the preserved houses, buildings and lanes. Hear how the village was used to quarantine lepers between 1903 and 1957, and how they lived here isolated from the outside world. Afterward, enjoy time to swim in the turquoise waters off the neighboring island of Kolokytha, and sit down to a delicious barbecue lunch. Then, relax on the journey back and end your tour with a hotel drop-off. Please note: If you are staying in a hotel in Elounda, the Aghios Nikolaos visit is not included. If you wish to visit Aghios Nikolaos independently, please coordinate this with the local supplier before you travel.