Spinalonga (AGH - 03) Half Day

AGIOS NIKOLAOS - Knossos Palace Leaving Agios Nikolaos, capital city of Eastern Crete, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere your bus will drive you to Elounda, located in a gorgeous natural bay. Elounda is famous not only on the island of Crete but also in the entire Aegean Sea, much acclaimed for its outstanding hotels and tourist establishment in a magnificent natural environment. The combination of the landscape and the sea it is something you will never forget.

At the Northwest entrance of Elounda bay lies the island of Spinalnga, impressive for its well preserved Venetian fortress yet tragic due to its past role as a leper colony. It is notable for being one of the last active leper coloniew in Europe, existing for this purpose until 1957. It is truly amazing to imagine the presence of an entire community hidden within the imposing fortification and isolated from the rest of the world.

After visiting Spinalonga, you will continue your journey to Agios Nikolaos. The landmark of the city is a small lake, known as "Voulismeni" that is located in the centre of the city, at the foot of the cliffs. According to the mythology, the goddess Athena used to take her bath in this lake. It is an especially picturesque site with many open-air cafes and restaurants along the bank. Here you will be given free time to browse in this beautiful town before returning to your ship.