Spinalonga Tours
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The now-uninhabited island of Spinalonga (Kalydon) sits in the Elounda Gulf along Crete’s northeastern shore. During the 16th-century Venetian occupation, the invaders built a defensive fortress here protecting Mirabello Bay. Today visitors can tour the massive structure and the abandoned buildings that sit along its turreted walls.
The Basics
Spinalonga is a popular tourist attraction, known for its archaeological site and fortress (once used as a Turkish bastion and leper colony), shallow pools formerly used to harvest sea salt, and pretty pebble beaches along clear waters. You can reach the island by boat trip from Plaka, Elounda, and Agios Nikolaos, but by far the best way to visit the island’s archeological site is with an expert tour guide. Many full-day Spinalonga tours include other nearby highlights like the so-called “bottomless lake” in Agios Nikolaos and the beautiful beaches on Kolokytha, and some offer a BBQ lunch. If you’re a more adventurous visitor, choose a tour that pairs a ride through the countryside on a 4x4 with a private speedboat trip to the island.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Spinalonga is for day-trippers only: There are beaches for taking a dip and a small snack bar on the island, but no accommodations.
- Don’t forget a hat, sunblock, and plenty of water to stave off Crete’s summer heat.
- Tours do not include the entrance fee for the Spinalonga archaeological site and fortress.
- The fortress and archaeological site have stairs and uneven ground, and are not suitable for wheelchair users.
- Older children enjoy touring the abandoned fortress, but infants must be carried as the site is difficult to visit with a stroller.
How to Get There
The island of Spinalonga lies 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Heraklion in Greece’s Mirabello Bay. To access the fort, you need to take a ferry or boat tour from Plaka or Elounda.
When to Get There
Spinalonga is most crowded in summer, which is also when the heat can be hard to manage. Plan your day around visiting the archaeological site in the early morning or late afternoon, and staying cool at the beach during the hottest time of day.
Spinalonga in Books and Movies
Spinalonga has been the setting for a number of books and movies—most famously the 2005 novel The Island by Victoria Hislop, which was adapted into a Greek television series.
Address: Elounda, Crete, Greece
10 Tours and Activities to Experience Spinalonga
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Spinalonga island
Discover Greece from the water on this full-day boat cruise. Enjoy a guided tour of Agios Nikolaos, continue Elounda village, then hop aboard for a boat cruise around Kolokitha Bay. Stop along the way to swim, then set sail for the island of Spinalonga.
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From
$51.70
From
$51.70
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Full-Day Guided Spinalonga Island Tour
Uncover the fascinating history of Spinaloga Island on this full-day tour from Agios Nikolaos. Cruise around the island’s natural wonders and ancient ruins; hear about the Saracens pirates, Venetian armies, and leper colonies that have inhabited the island over the years; and enjoy lunch in the seafront town of Plaka. Hotel pickup and drop-off is included.
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From
$135.41
From
$135.41
Face masks provided for travelers
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
From Heraklion: Spinalonga Island ,Elounda Barbeque and Agios Nikolaos Tour
Discover the seaside village of Elounda and walk amongst history on the island of Spinalonga.
Finishing our touring on this much afflicted place, we head for the small bay of Kolokitha. It’s one of the most beautiful beaches on Crete. It is a remote beach with white sand and deep blue serene water, side by side with old olive groves. There we can swim and taste the delicious BBQ served on the boat.
After our short respite, we go back to Elounda.
Then we move to the picturesque town of Agios Nikolaos, where we have our last stop. We have the chance to enjoy our coffee getting a perfect view of the magnificent lake, do our shopping in the traditional local shops and relax for a while before we hit the road for our going back.
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From
$44.32
From
$44.32
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Spinalonga - Agios Nikolaos From Heraklion
Visit the former leper colony and Venetian fortress on Spinalonga Island during this private tour. Sail to this rocky island, and explore the streets, houses, and ruined Venetian fortifications where lepers were confined from 1903 to 1957. Then, relax with a swim stop and barbecue lunch before cruising back to port. Return coach transport, the boat ride to Spinalonga, and select hotel pickup and drop-off in north-coast resorts included.
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From
$55.39
From
$55.39
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Crete Elounda and Spinalonga Island Cruise Day Trip
Visit Elounda and ride a boat to Spinalonga Island on this day trip. Travel to Elounda and cruise to Spinalonga in Mirabello Bay, where a Venetian fortress and old village once housed a leper colony. Explore the ruins where lepers were confined, and enjoy a swim and barbecue lunch. After docking back at Elounda, drive to Agios Nikolaos’ to see its harbor and reputedly bottomless lake. Pickup and drop-off from selected hotels included.
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From
$74.50
From
$74.50
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Royalty Elounda-Kolokytha-Spinalonga-Agios Nikolaos Tour
This excursion is a trip back in time since it carries the sensation and the feel of another era… Our excursion starts from the beautiful harbor of Elounda where we will get on board to visit the bay of and the beach of Kolokitha. Here you have time for swimming at the crystal clear waters and to relax under the scorching sun.
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From
$61.55
From
$61.55
Spinalonga Island - Ag Nikolaus - Elounda Bay - Private Tour.
This Tour gives you the opportunity to visit on your own way so many places in one day that if not with a local guide it would be impossible to visit and find.We visit Monasteries, Churches, Agios Nikolaus City, Spinalonga Island, Krasi village where the oldest Platanus tree in Crete it's found, we have a traditional Cretan Lunch in the traditional village of Mochos where we visit a few beautiful churches, and in the end if we have time we can visit the fishing village of Sisi where we go for a walk on the Palm Bay. ACACIA TOURS MHTE1039e60000115201
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From
$532.32
per group
From
$532.32
per group
Face masks provided for travelers
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
Spinalonga - Elounda - Aghios Nikolaos
Spinalonga, Elounda Excursion Overview
Spinalonga, Elounda Excursion, Agios Nikolaos is a trip not only to other places, but also a trip back in time, since it carries the sensation and the feel of another era.
The route along the northern coast of the island takes us to the small fishing village of Elounda
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From
$57.86
From
$57.86
Full Day Agios Nikolaos
Enjoy a day filled with pretty scenery, history and time to relax. You have seen it in pictures now you have the ideal opportunity to be part of it. A combination of beautiful landscapes with history and tradition. Within a day you will experience a time travel from the long past to modern everyday life. If there is a must-see on Crete, it is surely this multifaceted Tour.
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From
$596.56
per group
From
$596.56
per group
One Day To Mysterious Spinaloga With BBQ
Cruise the northern coast of Crete with a local guide, stopping in several local villages along the way. Take a boat to the island of Spinalonga to learn about its cultural roots, visit a beach at the small bay of Kolokitha, enjoy a delicious barbecue lunch on the beach, and more.
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From
$73.86
From
$73.86
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