Elounda Bay Hiking & Spinalonga Island
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Port
Agios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$140
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 4 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Walk with your guide along a seaside road in Elounda Bay, with views over Mirabello Bay and the island of Spinalonga in the distance. Watch for old windmills and some salt pans -- the locals used the latter to produce sea salt naturally.
Crossing over the small bridge that connects the mainland with the island of Kolokitha, you will reach the end of the asphalt road and head down a country path. Your hike will take you past some beautiful small churches and the stunning coastline.
Next, it's a short island hop by boat to the intriguing island of Spinalonga -- the island of tears. In the early 1900s, this fortified island was chosen as the site of a leper hospital and colony. Sufferers who were sent to live on the island survived on state funding and charitable donations. Their wretched life did not weaken their will to live a full life, so they organized a village, married, had children, and created a thriving community hidden away from the rest of the world. Entering the island by way of Dante's Gate, follow your guide along the main street of this ghost town. Complete with shops, houses and a small, it seems like a normal Cretan village until its haunting past is explored. Within the walls of the Venetian fortress, contemplate the sad and thankfully defunct, last leper colony in Europe.
Please note: Wear comfortable walking shoes.