A Spinalonga boat trip takes you across Mirabello Bay in Crete to a small island with a Venetian fortress. This page covers the ports, the island walk, the boat types and the season. The homepage lists more Greece Tours like this one.
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What is a Spinalonga boat trip?
A Spinalonga boat trip is a sea crossing to a small fortress island in northeast Crete. You then walk through its Venetian walls and its old leper colony. Tours with a swim stop add a dip before the boat sails back.
The island sits at the entrance of Elounda lagoon, north of the Gulf of Mirabello. It lies next to the town of Plaka, in the area of Kalydon. The whole island covers only 85,000 square meters. One theory links the name Spinalonga to the spine-like shape of the terrain, seen from Elounda.
If you plan to cross into Turkey as well, the homepage also lists Turkey tours.
The sea fortress behind every spinalonga boat trip is Venetian. In fifteen seventy-nine, the Venetian official Luca Michiel laid the foundation stone of the fortifications. The threat of Turkish attack and constant pirate raids forced the Venetians to fortify the island. They built the walls over the ruins of an acropolis.
Spinalonga stayed in Venetian hands after the rest of Crete fell to the Ottomans. It was the last remaining Venetian fortress on the island. In the early eighteenth century, the Ottomans received it by agreement. By eighteen thirty, 80 Muslim families lived on the island.
The island later became a leper colony. The Cretan state declared in nineteen hundred and three that patients with leprosy must be isolated on Spinalonga. The first 251 patients arrived in October nineteen hundred and four. The island was a place of isolation, and it was not meant for treatment.
Little sense of community existed on the island until the nineteen thirties. In nineteen thirty-six, a law student and young patient named Remoundakis arrived and set out to organise the community. The patients then arranged electric power and a cinema. A café opened too, with a donated record player for music.
New treatments for leprosy reached Spinalonga in nineteen forty-eight. In nineteen fifty-seven, the patients moved to the anti-leprosy station of Agia Varvara in Attica. The last inhabitant, a priest, left in nineteen sixty-two. The island has been uninhabited since then, so a spinalonga boat trip visits a place with no residents.
Victoria Hislop set her novel The Island on Spinalonga, with the village of Plaka across the bay. The book came out in two thousand and five. It was translated into 25 languages, sold millions of copies and was adapted for television. The 26-episode series is called To Nisi and was filmed on location on Crete.
Around two thousand and five, the Greek government began to promote the tourist appeal of the island. Wikipedia credits this to the novel’s romanticised version of the story. Hundreds of thousands of visitors now arrive each year, and only the Palace of Knossos draws more on Crete. A spinalonga boat trip puts you among them.
A spinalonga boat trip follows four steps. A boat crosses the water to the island. You walk through the fortress and the old colony. Then the boat sails back. One listing carries the title Boat Trip to Spinalonga with Swim Stop.
The trip suits three kinds of traveller. History readers get a Venetian fortress and a leper colony in one visit. Readers of the novel see the island where the story is set. Swimmers get a dip on tours that include a swim stop. That mix explains why a spinalonga boat trip appeals to such different people.
Where does a Spinalonga boat trip start and how long does it take?
A Spinalonga boat trip starts from Elounda, Plaka or Agios Nikolaos. The crossing takes about 5 minutes from Plaka and 15 to 20 minutes from Elounda. A ferry-only visit lasts at least 2 hours, and a trip with lunch lasts 5 to 6 hours.
Three harbours send boats to the island, and tourist boats leave from all of them. Plaka is the closest port, because about 750 metres of water separate the village from Spinalonga. A local fishing boat crosses in about 5 minutes and leaves about every 30 minutes. A Plaka Spinalonga boat trip is the shortest of the three.
Elounda is the main gateway. The crossing from Elounda takes 15 to 20 minutes. One ferry service there departs every 30 to 40 minutes. Its last return boat sails at about 5 in the afternoon in summer and at 3:30 in April and October. That ferry also offers a late return on another boat of the same operator.
Count the time on the island before you pick a departure. One source advises 60 to 90 minutes on Spinalonga. The Elounda ferry listing gives an hour and 10 to 20 minutes. Cruises list 1 hour 20 minutes, 1 hour 30 minutes or 2 hours there. Every Spinalonga boat trip sets its own island time.
Agios Nikolaos has the longest crossing. Sailing takes 45 to 60 minutes each way, including a stop in Elounda Bay. One cruise from this harbour lists a 60-minute sail to the island. A daily trip leaves at 12:30 and lasts 4 hours 30 minutes. A Spinalonga boat trip with lunch from here lasts 5 hours 30 minutes.
One Elounda barbecue cruise lasts 6 hours. Its meeting time is 9:50 in the morning on every day except Thursday, when it moves to 11:50. Arrive no later than 10 minutes before the start. A 5-hour cruise with barbecue and swimming is also listed.
Parking depends on the port. Elounda has free parking near the port. Plaka has limited parking, so arrive before 9:00 in summer or walk the 25-minute coastal path from Elounda. Bus riders walk 5 minutes from the Elounda bus stop to the harbour. Plan this part before your Spinalonga boat trip.
Heraklion has no direct ferry to the island. Driving to Elounda takes about 1 hour 10 minutes. A Spinalonga boat trip from Heraklion is a bus tour of 8 to 10 hours with pickup near your hotel. Send your pickup details 24 hours ahead, or the operator does not guarantee the pickup.
Heraklion pickups cover the city centre, Ammoudara Beach, Agia Pelagia and Lygaria. Malia tours collect guests from Malia, Stalis, Hersonissos, Analipsi, Anissaras, Gouves, Gournes, Kokkini Hani and Karteros. The bus drives to Elounda port. You get 1.5 hours on the island and 1 hour of free time in Agios Nikolaos. The tour ends after 9 to 12 hours.
Rethymno trips last 9 hours. Hotel pickup covers Panormo, Scaleta, Platanias, Rethymno town and Sfakaki, and the operator emails the pickup point and time. The day allows 1 hour in Elounda, 1 hour 30 minutes on Spinalonga and 2 hours in Agios Nikolaos.
A private day trip from Chania runs 10 to 12 hours. The car leaves your hotel at 7:30 in the morning and returns at about 8:00 in the evening. The drive to Agios Nikolaos takes 2 hours 25 minutes, and the Spinalonga stop lasts 2 hours.
What do you see on a Spinalonga boat trip?
On a Spinalonga boat trip you walk through Venetian stone gates and past the leper hospital, church and cemetery. The boat also cruises Mirabello Bay. Longer trips add a swim stop at Kolokytha Bay and a lunch on board.
Your Spinalonga boat trip starts with the view from the sea. The island sits at the northern mouth of the gulf of Elounda. About 750 metres of water separate it from Plaka on the mainland to the west. The town of Agios Nikolaos overlooks Mirabello Bay, the largest bay of the Greek islands.
On a Spinalonga boat trip you enter the fortress through the southern gate. It is a small, dark vaulted passage, partly cut into the rock, 21 metres long, with eight limestone arches. Today it is the main entrance for visitors. People also call the entrance from the southern dock Dante’s Gate, though no historical evidence supports the name.
The Carbonana Gate is the main entrance to the second fortification zone. The main path of the fortress passes through it. It has a large arched opening, and Venetian coats of arms are engraved on the arch. The Porta Maestra on the west side of the sea fortification is built of grey limestone in Tuscan style.
Houses of the old settlement step up the western and southern sides of the island. A typical house has two storeys and a courtyard inside high stone walls. Houses still stand mainly on or near the central road. Restored Ottoman-era shops on the western side of the road now work as exhibition spaces.
The church of Saint Panteleimon stands in the middle of the western side, facing the central road. It has three naves, and only the central one is vaulted. The leper hospital used the former Ottoman mosque. Its western facade carries the quicklime words “Here is the Calvary of the twentieth century,” visible mainly on rainy days.
The cemetery of the leper colony fills the square of the Donato Bastion. Its concrete graves were built after the open cannon ports were removed, because space had run short. After tourists damaged graves, the bones were moved to an ossuary next to the cemetery, with new plaques.
The walk on the island is on uneven cobblestones. A Crete travel site gives 45 to 90 minutes for the island circuit. It says strollers do not work on the stone paths. One Spinalonga boat trip listing says you take a long walk around the island and learn about the fortifications. A small snack bar stands near the dock.
Listings for a Spinalonga boat trip name Kolokytha Bay as the swim stop. The beach lies on the eastern side of its peninsula, directly opposite the island. A Crete tourism site describes clear turquoise water and a small sandy shore. The shore has no modern buildings and no organised commercial services.
One listing for a Spinalonga boat trip names a traditional barbecue on board its 5-hour cruise. Another says a lunch meal is served on the boat. A third pairs a barbecue lunch with a swim in Kolokytha Bay. One 4.5-hour listing names a bar, a restaurant and a lounge on board.
The Ministry of Culture site for Spinalonga lists daily opening from 08:30 to 18:00, April 1 to October 31. Visits depend on weather and ferry schedules. The site is closed from November 1 to March 31, and groups can visit on request. Check these rules before your Spinalonga boat trip.
- Free entry on five days: March 6, April 18, International Museum Day, the last weekend of September and October 28.
- Entrance fee: one day-trip listing says it is paid separately from the tour.
Which formats does a Spinalonga boat trip come in and when do you go?
A spinalonga boat trip comes as a large boat, small boat, speedboat, catamaran or road day trip. Boats run from about April to October. Early departures avoid the midday crowds and the summer heat. The weather also decides whether the visit goes ahead.
The first format of a spinalonga boat trip is a boat with real facilities on board. One listing describes two bars, a lounge and a restaurant. Another describes shady places, a bar and proper facilities. The BBQ menu on that second boat has a pork chop, white cabbage salad, bread and fruit.
A small boat can make the crossing too, and a speedboat is the private option. One private speedboat spinalonga boat trip lists a maximum of 6 passengers. A skipper pilots it, and the plan adjusts to your group. The listing notes no restroom on board and says the trip is not suitable for pregnant women.
Sailing boats make up the third format of a spinalonga boat trip. One hotel’s boat page lists catamaran, yacht, sailing boat and traditional wooden caique for Mirabello Bay. They run private, semi-private or in a group. One catamaran listing for Spinalonga is booked per group of up to 19 people.
A day trip by road is the fourth format of a spinalonga boat trip. One such tour starts in Elounda, goes by boat to the island and ends with a stop in Agios Nikolaos. It lists an air-conditioned vehicle and a live guide, while the boat and BBQ are extras. Guests can ask for chicken, pork or a vegetarian option.
The season for a spinalonga boat trip runs from April to October. The island site is closed from November to March, and groups can visit then only on request. In April the average daily high is 21.1 degrees Celsius. October reaches 24.7, and July and August reach 31.4 and 31.6.
The meltemi, a strong Aegean wind, blows from late spring until about mid-September. It is strongest in the afternoon, can reach force 7 to 8, and comes up in clear weather without warning. A Crete tourism site says a visit depends on the weather conditions. One listing offers a refund or new date if bad weather cancels the trip.
Time of day matters on a spinalonga boat trip. One source says the island gets crowded from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Another puts the busiest hours at 10:30 to 14:00 in July and August. Early departures avoid that peak. In the heat of summer, pick an early boat.
Pack a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, water and a snack. One listing adds water shoes for the swim. One Elounda boat trip does not provide snorkeling gear. You can picnic outside the fortress walls near the landing area, but not inside the site.
Child bands differ by listing: 4 to 10, 4 to 11, 4 to 12 or 5 to 12. Three listings let children aged 3 and younger join free but still need adding to the booking. One listing treats everyone under 18 as a child. One cruise requires minors to travel with an adult and has no swim supervision.
A Crete tourism site says the main ring road on the island is accessible. A full tour of the island involves inclines and steep stairs, but the main village area avoids them. European Union funding was granted to restore 16 structures and improve access. One day tour lists itself as not recommended for travelers who have problems walking.