Spinalonga is a small island north of eastern Crete with a long history. Here were isolated the lepers from Crete and the rest of Greece until 1957.

The name Spinalonga comes from the Venetian who called so the much bigger island Kolokytha next to it. Previously Spinalonga was united with Pumpkin, but was separated from it after a canal opened by the Venetians in 1526.

In 1574, the island was fortified by the Venetians, fearing the invading Turks and protection from pirates, and kept salt flats of Elounda from where traded salt in Europe. This fortification was so well constructed that the island after the Turkish invasion in 1649 remained in the possession of the Venetians until 1715.

In 1905, the island served as solitary confinement for lepers because of misconceptions about the transmission of disease. During World War II, the fearing Germans conquerors never invaded the island, which even fed themselves.

The island is accessible by boat which starting every hour from Agios Nikolaos, Elounda and Plaka.

You can visit Spinalonga through our tours Tour 7 and Tour 8, and discover one of the greatest monuments of the island.