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This is the day trip itinerary:
Departure from your place - Arrival at Plaka - Duration stay at Spinaloga’s island - Departure for Agios Nikolaos or Elounda - Stop for food (if you wish) / Free time - Stop at the Monastery of Agios Georgios Selinari - Return to your selected destination
Spinalonga or otherwise known as “The Island” by the international best seller of the British author Victoria Hislop who with a sneak peek at an image, in an article conveys a feeling of awe and horror.Even today, Spinalonga with its millions of visitors every year maintains this inexplicable energy that with your first step on the island you listen to the people who lived there long ago, you feel transported through time and see their daily life pass in front of you.
The small island of Spinalonga is located a short distance opposite the area of Plaka in Elounda, fortified by the Venetians both in terms of construction-architecture and aesthetics that blends harmoniously with nature and retains its rare beauty even today. Spinalonga is known in history as the island that hosted patients suffering from Hansen’s disease (leprosy).After 1913, when Crete was united with Greece, Spinalonga began to receive even more patients from other countries and was designated as an International Leprosy Hospital.
Your transfer to the island of Spinalonga is made by boat from Plaka Elounda and it is only 10 minutes far. On the island you can walk through the alleys, visit some excellent preserved houses, take a tour of them, discover the way of life of the people who used to live there and take unmemorable photos.
The distance from Heraklion to Elounda is estimated to be about one hour. If you wish, we can transfer you to the enchanting city of Agios Nikolaos, walk on the picturesque lake that is located in the center of the city and is rumoured by many scientists that its depth has not been defined even today. Then you can enjoy an afternoon coffee or a tasty meal overlooking the lake or the sea.
Also, it is worth mentioning and adding to this excursion a stop at the beginning or at the return of the route to the Monastery of Agios Georgios Selinari which is considered the patron saint of guide - travellers.
The monastery is built next to the National Road Heraklion - Agios Nikolaos and many visitors go there daily.For the Cretan people , it is considered rude to pass through there without stopping to light a candle. This is because the Monastery has long been a place where travellers and their animals stopped to rest. According to tradition, a monk from Rhodes was led by God to a place where he found the icon of St. George and built his church. The monk named Nikolaos settled in Sellinari until his death and was buried there in a small cave at the top of Anavlochos (wild mountain massif) where he had created it. Anavlochos with the cave is located on the east side of the gorge opposite the monastery which you can see if you look up and see the big cross as its access is very difficult and requires good physical condition.
Cretan Bay Transfer suggests the Spinalonga - Elounda - Agios Nikolaos excursion start in the morning to avoid the traffic on the roads during the summer and the crowds of thousands of visitors to the island of Spinalonga. We are sure that this is an excursion that will be unforgettable.
The preset stops can be changed according to your preferences, you can consult your driver.
Prices don’t include the entrance fees for the archaeological sites / museums , escorts/meals and ferry tickets.