Mark's Elounda Pages - About Elounda

Spinalonga Island (as distinct from the peninsula) has a long and often sad history. The fortress was buit in 1579 during the Venetian occupation of the island (1204-1669).

It was designed, at a time of increasing threats from the Ottoman Empire, to defend the Bay of Mirabello as well as protect the Venetian anchorage at Elounda. The Turks eventually took contol of Crete in 1669, but Spinalonga did not fall until 1715. The Turks then held the island until 1903.

Between 1903 and 1955 Spinalonga functioned as a leper colony.

Until 1903 all Cretan lepers had lived in a colony at Miskinias near Heraklion when a decision ws taken to move them to Spinalonga - mainly because it was isolated, but also because it was within easy reach of the main island of Crete via the little village of Plaka. No new houses had been prepared for them, so the lepers occupied the remains of the Turkish buildings.

Spinalonga - leper colony buildings

Living conditions were very poor and eventually the lepers formed their own community with it's own laws. In the 1930's a generator was installed, and a library, school and churches were built - things began to improve.

Plaka began to grow as villagers from the area used it as a base to sail to the island to sell produce to the colony - by now the lepers were given a small pension.

Shops began to apear on the island including raki bars and a bakery. Improvements continued throughout the 1940's and 1950's, but the feeling of isolation remained and the residents of Spinalonga began to lobby the Government to be moved. In 1957 the last lepers were moved to a colony near Athens, and Spinalonga fell into ruin.

In 1952 the island was renamed Kalidonia by the Greek Government, but it is still commonly known as Spinalonga.

Recently, the historical importance of the island has been recognised, and restoration work on some of the buildings has taken place.

A visit to Spinalonga is highly recommended - it's easy to get there with boat trips from Elounda, Plaka and Agios Nikolaos. There's also a number of books available telling the story of the island. Certainly anyone who visits Spinalonga will be left with powerful memories.


	All about Elounda
Home > About Elounda About Crete Excursions Books Gallery Links	This page contains some basic information about Elounda and the Lasithi area of Crete. Use the links below to jump to the section you're interested in. Location / Introduction History Spinalonga
	Location Elounda nestles in the beautiful Gulf of Corfos overlooking the Mirabello Bay in north east Crete. It is around 1 hours drive from the main airport at Heraklion (Irakleo). Crete has 4 nomes (administrative provinces). Left to right on the map they are Chania, Rethimno, Irakleo and Lasithi. Elounda is in Lasithi, 12km north of Agios Nikolaos, a tourist resort and the administrative capital of the province. Popular for many years as a tourist resort, Elounda manages to retain the feeling of a large working village centered around its pretty harbour. Elounda actually consists of four villages - Shisma (the main village by the sea), Mavrikiano (on a small hill behind Shisma), Kato Elounda (`lower` Elounda) and Pano Elounda (`Upper` Elounda). The village is sheltered from the main Gulf of Mirabello by the Spinalonga Peninsula. Opposite Plaka at the north of the Gulf of Korfos is a tiny island, commonly called Spinalonga, but now correctly called Kalidonia - (see the section of Spinalonga below). This was originally a fortress built by the Venetians during their occupation of Crete (1204-1669), however in 1904 it became used as a leper colony. This did not come to an end until 1957.
	History - very potted and selective! More sections will be added shortly There have been settlements in the area of Elounda since Minoan times. The ancient city of Olous is submerged due to a rise in sea levels, but was a major settlement between the 5^th and 2^nd centuries BC. Texts have been found which link the city with the Minoan capital of Knossos (near Heraklion) and also the island of Rhodes. Remains of walls can still be seen near the causeway to Spinalonga Island (Long Thorn Island). It is not known why the city sank – perhaps it was the eruption of the volcano on the island of Thira (Santorini), or maybe it was the natural movement of the earth – the east of Crete is still sinking. When the Venetians occupied Crete (1204-1669) the small island of Kalydonia (Spinalonga) was transformed into fortress. Subsequently in the early 20th century, the Cretan authorities transformed Spinalonga into a leper colony – see below for further information on this fascinating part of the area’s history. More recently from the early 1930s to the outbreak of World War 2 Flying Boats of Imperial Airways used the sheltered bay at Elounda, between the town and Spinalonga Island (known then as Mirabella Harbour) to stop on the flight from London to South Africa, the Far East and back. Click HERE to link to a excellent external article about Imperia Airways in Elounda, and the 1936 crash of `Scipio” In the latter half of the 20th century Elounda became a tourist destination, following Greece's emergence as a tourist destination following the fall of the junta (military government) in 1974. Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, the town saw a boost in tourism which resulted in the town and its population growing substantially. More recently, large hotel resorts catering for the luxury end of the tourist market have appeared around Elounda. Elounda was used as the location for the 1964 Disney film `The Moon Spinners` alnd also the 1977 BBC series `Who Pays the Ferryman`. See the Gallery for stills from the latter.
	Spinalonga Spinalonga Island (as distinct from the peninsula) has a long and often sad history. The fortress was buit in 1579 during the Venetian occupation of the island (1204-1669). It was designed, at a time of increasing threats from the Ottoman Empire, to defend the Bay of Mirabello as well as protect the Venetian anchorage at Elounda. The Turks eventually took contol of Crete in 1669, but Spinalonga did not fall until 1715. The Turks then held the island until 1903. Between 1903 and 1955 Spinalonga functioned as a leper colony. Until 1903 all Cretan lepers had lived in a colony at Miskinias near Heraklion when a decision ws taken to move them to Spinalonga - mainly because it was isolated, but also because it was within easy reach of the main island of Crete via the little village of Plaka. No new houses had been prepared for them, so the lepers occupied the remains of the Turkish buildings. Living conditions were very poor and eventually the lepers formed their own community with it's own laws. In the 1930's a generator was installed, and a library, school and churches were built - things began to improve. Plaka began to grow as villagers from the area used it as a base to sail to the island to sell produce to the colony - by now the lepers were given a small pension. Shops began to apear on the island including raki bars and a bakery. Improvements continued throughout the 1940's and 1950's, but the feeling of isolation remained and the residents of Spinalonga began to lobby the Government to be moved. In 1957 the last lepers were moved to a colony near Athens, and Spinalonga fell into ruin. In 1952 the island was renamed Kalidonia by the Greek Government, but it is still commonly known as Spinalonga. Recently, the historical importance of the island has been recognised, and restoration work on some of the buildings has taken place. A visit to Spinalonga is highly recommended - it's easy to get there with boat trips from Elounda, Plaka and Agios Nikolaos. There's also a number of books available telling the story of the island. Certainly anyone who visits Spinalonga will be left with powerful memories.
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All about Elounda

Location

History - very potted and selective! More sections will be added shortly

Spinalonga