The Islet of Spinalonga/Agios Nikolaos Day 7

 Day 7



Off the island and onto an islet kinda day. After we check out Spinalonga, we will venture on to St. Nicholas/Agios Nikolaos. I'm hoping to get the book that was written about the history of the leper colony (Spinalonga) read before our trip. I think it will help us to appreciate the magnitude of the isolation that the people went through that had to live there.  

 A few aerial views of Spinalonga.

 9:00 a.m. Be ready to catch ferry at Agios Nikolaos

10:00:00 a.m. Enjoy ferry ride to the Islet of Spinalonga -Call ahead for ferry schedule. Greek National Tourism Organisation in Crete: 28210 246299.
The tour begins from Medical Centre Hersonissos. Accompanied by an English-speaking guide, set out in an air-conditioned coach for a sightseeing tour of Spinalonga Island in Crete.

Visit the abandoned fortress which was till 1903 a leper colony, and see visible signs of Venetian occupation of the island. Take a walking tour of the village.

 10:00 a.m. Spinalonga -explore the fortress. And visit the Venetian Fortress (in 1579 and under the supervision of the Proveditor Giacomo Foscarini, the Venetians built one of their strongest forts in Crete on the islet of Spinalonga.). 

Eat at a taverna or eat snacks from knapsack if there are no tavernas or restaurants.

 11:30 a.m. Spinalonga -Snorkel the beautiful waters. 

 2:00 p.m. Spinalonga -Head back to Crete and enjoy Agios Nikolaos.

 2:30 p.m. Agios Nikolaos -Shop for fine jewelry...just kidding. 

 2:30 p.m. Agios Nikolaos -In reality we will be shopping like this.

5:00 p.m. Lake Voullismeni -is a former sweetwater small lake, that was later connected to the sea, by a channel dug in 1870. It is one of the landmarks of the small town of Agios Nicolaos, in eastern Crete, and according to mythology, the goddesses Athena and Artemis Britomartys bathed in it.

7:00 p.m. Agio Nikolaos -Eat dinner at Avli Taverna.

9:00 p.m. Our last night on the island of Crete. One last stroll through downtown Iraklion before we call it a night. 

Even though I begrudgingly took the time to thoroughly study the map of Crete. I'm so glad I did it now. It's time consuming but well worth the effort. It's not something I'd normally do but with the language barrier and the differences in any given map of Crete, it was a smart thing to do.