A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos sails across the Gulf of Mirabello to a Venetian fortress island off the coast of eastern Crete. Browse other Greek tours for more boat days around Crete.
This page covers the harbour, the sail, the history of the fortress and the leper colony, the walk on the island, swim stops, timing and what to bring on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos.
What does a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos include?
A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos includes the boat ride, a swim stop and time on the island. A host or a booklet tells its story. On the Nostos Cruises trips, the island ticket is paid separately.
The Nostos Cruises trip with a swim stop is fully guided. The host speaks English and Dutch. French, German, Polish and Greek come as audio commentary. This Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos also has a bar, a restaurant, a lounge and restrooms on board.
The lunch cruise works differently. Instead of a live host, you receive a booklet with the story and pictures of the island. A map comes with it for a self-guided walk. Lunch and a snack bar are on the boat. The island ticket is paid on top of the fare here too.
Small catamaran cruises include more on board. The Cretan Sailing Cruises catamaran lists a certified captain and crew, a Mediterranean meal, unlimited drinks and paddleboard equipment. It also offers hotel pickup and drop-off if you select that option. A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos on this boat starts with a safety briefing and welcome refreshments.
This catamaran keeps the group size limited and sails around Spinalonga, so you see the Venetian fortress from the sea. Another catamaran, run by Sailing Grace, adds fishing rods and snorkelling equipment at anchor. Read each listing before you book, because a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos changes from boat to boat.
Where do the boats leave from in Agios Nikolaos?
On a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos, the Nostos Cruises boats leave from the main harbour, on Koundourou street. The meeting point is in front of the boat. You arrive 30 minutes before departure.
The Nostos Cruises listing gives the address as Akti Koundourou 6. Bring ID and your voucher for check-in and boarding. The lunch cruise has no hotel pickup, so you go to the harbour yourself. The swim-stop cruise lists an optional hotel transfer. Free parking is close to the meeting point.
For a catamaran Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos, the listings name the marina as the starting point. The Cretan Sailing Cruises boat is called Piedra del Sol, and its page links a map. The page also lists parking spots at the marina.
Another catamaran page says the meeting point depends on the option you select. It adds that commercial boats and catamarans are at the end of the marina. Without a transfer, the walk to the catamaran takes 7 minutes.
Check the start point before you book. Two bus tours that name Agios Nikolaos in the title board the boat in Elounda. They reach the town by road after the island. Boats to Spinalonga also leave from Plaka and Elounda. Those crossings differ from a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos.
What do you see on the sail along the Gulf of Mirabello?
A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos starts at the main harbour and crosses Mirabello Bay. On board, you hear about Kri-Kri island, the sunken city of Olous and the cave of the pirate Barbarossa.
Mirabello Bay is the largest bay of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. The town of Agios Nikolaos overlooks it. A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos crosses this water.
One Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos lists a closer look at Kri-Kri island as a highlight. The Cretan Kri Kri goats live there.
The ruins of Olous lie under the sea near Spinalonga. Spinalonga and the Kolokytha peninsula once shielded this ancient city, which sank centuries ago. On a calm, clear day, you can still see the ruins just beneath the surface.
One catamaran plan for the Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos lists the Cave of Barbarossa near Elounda. A passenger on a lunch cruise called it reputedly a hideout for the pirate Barbarossa.
Then Spinalonga comes into view at the northern mouth of the Gulf of Elounda. Steep cliffs rise on its northern side, and pebble beaches line the rest of the coast. The Venetian fortress looks impressive from the sea on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos.
Why did Venice build a fortress on Spinalonga?
Venice built the fortress to protect the harbour from enemy invasion and pirate raids. The Venetian Senate decided to fortify the island in the 16th century. A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos lets you walk through that Venetian stronghold.
Two dangers pushed Venice to build the fort that a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos visits today. The Ottomans were a growing threat, and gunpowder had changed fortress design. Pirates were the other danger. The legendary pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa had ransacked the coast of eastern Crete in the same century.
The gulf of Elounda also held salt pans. The Senate made its decision in the year Cyprus fell. Venice lost its salt pans there, and the salt pans in the gulf were upgraded.
By the end of that century, the harbour had a military role. For the Venetians, it became the second natural harbour on Crete in importance, after Souda.
The engineer Genese Bressani planned the defences. He built blockhouses on the highest points of the north and south sides. A wall ring along the coast stopped landings. Later, the Venetians added hilltop forts because enemies on the nearby hills found the coastal walls easy to take. The fortress had 35 cannons.
Venice was defeated in the Cretan War but kept three naval bases by treaty: Gramvousa, Souda and Spinalonga. That left Spinalonga as the only Venetian possession in eastern Crete.
In the early 18th century, 6,000 Ottoman troops besieged the island. A garrison of only 160 men, with refugees and revolutionaries, defended the fortress. It surrendered after three months. You walk past those walls on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos.
What was life like in the leper colony on Spinalonga?
Life in the leper colony began as harsh isolation and grew into a small community. A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos takes you past the streets where patients lived, worked and later held concerts.
At first the island was a place of isolation, not treatment. The first 251 patients arrived as the colony opened. Their names were struck from the registers of their home towns. Patients had little fresh water and were not able to grow food. People from nearby villages set up a daily market on the island.
Life improved when Epaminondas Remoundakis, a law student, arrived as a patient in nineteen thirty-six. There he set up a group called the Brotherhood of the Sick of Spinalonga. Its members cleaned the streets, improved hygiene and whitewashed the buildings. The tours on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos explain how patients lived here.
Residents played backgammon and checkers, and a café played music from a donated record player. The Brotherhood won permission for patients to marry and run businesses, and later it added electricity and a cinema. Children were born on the island, so a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos shows where a real community lived.
The Brotherhood also enforced a ban on mirrors, because patients did not want to see themselves. A new treatment arrived in nineteen forty-eight. The patients moved to a leprosy station in Attica in nineteen fifty-seven. The last resident, a priest, stayed until nineteen sixty-two. Today a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos visits the island he left behind.
What do you see on the walk through the fortress?
The walk starts at the tunnel where patients once arrived. It follows a path of about 1.5 km around the island. On a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos you pass the settlement, the hospital, the church and the cemetery.
First comes the tunnel. Tour stories call it Dante’s Gate, though no historical evidence backs the inscription they describe. The size of the medieval walls stands out as you arrive. The Brotherhood built a path around the island to help patients with disabilities get about.
Walking clockwise, you reach the main settlement. Restored houses now hold a small museum with photographs, historical information and everyday objects. Look for the school, shops and tavernas that the community built. Groups on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos walk through these old buildings.
Next is the hospital, a basic building that offered no treatment for leprosy. One doctor visited from Crete, but only when he was treating something else. Visitors to patients were washed down with acid in a disinfection room before they left. This stop on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos shows how little care patients had.
The walk ends at the small Venetian-built church of St George and the cemetery. A plaque remembers those buried there. After tourists damaged graves, the bones were placed in an ossuary next to the cemetery. Walk quietly here on your Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos.
Where does the boat stop for a swim, and what about lunch?
The swim stop is Kolokytha Bay, on the far side of Kolokytha island, just south of Spinalonga. A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos gives 30 minutes of swimming on the 4.5-hour cruise. The 5.5-hour lunch cruise gives 1.5 hours at the beach.
The 4.5-hour Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos includes no lunch. The boat has a bar and a restaurant where you buy food and drinks, and you cannot bring your own. The bay has crystal-clear turquoise water for the swim.
On the lunch cruise, the boat moors at the beach while the crew prepares a traditional Cretan menu. The menu includes roasted pork, a seasonal salad and bread. Vegetarians and vegans get a tortilla with vegetables, bread and salad, so tell the crew when you board. Fresh seasonal fruit and a glass of wine or juice end the meal.
The order of the stops on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos changes with the tour. The lunch cruise visits Spinalonga first and the beach second.
A coach-and-boat tour with a boat from Elounda goes to the bay first. It gives 1.5 hours for swimming and a barbecue on board, with a pork chop, chicken or a vegetarian burger. That operator says a busy island can change the order.
How long does a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos last, and in which months does it run?
A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos lasts 4.5 hours by boat with a swim stop. With lunch, it lasts 5.5 hours. The island is open daily from April 1 to October 31 and closed from November 1 to March 31.
The 4.5-hour Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos leaves the main harbour daily at 12:30 and returns at 17:00. It gives 1.5 hours on the island, with 1 hour of free time to explore and take photos. The lunch cruise leaves at 10:00 and also gives 1.5 hours on Spinalonga. Arrive 30 minutes before departure.
The direct crossing from Agios Nikolaos takes 20 to 30 minutes, and from Plaka the ride takes 10 minutes. A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos adds a sail through Mirabello Bay and a swim stop. Coach-and-boat tours with hotel pickup last 9 to 10 hours. They add a stop in Agios Nikolaos town and a boat from Elounda.
The culture ministry’s site for Spinalonga gives opening hours of 08:30 to 18:00. That applies every day from April 1 to October 31. From November 1 to March 31 the site is closed, though groups can visit on request. Plan a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos for April to October.
Sea and weather decide whether boats run. The site says visits depend on weather conditions and ferry schedules. One coach tour with hotel pickup is “subject to favorable sea and weather conditions”. A winter coach tour offers the boat trip to Spinalonga only if the weather allows.
What shoes, hat and water do you bring to Spinalonga?
Bring sturdy walking shoes, a sunhat and plenty of water on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos. One travel site says the island has little shade. It advises at least 1 to 2 litres of water, even for a short visit.
Shoes come first. One tour page lists walking shoes for the island tour. A travel site says the island has uneven paths and steep steps. Another site names sturdy sandals or trainers and says to avoid flip-flops on the island walk. One traveller warns that the paths are very uneven in places, especially if you walk to the top.
Sun cover comes next. One tour page lists a hat, a swimsuit, a towel and sun protection items. Another says to bring sunblock and bathing gear. A camera is on the first list too. A Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos includes a swim stop, so keep your swimwear in the day bag.
Water needs planning on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos. A travel site suggests you refill a reusable bottle in town before you leave. It calls the island’s services basic. Wikipedia notes a small snack bar near the dock. The travel site also advises carrying euros in cash for souvenirs and extras.
What else do travellers ask about a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos?
Do you need ID for a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos?
Yes. EU citizens under 25 and non-EU citizens under 18 enter the island for free. Each must show a valid ID card or passport to prove age and country. One tour page also tells guests to bring a passport or official EU identification.
Is the island suitable for people with walking problems?
Tour pages say no. They mark the trip as not suitable for people with mobility impairments, and one page names walking problems. European Union funding was granted to restore 16 structures and improve accessibility on the island. Ask the operator before you book a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos.
Do you have to enter the fortress?
No. One tour page says the entrance is optional. Travellers on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos can skip the fort. They can enjoy the views or a coffee outside it.
Can you cancel a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos?
Yes. The Nostos Cruises listings offer free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. They also let you reserve now and pay later, so you pay nothing on the day you book.
Is Spinalonga an island or a peninsula?
It is an island. About 750 metres of water separate it from the village of Plaka. A nearby peninsula called “large Spinalonga” shares the name, which causes confusion. Boats on a Spinalonga day trip from Agios Nikolaos land on the island, not the peninsula.