{"id":1154,"date":"2026-03-23T23:08:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T23:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jk-tours.gr\/index.php\/destinations\/%cf%83%cf%80%ce%b9%ce%bd%ce%b1%ce%bb%cf%8c%ce%b3%ce%ba%ce%b1\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T12:52:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T09:52:20","slug":"spinalonga","status":"publish","type":"destination","link":"https:\/\/jk-tours.gr\/en\/destinations\/spinalonga\/","title":{"rendered":"Spinalonga"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Spinalonga: the island with a shocking history<\/h2>\n<p>At the entrance to the bay of Elounda, a small island carries one of the most powerful stories of Crete. Spinalonga was first a powerful Venetian fortress and later, from 1903 to 1957, a leper colony, the last place of colonization of the country&#039;s sick. Today it is a visitable archaeological site, and walking through its narrow streets with its ruined houses and walls above the sea is a touching experience.<\/p>\n<p>Victoria Hislop&#039;s book made Spinalonga famous all over the world, but the place speaks for itself. The waters around it are some of the clearest in the area.<\/p>\n<h2>How to get there from Heraklion<\/h2>\n<p>The starting point for Spinalonga is Elounda and Plaka, about eighty kilometers from Heraklion, a journey of about an hour and ten minutes via Agios Nikolaos. From there you take a small boat that drops you on the island in a few minutes.<\/p>\n<p>You can easily arrive on time, park in Plaka or Elounda and combine the visit with swimming and eating in the area, without depending on organized excursions.<\/p>\n<h2>What to see and do<\/h2>\n<p>Take time to tour the island, the main gate, the walls and the patients&#039; houses. Take water and a hat with you, because there is little shade. After the visit, a meal of fresh fish in Plaka or Elounda is an ideal end to the day.<\/p>\n<h2>Good to know<\/h2>\n<p>The island has an entrance fee and boats run regularly in the summer. Arrive early in the morning to avoid the heat and crowds. Wear comfortable shoes for the uneven terrain. Leave some time for Plaka or Elounda to end the day by the water.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Historical gem in the bay of Elounda<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":1328,"template":"","class_list":["post-1154","destination","type-destination","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jk-tours.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/destination\/1154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jk-tours.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/destination"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jk-tours.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/destination"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jk-tours.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jk-tours.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}