Greece - Korina Miller [408]
While enjoying Elounda’s resorts can offer unexpected glimpses into the poverty of the human condition, those more reticent to make the investment can also stay in the pretty waterfront town’s cheaper hotels and rooms. The Elounda municipality allegedly receives more tax euros per capita than anywhere else in Greece, because of the resorts, though you wouldn’t know it from the somewhat dated, faded signage on the tourist-oriented cafe-tavernas and shops.
Nevertheless, Elounda has a nice sandy beach with shallow, warm waters, and if you’d like to see Spinalonga, it’s much cheaper to get one of the half-hourly boats from here than to go from Agios.
INFORMATION
Municipal Tourist Office ( 28410 42464; 8am-8pm Jun-Oct) On the square; gives general info and changes money.
SLEEPING & EATING
Hotel Aristea ( 28410 41300; www.aristeahotel.com; s/d/tr incl breakfast €35/45/55; ) This decent, central budget option has clean rooms, most with sea view, double-glazed windows and fridge.
Corali Studios ( /fax 28410 41712; studios from €70; ) About 800m from the clock tower on Elounda’s northern side, these self-catering studios are set on lush lawns with a shaded patio. The affiliated Portobello Apartments (air-conditioned apartments €65 to €75) next door are also a solid bet.
Nikos ( 28410 41439; fish per kilogram €40-50) No-frills Nikos on the main street is a trustworthy pick for fresh fish and lobster, and good value.
Ferryman ( 28410 41230; fish €7-14) Featured in the TV series Who Pays the Ferryman, this waterfront place does excellent, though pricey fish, plus Cretan specialities.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
From Agios Nikolaos, 13 daily buses serve Elounda (€1.50, 20 minutes). Boats to Spinalonga leave every half-hour (adult/child €10/5).
Spinalonga Island Νσος Σπιαλóγκας
Spinalonga Island lies just north of the Kolokytha Peninsula. Its massive fortress ( 28410 41773; admission €2; 9am-6.30pm) was built in 1579 to protect Elounda Bay and the Gulf of Mirabello. The money-minded Venetians also harvested salt here, operating up to 45 saltworks at a time. From 1639 they rented the operations to locals, while maintaining monopoly control over production. The Greek state later did the same.
Remarkably, Spinalonga withstood Turkish sieges until 1715 – 46 years after Iraklio had fallen. The Turks used it for smuggling. After Crete joined Greece in 1913, the island became Europe’s last leper colony; the final leper died here in 1953 and it’s been uninhabited ever since. Locals still call it ‘the island of the living dead’.
Spinalonga is fascinating to explore. After buying the entry ticket (€2), take the path going left through the tunnel and follow it clockwise around the outside of the structure until you’ve completed the circle. Various organised tours operate simultaneously, so you’ll get free commentary in numerous European languages. More useful info is printed in various places, and you can purchase lovely copies of old Venetian maps of Crete and the area (€2 to €22). You’ll pass numerous ruins of churches, fortress structures and residences, and the outer turrets offer spectacular views. The island has a small snack bar right of the ticket booth.
Ferries to Spinalonga depart half-hourly from Elounda (adults/children €10/5), giving you an hour to see the sights (though you can stay longer and return on a different boat). From Plaka, 5km north of Elounda, the price is half. From Agios Nikolaos, various companies offer basic tours and longer, day-trip excursions (from €20).
Kritsa & Around Κριτσ
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Touristy Kritsa (krit-sah) enjoys a nice mountain setting and is renowned for its needlework and weaving. However, the overeager villagers physically pull you into their shops, and items are rather overpriced. It’s 11km from Agios Nikolaos, and served by hourly buses (€1.50, 15 minutes).
One kilometre before Kritsa, the tiny, triple-aisled Church of Panagia Kera ( 28410 51525; admission