Spinalonga, Fortified islet in Gulf of Elounda, Greece.
Spinalonga is a small rocky island off the northern coast of Crete in the Gulf of Elounda, roughly 15 kilometers north of Agios Nikolaos. The islet is surrounded by high walls and bastions that define its entire shoreline and give it a fortress-like appearance.
The Venetian fleet built the fortress in the late 16th century to protect trade routes in the eastern Aegean. After Ottoman conquest, the site served as a refuge for Christian families before Greece used it as a leper colony.
The name comes from Venetian and means "long thorn," referring to the narrow, elongated shape of the peninsula before fortification. Visitors today can walk through narrow alleys between abandoned houses where families lived for decades and maintained a small communal life.
The site requires sturdy footwear, as many paths are uneven and covered with loose stones. Early morning hours offer cooler weather for exploring before midday sun and crowds increase.
An orthodox church on the island contains a bell cast from melted coins collected by residents during their isolation. The bell still rings today and carries small imprints of the original coin shapes on its surface.
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