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The Leper Island Spinalongaon Crete, Greece

#4of 18 places to visiton Crete

Adventure Rating on Crete

TOP-31 adventure's step-by-step
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How to eat figs on CreteHow to climbing on the fortress of Spinalonga on CreteHow to visit the Island of the Living Dead on CreteHow to walk above the gorge of Aradena on CreteHow to try Greek salad on CreteHow to walk through the ruins of Knossos Palace on CreteHow to take a dip in the waterfall Richtis on Crete
31 thing to doon Crete
A former leper colony, this island has preserved only the ruins of a once-powerful fortress and abandoned houses of leprosy patients.
The Leper Island Spinalonga, Crete
Spinalonga Island was once part of the mainland, but soon the Venetians decided to separate the peninsula to create a separate and very fortified place to protect against attacks.

The island was surrounded by a fortress, making it inaccessible for many years. Having survived numerous sieges, the island at the beginning of the last century became a refuge for lepers all over Greece, which finally decided its fate. All healthy people left the island, leaving patients starve and suffer from their terminal illness. After some time, one of the patients decided to take fate into hi own hands and thoroughly took the upgrading of his new home. In this he succeeded, and when, finally, the drug was found, patients were cured and left the island. For a long time it came into neglect until it became attractive for tourists.

Now many travelers who visited Crete come here. On the island you can learn about the life of leprosy patients, stroll through the castle, enjoy views of the blue lagoon.

Things to do here 2

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#2Climbing on the fortress of Spinalonga on CreteClimbing on the fortress of SpinalongaЛеся Кречетова

Reach the island and climb to the highest point of the fortress, offering magical views of Crete.

€8
#3Visit the Island of the Living Dead on CreteVisit the Island of the Living DeadЛеся Кречетова

Visit the most impressive island of Crete, which has been a prison for leprosy patients for a long time.

€8
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The Leper Island Spinalonga on the map

Open hours

from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm

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Guest29 March 2024

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