Spinalonga, Crete,Greece seen from the village of Plaka on the famous as a leper colony now immortalized in a novel ‘The Island'.
Spinalonga Island (also known as Kalidon) is a small island situated just off the coast of Elounda and Plaka in the Mirabello Bay. During 1200 AD the Venetians built huge fortifications on this island rock to guard the entrance to the sheltered bay and the fortifications still dominate the north face of the island. From 1903 until as recently as 1957, the island of Spinalonga, was a leper colony and lepers from all over Greece were shipped to the island. The suffering of the lepers who inhabited Spinalonga was immortalised in Victoria Hislop’s bestselling book ‘The Island’. Today the island of Spinalonga in uninhabited but can be visited by a short boat trip from Elounda (30 minutes), Plaka (15 minutes) or Agios Nikolaos (1 hour). Following the footpath around the island takes you through small deserted street of Spinalonga's ruins; old stone dwellings, the battlement fortifications and cemetery.
Size: 4222px × 2785px
Location: Nisida, Spinalonga ,Crete , Greece
Photo credit: © Gary Blake / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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