RonnieAdventures: RonnieAdventure #0746 - Islands of Crete and Spinalonga, Greece

Crete is the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, so we could only see a small part of it on a one-day trip. Our ship docked at Agios Nikolaos, a smaller port, which helped because there were fewer tourists.

Agios Nikolaos is a picturesque seaside town on Crete's eastern coast overlooking Mirabello Bay (see above map). Because Mirabello Beach is so close to the port, ship passengers who just want to sunbathe can walk there for the day. The beach has earned the European Union's BLUE FLAG every year for maintaining a consistently high standard under municipal management.

The most recognizable landmark in Agios Nikolaos is Lake Voulismeni, a small circular body of water near the port in town (see the map above). Early people believed that the lake was bottomless, but it has been determined to be 64 meters (210 feet) deep. However, it is unusually deep relative to its small diameter and surface area.

Originally, the lake was separated from the sea, but a 19th-century channel connected it to the harbor. Lake Voulismeni is now one of Agios Nikolaos's most photographed spots.

According to Greek Mythology, goddesses Athena and Artemis bathed in the lake's waters, and Zeus was born and hidden on Crete to protect him from his father Cronus.

From our ship's balcony, we could see two statues adjacent to the harbor.

Picture by Kolohe

Nikos and Pantelis Sotiriadis created the "Abduction of Europe" in 2021. According to the legend, "Zeus, the father of the gods, fell in love with a beautiful princess named Europe. He disguised himself into a white bull and approached Europe while she was playing with her friends. The girls, bewitched by the beauty of the robust, friendly-looking animal, started playing with him. Europe then rides the bull and he immediately rushes into the sea. Despite the girl's tears he abducts her and takes her to Crete."

The "Crete, Sea-Land" statue is also an artwork by Nikos and Pantelis Sotiriadis. The sculpture reportedly evokes Crete's close relationship with the sea by combining metal and glass in the shape of a sail.

Picture by Kolohe

Crete is extremely mountainous, and along the rugged natural coastline of eastern Crete, it has many sea arches, sea caves, and interesting rock formations. Most of these places are only accessible by boat, so before we left home, we arranged for a small boat with a skipper (who was also our guide) to take us to parts of the island not accessible by road.

Our skipper/guide, Nikolaos from Mirabelloboats.gr, agreed to pick us up from the dock near where our ship was moored. He said that high winds and waves were forecast for that afternoon, so we should visit some sea arches and caves before going to Spinalonga Island. We agreed. He was a great guide and quickly understood the kinds of places we wanted to visit.

Before leaving the harbor, we passed some old ships being prepared to be sunk offshore to form a barrier reef.

Picture by Kolohe

Since leaving Anthem, the only place to swim was in the ship's pool, which Ashley and Sophia thought was too crowded with "old people." So, before reaching the sea arches and caves, our skipper stopped at a nice cove so everyone could get in the water and cool off.

Picture by Ashley

Picture by Kolohe

Along the coast, a natural arch was so large that our guide drove the boat through it. The water was clear and looked shallow, but it was actually quite deep.

Picture by Kolohe

Continuing down the coast, our guide took us to his favorite secluded camping spot. Behind the tree, he had built a nice shelter with cooking facilities and a picnic table. The water looked fairly shallow, but our guide said it was over 15 feet deep, so I swam to shore to check out the facilities.

We also saw some feral goats on a mountainside.

Picture by Kolohe

This picture is really deceiving; the water looked shallow, but it was probably over 20 feet deep.

Picture by Kolohe

Traveling down the coast, we passed sea arches, saw an eagle in flight, and visited the large Altsi Gypsum Quarry, which produces 300,000 tons of gypsum per year. They extract the brilliant white material from an open-pit mine and ship it directly from a coastal loading facility.

Picture by Kolohe

When we arrived at a large sea cave, our guide said that since the sea was calm, he could take the boat into the cave. The cave's colors in the water were amazing.

Picture by Kolohe

After visiting the sea cave, we went across the bay to Spinalonga Island.

Spinalonga Island lies just east of Crete near Elounda, and is only reachable by boat. When we arrived, our guide circled the island so we could take in the facilities from the water.

The fortifications were built in 1579 as a coastal fortress to protect Elounda's harbor, its valuable salt pans, and the surrounding region from Ottoman and pirate attacks. When the Ottoman Empire conquered Crete in the 17th century, the island remained a Venetian stronghold until 1715, when its forces surrendered after a three-month battle.

Under Ottoman rule, by 1881, Spinalonga had a Muslim population of 1,112, and it had become an important commercial center in the Bay of Mirabello. Then, as the commercial center moved to Elounda, the population decreased, and in 1903 the Cretan government designated the island as a compulsory isolation site for people suffering from Hansen's disease (leprosy). As new drugs became available for the treatment of leprosy, the facility was closed, and the remaining 30 patients were transferred to a hospital in Athens.

Picture by Kolohe

After disembarking at the dock, we had to travel through a tunnel to reach the facilities inside the fortification walls.

Picture by Kolohe

A nice, improved trail circles the island, and for those with plenty of energy, another trail leads to the island's highest point. We decided to hike to the peak, but found that partway up, the main improved trail ends and turns into a series of little-used trails. We finally reached the top, and the views were spectacular.

Picture by Kolohe

On the way back to Agios Nikolaos, we passed Poros's three historic windmills. Unlike most windmills built on hilltops, these were built by the sea to take advantage of the strong coastal winds.

Picture by Kolohe

We also passed the large luxury resort under construction at Elounda Hills. The roughly one-billion-dollar resort will have a five-star hotel, 500 villas, restaurants, beaches, a marina, and other facilities. Rumors suggest several American businessmen are involved in the project.

Picture by Kolohe

We stopped by Pirate's Cave (Barbarossa Cave) but did not go swimming. Legend has it that during the 16th century, Hayreddin Barbarossa used the cave as a refuge or hideout during his activities around Crete. Scholars say there is no confirmed historical evidence that Barbarossa actually used the cave.

Picture by Kolohe

Nikolaos dropped us off in town, near Lake Voulismeni. He told us the owner of Karnagio/Pita tou Riga, which sits on the edge of the lake, was a good friend of his and we should stop there for dinner. We planned to stop for a quick snack, but when the owner found out Nikolaos had just given us a tour, he kept bringing out more food and wouldn't let us pay for it.

Nikolas was a great skipper/guide, and his spirit of adventure made for a great trip.

Picture by Kolohe

Also located along the lake is Fisherman's Crypt (Church/Chapel of the Fishermen). It is a very small religious structure built directly against the rocky side of Lake Voulismeni.

Picture by Kolohe

Before going back to the ship, we stopped by several shops, and I couldn't believe it - Area 51 had a satellite facility in Agios Nikolaos. The sign even had images of spaceships.