East of Iraklion lies the village of Elounda, from which visitors can sail to the island of Spinaloga. Although it is small enough to walk the perimeter in half an hour or so, the island boasts a rich and complicated history, which began with a Roman settlement that dates from 67 B.C. to A.D. 395.

Arabs lived on the island between A.D. 851 and 961, followed by Venetians (1204-1669) and Turks (1715-1898). From 1904 to 1957, Spinaloga was occupied by a leper colony, after which it was abandoned and is now in the process of being reconstructed by the Ministry of Culture.

Don’t worry, we’ll get to the Minoan sites soon. But as they say here in Greece, “siga-siga” (slowly, slowly). For now, I’m enjoying the journey, the famous Cretan hospitality, and a little raki.

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Image 3 of 5

The reconstructed Ottoman buildings on the left-hand side of the street date to the 18th and 19th centuries.

This entry was posted by Eti Bonn-Muller on Sunday, July 19, 2009. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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