Elounda

The village of Elounda is located in a picturesque bay 4 km north of Agios Nikolaos. Opposite the village is the peninsula of Kolokytha which is connected with Crete by a narrow dam. At the end of the bay a barren rock sticks out of the sea, this is the small island of Spinalonga where in the 16th century the Venetians built an impressive fortress. In the 20th century it was a Leper colony and nowadays it is a tourist attraction. In the sixties the main income of the region was fishing and agriculture, since then it has developed into a tourist resort with exclusive hotels, tavernas, restaurants and shops. As well as the village’s municipal beach there are small beaches located along the bay. Elounda and its surrounding area is well suited for every kind of watersport and sailing.