SPINALONGA: DRIVING TO THE ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD

If you decide to hire a car in Heraklion, do drive towards the less explored Eastern Crete, which the RentCar.gr team fully recommends! You will not need more than an hour to reach Elounda, whatever rental car you may chose. From the port of Elounda, boats leave every half hour for the island of Spinalonga, the former leprosy colony of Greece.

The dark history of the island begins in 1903 when it was chosen as a place of isolation for people affected by the "cursed" disease of leprosy. For 60 years, lepers from all over Greece were ostracized to the leper colony of Spinalonga, where they lived as living dead. The last resident left in 1962 after the discovery of the drug against leprosy. The island became known from the book entitled ‘The Island’ of the English author, Victoria Hislop. Today, Spinalonga Island is the second most popular attraction in Crete, after Knossos.

In addition to Spinalonga, pay a visit to Plaka, a picturesque, quiet village which is located five minutes away from Elounda, by car. There you will find some of the best fish taverns in the area. You do not need to worry about the kilometer mileage, since we offer unlimited mileage for every car rental! Check here: 8+1 reasons to choose us