Spinalonga
A small island fortress in the Gulf of Elounda, fortified by the Venetians in 1579. From 1903 to 1957 it was a leper colony, a story told in Victoria Hislop's novel The Island.
- Where
- Elounda, Crete, Greece
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 35.2970, 25.7380
Get the Spinalonga stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Spinalonga. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Crete volume with your photos and a note.
Near Spinalonga
Malia 22 km
A Minoan palace site on the north coast of Crete, built around 1900 BC and rebuilt after an earthquake. Its central courtyard, storerooms and a round stone table used for rituals can still be seen near the sea.
Knossos 52 km
The largest Bronze Age site on Crete, about 5 km south of Heraklion, occupied from the Neolithic period. Its reconstructed Minoan palace, excavated by Arthur Evans from 1900, has painted halls, storerooms and the legend of the Minotaur's labyrinth.
Heraklion Archaeological Museum 55 km
One of the largest museums in Greece, in the centre of Heraklion on Crete. It holds the most complete collection of Minoan art in the world, including the Phaistos Disc and frescoes from Knossos.
Gortyn 70 km
An archaeological site on Crete about 45 km from Heraklion, the Roman capital of the province of Crete and Cyrenaica. It holds the Gortyn Code, a law text carved into a wall in the fifth century BC, and the ruins of the Church of Saint Titus.
Mount Ida 88 km
The highest mountain on Crete at 2,456 metres, also called Psiloritis. In myth Zeus was raised in a cave on its slopes, and the Nida plateau and Ideon Cave are popular with walkers and climbers.
Phaistos 89 km
A Bronze Age Minoan palace and town in south central Crete, set on a ridge above the Messara plain. It is where the Phaistos Disc was found in 1908, a clay disc stamped with a spiral of still undeciphered symbols.
Arkadi Monastery 101 km
An Orthodox monastery on a plateau 23 km southeast of Rethymno on Crete. Its church dates from the 16th century. In 1866 Cretans sheltering inside blew up the powder store rather than surrender to Ottoman forces, and it became a symbol of Cretan resistance.
Fortezza of Rethymno 115 km
A Venetian citadel on a hill above the old town of Rethymno on Crete, built in the 16th century. The Ottomans captured it in 1646, and its ramparts now enclose a mosque and the remains of the Venetian church.
More famous places to visit in Crete
Questions
Where is Spinalonga?
Spinalonga is in Elounda, Crete, Greece. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Malia (22 km), Knossos (52 km), Heraklion Archaeological Museum (55 km).
How do I get the Spinalonga stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Spinalonga and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Crete volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Spinalonga before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Crete volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 40 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.