Admission
Valid for single entry on your selected date and time. Last entry 30 minutes before closing.
(EN) Audio Guide Included
This product contains Audio guide for Spinalonga, letting you dive in the rich background of the place.
Bring With You
Digital or printed ticket. Visitors with reduced or free tickets must show valid documentation at entrance.
25,00 €
More than 3,500 years of history, condensed into a single self-guided experience. Professional narration, interactive maps, and visual timelines — available entirely on your phone, at your own pace, on the island itself.
Tap any marker on the hand-drawn archaeological map of Spinalonga to reveal the history of each structure — from the Venetian bastions and Ottoman mosque to the colony dormitories and the last inhabited house.
An animated candle chart spanning 8 distinct eras — Minoan, Dorian, Venetian, Ottoman and beyond — shows how long each civilisation shaped this island, and how a tiny pill in 1957 ended 54 years of forced exile.
Interactive charts document the human scale of the leprosy colony: population by decade, the origins of patients, demographics by age and gender, and the fluctuating census from 1903 to the final closure in 1957.
Read the actual articles of Legislative Decree 1876 (1920) — the Greek law that stripped patients of their civil rights, banned them from leaving, and gave authorities the power to have them forcibly returned by police.
A scrollable timeline from ancient exile to the 1982 WHO cure traces every attempt to treat leprosy — from snake fat and sulfur baths to Hansen's 1873 discovery of the bacterium, and the oral tablet that made Spinalonga obsolete.
Each point of interest is accompanied by narrated audio in multiple languages, written by historians and delivered at the pace you choose. No group, no schedule — explore Spinalonga entirely on your own terms.
Spinalonga is one of the most historically layered sites in the entire Mediterranean. A fortified island off the northern coast of Crete, near Elounda, it served successively as a Minoan settlement, a Venetian naval fortress, an Ottoman enclave, and — most memorably — Greece's last active leprosy colony from 1903 to 1957. This audio guide covers every chapter of that history in depth.
Unlike a conventional printed guide or a shared group tour, this self-guided Spinalonga audio tour uses interactive visual tools to bring the numbers and laws and timelines to life. You can examine an annotated archaeological map of the island, trace the population of the colony decade by decade, and read the actual text of the 1920 legislative decree that gave Greek authorities the power to deport citizens diagnosed with leprosy — with no right of appeal, no fixed release date, and no exemption.
The guide also explores the history of leprosy treatment — from ancient exile and medieval leprosaria to Gerhard Hansen's 1873 discovery of Mycobacterium leprae, and the oral dapsone tablet introduced in 1947 that rendered forced isolation medically indefensible. Spinalonga closed a decade later, in 1957, not because the disease was eradicated, but because a pill made the island unnecessary. The WHO declared leprosy fully curable in 1982.
Whether you are visiting Spinalonga as a day trip from Elounda or Plaka, arriving by boat from Agios Nikolaos, or researching the island from home, this guide provides the historical depth that a short ferry crossing and a site map cannot. All content is available on mobile, works offline, and requires no app download.
Spinalonga is accessible only by boat from the eastern Cretan coast. The closest departure point is Plaka, directly opposite the island — the crossing takes approximately five minutes. Regular boats also depart from Elounda (approximately 15 minutes) and Agios Nikolaos (approximately 45 minutes). Boat services run throughout the day during the tourist season, typically from 08:30, with last returns around 17:30.
Ticket prices for archaeological sites and museums are, as determined by the Ministry of Culture, and can be found at hhticket.gr.
We are a Greek Company registered under the MHTE 1476Ε70000208201. We will be happy to answer any question regarding your visit at tickets@spinalonga-tickets.gr. (We always answer, so don’t worry if we don’t reply immediately.)
Tickets are non-refundable. For rescheduling, you must contact us at least 48 hours prior to your initially chosen timeslot. Please double check the given email — you will receive the tickets and the PDF guide at your email. Please give us a valid mobile/WhatsApp number.
Attention: if you do not see the email sent to you with your tickets, please check your spam folder. If you still do not find it, please write to tickets@spinalonga-tickets.gr in time so that we can help you.
Don’t worry if the indicated time has passed. You can use your ticket up to one hour later.
Provider: MARAZZA P.C.
Summer Season (April 1 – October 31): Daily 08:00–20:00
Reduced Admission το ιδιο
Your payment also includes the Digital Companion PDF, a comprehensive guide filled with all the essential information about Crete. This digital guide enriches your visit by providing detailed insights, maps, and historical context to enhance your overall experience. Additionally, a small fee is included to cover card payment processing, ensuring a smooth and secure transaction. Lastly, you get lifetime access to our exclusive Xenia Travel Club. This detailed breakdown, which includes all taxes and obligations, ensures you know exactly what you’re paying for, with no hidden costs or surprises.