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Review:
Spinalonga is a tiny, man made island off the north east coast of Crete, close to Plaka.
Venetians carved it out of the coastline and erected a fortress and blockhouses to defend the mainland. The strategy proved successful as it was the last Venetian outpost for more than 50 years after they were defeated by the Ottomans.
The same scenario played out when a Turkish remnant occupied the island after the Cretan revolt in 1878. In 1903 they left and the island became a leper colony until a cure was found for the disease in the mid 20th century. Several ferries visit the island each day. It is uninhabited but worth a day trip.
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