Frequently asked questions

Your hourly slot and island admission are reserved before you arrive, so once your boat lands you walk straight to the monument gate instead of queuing at the ticket booth on Spinalonga. In peak season the excursion boats arrive together and that queue on the jetty can build quickly, so coming with your ticket already in hand saves the wait in the sun.

Only by boat — there is no bridge to the island. Regular passenger boats and excursion caïques run in season from Plaka (the closest, about 10–15 minutes), from Elounda (about 20 minutes) and from Agios Nikolaos (a longer coastal trip of roughly an hour to ninety minutes). You arrange and pay for the boat crossing yourself; this ticket is your admission to the island monument for the date and hourly slot you choose.

No. This is island admission to the Spinalonga monument only. The boat from Plaka, Elounda or Agios Nikolaos is booked and paid for separately with a local boat operator on the day or in advance. We reserve your dated hourly entry to the island so that part is settled; you simply choose a crossing that gets you to the jetty within your slot.

You choose the date and an hourly time slot, and your island admission is valid for a single entry during that hour on that day. Plan your boat so you reach Spinalonga within your slot window, then show your mobile ticket at the monument gate; last entry is about 30 minutes before closing.

You enter through the vaulted tunnel long nicknamed Dante's Gate and follow a walking route around the island: the massive Venetian fortress walls of 1579, the main street and houses of the leprosy colony, the little church of Agios Panteleimon, the remains of the Ottoman-era settlement, and the cemetery, all with panoramic Aegean views. The full loop is compact but the ground is steep and uneven.

From 1903 until 1957 Spinalonga was a leprosy quarantine settlement — Greece's last leper colony — where people diagnosed with Hansen's disease lived, cut off by the water. Behind the old fortress walls the residents built a real community with a main street, shops, a church and a hospital, living with dignity until an effective cure made the colony unnecessary and it closed. We tell this history with respect; it is a moving, human story, not a grim spectacle.

Yes. Spinalonga is the setting of Victoria Hislop's best-selling novel The Island, and of the television series based on it, both of which follow the lives of the quarantine community. The books brought the island's story to a wide international audience, and many visitors come having read them. What you walk through is the real place behind the story.

We send your island admission to your email as a mobile ticket once your booking is confirmed — there's nothing to print, just show it on your phone at the monument gate. You'll also receive a short 5-minute audio history to listen to before you go or on the boat over.

Spinalonga is a rocky, largely shadeless island with steep, uneven paths and steps. Wear sturdy closed shoes and bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and plenty of water, as there is very little shade and no shop selling much on the island. A light layer helps against the sea breeze on the crossing. Remember everything comes with you by boat, so pack light.

Take one of the first hourly slots after opening, before the mid-morning excursion boats from Elounda, Plaka and Agios Nikolaos converge, or one of the last slots of the day. Spring and autumn are cooler and calmer than the July–August peak. An early or late slot on the water gives you softer light, fewer people on the narrow paths and a more reflective walk through the colony.

Most visitors spend about one to one and a half hours on the island itself, following the walking route around the walls and the colony. Add the boat crossing each way and any waiting time, and a Spinalonga trip typically fills a half-day from Elounda or Plaka, or a longer outing from Agios Nikolaos.

Children who can manage a short boat ride and a steady walk usually enjoy the island's fortress and its stories, but the ground is steep, uneven and unfenced in places, so they need close supervision. Older visitors comfortable on their feet manage the route with care; the steps, slopes and small-boat boarding make it demanding for anyone with serious mobility limits.

No. The standard island admission is not personalised and needs no passport or name — just show your mobile ticket at the gate. (Reduced and free-entry categories set by the operator may require ID at the gate; our ticket is standard full adult admission.)

No. Spinalonga is a rocky, fortified island with steep slopes, steps, cobbles and uneven ground, and boarding a small boat from the jetty adds a further obstacle, so it is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. Visitors with limited mobility can enjoy the area near the entrance but will find most of the walking route difficult.

The island monument operates mainly in the visiting season, roughly April to October, and is generally closed or on very limited hours in winter, when boat services also thin out. Summer hours are longer than the shoulders of the season, with timed hourly entry and last entry about 30 minutes before closing. Because access depends on the boats and the weather at sea, always confirm sailings and hours for your date.

Changes are allowed up to 2 hours before your visit, with a maximum of 2 changes per ticket, provided your preferred new slot is still open. Because the island depends on boats and weather, if the sea keeps you from sailing contact our team and we'll help where the operator's rules allow. See our terms for the full policy.

All bookings are final once confirmed; we only issue a refund in the rare event the operator cannot honour a validly issued ticket. Timed-entry admission is non-refundable, but you can change your slot up to 2 hours before your visit within the operator's rules. Your separately booked boat crossing is subject to the boat operator's own terms. See our terms for details.

No. We're an independent concierge service for international visitors. We buy genuine island admission on your behalf from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture's official ticketing service and handle the booking in your own language, and our service fee is included in the price shown. You can always buy directly from the operator if you prefer.

The price you see is the price you pay — we show it in your local currency where we can and charge exactly that amount, with no surprise fees at checkout. Payment is by card on a secure page.

Two reasons: you settle your island admission and hourly slot in advance, so you step off the boat and go straight to the gate instead of queuing on the jetty, and you get it all handled with 24/7 human support and a pre-visit audio history. Our service fee is included in the price — there are no extras at checkout.