Elounda is a fishing village located on the northern side of Crete. While most of Greece is known for spectacular beaches, Elounda is also known for the beautiful mountains. Rent a jeep for a day in the mountains and walk the trails, see the wild orchids and see eagles soar. Visit Spinalonga or dive down to see the ancient sunken city of Olous.
Lasithi Plateau
A day trip with a jeep can take guests to the Lasithi Plateau (inhabited since the Neolithic Era). Crete has around 3000 caves and the most famous one is Dikteon Andron; this is the cave Zeus, the father of the Gods, was born in. Other interesting things to see in the Lasithi Plateau are the windmills the plateau is famous for, the three flour mills dating to the 1800’s and the Kera Monastery for the beautiful frescoes.
Spinalonga
This island was once connected to Crete by a peninsula. The peninsula was destroyed in 1526 by Venetians, making an island, to protect a port entranceway. From 1903 until 1957 the island was used as a leper colony. One of the entrances to Spinalonga is called Dante’s Gate because the patients were not sure how they would be treated. They were treated with care, given food, medicine and even social security payments. Today, the island is a popular tourist attraction and is accessed from Elounda.
Olous; the Sunken City
Olous was a bustling city during the Minoan Era, around 3000-900 BC. The city’s history is known mostly by inscriptions and found coins from the years 330-280 BC. Olous sank during a landslide but its walls can be seen on calm days. For the adventurous, there are diving excursions to this ancient city as well.
More of Elounda’s attractions include the floating restaurant of Kalidon, Municipal Beach and Mirambello Bay.
