Elounda

About EloundaElounda is a small fishing town on the Elounda Bay, on the island of Crete, Greece. It is popular with European tourists and has several hotels. Elounda is also the closest major town to the former leper colony of Spinalonga. The town is close to the city of Aghios Nikolaos and the village of Plaka (Lassithi).

History
Dating back to the Venetian era and the Ancient Greek period, Elounda has changed dramatically during its lifespan. The bulk of the ancient city of Olous was reclaimed by the sea towards the end of the Ancient Greek period and is still visible, in part, when diving in the bay of Elounda.
Olous was the harbour of the dorian city Dreros.
A Mosaic with geometrical decorations and fishes of an early Christian Basilika Church is among the remains of Olous.
During the early 1900s, Elounda acted as a stopping off point for lepers being transported to the leper colony at Spinalonga.


Tourism
Elounda is the self-proclaimed "most luxurious resort" in Greece. It is home to many luxury 5-star hotels as well as budget accommodation. Most of the major luxury hotels are located out of town, set in their own grounds.
Many bars and restaurants can be found in Elounda, supporting and supported by the growing tourist industry there. In 2003, some British tour operators stopped offering holidays to the town - these places were quickly filled by European (mostly French, German) tour operators.

Get around
Car rental is available. Good and modern public transport is provided by the KTEL bus company.

By Foot Elounda is a cosmopolitan town/village with a small fishing port. It has several sandy beaches all in walking distance from the centre (square)

The square has many bars,restaurants and fast food businesses. You can even find a few kafenions here the real traditional watering holes.

Elounda's fishing port also offers boat trips to the nearby Island of Spinalonga (Kalidon) which in the past was used as a leper colony.

Near the main beach a little way from the square is a children's play area. There are shops, bars and restaurants close by. The beach has been awarded the blue flag.

Near to this beach there is also boat trips and one boat called the Shark's Eye has a glass bottom and is a hydrofoil.

If you walk back through the square to the other end..you will see a street going up a bank. You probably came down this street on your coach. On this street there are shops, bars, restaurants and Jewellery shops, Fashion shops, tourist shops, and even a couple of night clubs.

Going further up this street you will see a cut going down to the left. You will see a sign saying "Sanken City Of Olous"(yes sanken) This was the original Elounda many questions are being asked about this city "was Olous the real Atlantis from Myths and Legends ?" As you walk along the causeway you may still see some of the walls of the city in the water. Keep walking and you will come across a small beach, with a large old stone building at the end of it. This building was origanally built as a storage building. Keep walking along and to you right you will see some old windmills. Here is a beautiful spot over the bridge a small canal with fishing boats to the side. You will also see the original stone bridge now broken. This Canal was built by the French many many Years ago. There are many things to see this side of the bridge .......and if you are fit and can put up with the heat even a beautiful fine white sand beach.

Going back towards Elounda after you have walked back over the causway turn right and keep walking along the seafront. You will pass beautifuly placed restaurants and Taverna's. Maybe this is a good time to stop have something to eat or just a cold glass of beer. Well keep walking and you are back in the centre again.

See
Spinalonga Island, the setting for the bestseller "The Island" by Victoria Hislop. Spinalonga Island is easily accessed by boat from Elounda and the small village of Plaka.
The island of Spinalonga (Kalidon) has captured the imagination of many throughout its long history. Since millenia past, artists, musicians and authors have romanticised and wrote about this island. It is pne of the most visited tourist attractions on Crete, and thousands of visitors walk along the narrow streets through the village on Spinalonga each year. Actually the name 'Spinalonga', which means 'Long Thorn', came from the Venitians after a small island near Venice. The official name is Kalidon, but so well known is its former name that even the sign posts and the boats that take you to the the island will call it only by its Venetian name.
Salt Pans 15th century salt evaporation pans which were still in use until the early 1970's.
Canal Built by French engineers to ease trade between Elounda and Agios Nikolaos.


There are many fine restaurants and bars in Elounda. These include the Friends Bar in the centre of Elounda, perhaps the most modern bar in the town. Restaurants in the town include the Kalidon, famous because it is set upon a floating platform. The town has one English cuising restaurant, 'Jennifers', and a speciality fish restaurant.