Review: Heraklion Spinalonga Boat Tour & BBQ Adventure

If you are thinking about adding some boat time and a little adventure to your Crete vacation, then you are probably looking into the Heraklion Spinalonga boat tour that comes with a BBQ. I took the excursion not that long ago, and thought I’d share the experience with you so, that you can get a bit of an idea of what you are looking at, almost like your getting advice from someone in the know.

Setting Sail from Heraklion: The Beginning of a Crete Adventure

So, first off, the boat tour I selected actually started near Heraklion. More or less, you make your way to the port, find your boat and then you hop on for what, could be several hours. Now, in my instance, the boat was pretty decent – nothing over the top, very plain in a way, yet it was neat enough, you know? That is, it was clean, plus it had places to sit either in the sun if that is you, or in the shade if you’re a bit more like me.

As the boat slowly made its way from the harbor, I began to enjoy all that sunshine reflecting across that glistening water. The breeze too it’s almost like a gentle nudge that got increasingly nicer as we traveled further away from that shore. The tour guide got things started with some talking that covered, by and large, our schedule plus there was a fair amount on the regions that we were scheduled to go see. That said, the history portions seemed, just a bit thin so, keep that in mind if you are very interested in detailed information about Spinalonga; it might be wise to have some backup facts.

Spinalonga Island: Walking Through Time

Getting close to Spinalonga really, gave me the shivers in a way. This spot, a tiny island with its looming fortress, that played host to, first, a Venetian defense installation, and then it later on served as a leper colony during the early bit of the 20th century. You’re allowed the ability to walk near and inside some, yet not every portion, of that complex. You get, possibly one hour-ish on that island. Is that time period nearly enough? Maybe not, should you be trying to see all of the place or snap plenty of pictures. Now as for me, it was enough for a walk, think a glance and it was more or less enough time to quietly digest the grim past, you see?

Walking those old roads, that is a thing you are able to do, made me reflect on just about everyone who once lived there — thinking especially about those isolated, struggling with illness and stigma. The bare stone plus just a bit is all there’s left of the houses, yet those buildings very much gave hints of how cut off this place likely was. The guide shared many stories, yet being there, more or less allowed all of those stories to take that step from simple words to a tangible reality.

Agios Nikolaos: A Glimpse of Lakeside Charm

Back on that boat and we next traveled in that direction to Agios Nikolaos. This location that featured a charming lakeside view with a real distinctive character. Reportedly, that lake, Lake Voulismeni, connects to that sea using channels, yet I couldn’t easily make out exactly where just looking at it. The town actually had some shopping of note, too it’s almost you’d find various cafes plus places to grab any possible souvenir imaginable. We got just around one, very quickly shortened hour to look at this spot, and frankly speaking, it just was nowhere near enough time for anything more other than simply scratching the surface.

As for me, that short stop meant grabbing some kind of frozen coffee beverage by the harbor plus appreciating how things shifted relative to how quiet it felt on Spinalonga. Agios Nikolaos gives, just about everyone that sense of relaxation combined with some contemporary Crete flair, and this aspect makes it quite worthy of more exploration on a solo jaunt that has plenty more hours.

Elounda: Luxury and Coastal Beauty

Elounda acted as, pretty much, our last bit we’d get to see from the boat, and just so you know it’s home to some very premium resorts with prices that reflect their location, mind you. As we passed the shore, what was really on tap was views consisting of posh hotels plus those crystal-like waters. Unfortunately, there was no getting off at Elounda this instance, but, as it would be, we spent some, rather valuable minutes admiring those kinds of vistas from that deck. Seeing that coast helped provide more context regarding how the wealthy enjoy that island, and, also too, what all can be appreciated when you vacation at Crete.

BBQ Time: Sun, Sea, and Sizzling Flavors

Now just in case you had any questions, yes there was a BBQ like your brochure, just more or less, guaranteed. That food got prepared, very efficiently, on that boat and it had some chicken, sausages and some salads. It won’t become some kind of dining you’ll remember weeks from that day, yet it, for sure, proved quite filling. Having a plate when traveling the inviting Mediterranean proved genuinely enjoyable, and just, if like me you’ve an appreciation for eating almost any type of sustenance, the open air will, simply, upgrade almost any eating experience, almost to a high degree.

Now drinks — you just needed to cover the amount should you seek to have, and again, keep it in mind to budget. Now as for the wine or beer selection that seemed on hand, it likely would have provided just enough to make you cheerful under that sun. The BBQ part functions mostly as some social component to gather others near. Did I mingle a ton? Possibly not, yet plenty of folks began striking up conversations while sitting or awaiting more food, which honestly added that type of cheer which tends to define trips involving boat trips, that or possible drinking alcohol in quantity.

The Return Trip: Reflecting on the Day

As that boat returned toward Heraklion, just about everyone aboard seemed pretty wiped out, almost from experiencing that sunlight plus seeing the sites. I invested some minutes thinking over those pieces, those past chapters involving Spinalonga plus those fancy stretches viewed near Elounda – along with that reality that a couple hours prior, it was a quiet morning on Crete. This excursion proves really worthy assuming what you’d appreciate getting is really a day that comes complete with a range of sites, just a bit involving past events and getting time spent directly upon that water. One can, that day in fact, get jam packed, yet in most likelihood that feeling will pass very rapidly when you get going with vacation planning.

To really assist in your thoughts just so, here’s a quick recap regarding those aspects from this boat trip:

• Historical Spotlight: Spinalonga does truly offer one moving venture via looking at that past.
• Coastal Scenes: All Of Agios Nikolaos including Elounda does unveil Crete’s contrasting nature.
• Taste Of The Islands: That barbeque luncheon gets factored into that entire excitement, providing both refreshment and mingling chances.

In the end, that boat tour toward Spinalonga provided both some relaxed excursion combined by seeing something more about Crete’s stretch located to its shoreline. It wasn’t precisely an excursion free of imperfections. The time frames assigned per place felt tight combined by just something regarding that historical commentary which may not be fully comprehensive but still that total venture does show an ease combining those leisure elements using just a touch involving history that would seemingly make your vacation, for the most part more special.