Spinalonga & Kolokytha Bay cruise: swim & lunch

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.06 (126 reviews) 47% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellation

1/17

Duration9h–10h

GroupUp to 100

LanguagesEN · DE +3

PickupAt your hotel

One hour across Mirabello Bay, a fortress with a guide, then a beach where you swim and eat

A full-day cruise from Agios Nikolaos that sails across Mirabello Bay to Spinalonga Fortress for a 45-minute guided tour, then stops at Kolokytha Beach for swimming and lunch before returning to town. Hotel pickup is included; the boat is the only one that anchors at Kolokytha, giving you an hour and a half there instead of a quick photo stop. A live guide speaks English, Italian, French, German and one additional language.

9h–10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Cruise and visit Spinalonga and Kolokytha

Gather at pick-up points
Travel to Agios Nikolaos town
Boat sails from Agios Nikolaos
Guided tour of Spinalonga Fortress
Free time for photos at Spinalonga
Boat trip to Kolokytha Bay
Swim and lunch at Kolokytha Bay
Sail back to Agios Nikolaos
Free time in Agios Nikolaos town
Embark buses and return to hotels

The Experience

The day starts with a bus pickup from your hotel and a drive to Agios Nikolaos, arriving about 90 minutes later. From there you board the boat and sail for an hour across Mirabello Bay — the operator runs the only tour that makes this crossing, and the water is clear enough that the sail itself is part of the experience. When you reach Spinalonga, a professional guide leads a 45-minute walk through the fortress, explaining its history as "the island of tears," then leaves you free to photograph the views and explore on your own for the remaining time.

After a 15-minute sail, the boat anchors at Kolokytha Bay, where you have an hour and a half to swim in the shallow water and eat lunch on the beach. Lunch is a set menu — salad, bread, your choice of chicken or a vegetarian wrap, fruit, and either wine or juice — and it arrives while you're there, not after. This is the stop that separates the tour from others: most boats pass Kolokytha, but this one stops long enough that lunch and swimming are not rushed.

The sail back to Agios Nikolaos takes the morning route in reverse. Once you're back in town, you have an hour and a half of free time to walk around the lake and port, grab a coffee, or just sit. Then the bus returns you to your hotel. The whole day runs 9 to 10 hours depending on traffic and which pickup point you're coming from. Insurance coverage is included; bring a moderate level of fitness and avoid the tour if you have cardiovascular concerns.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and return in an air-conditioned bus.
boat tickets for the cruise across Mirabello Bay.
a 45-minute guided tour of Spinalonga Fortress with a live guide.
lunch at Kolokytha Beach (salad, bread, choice of chicken or vegetarian wrap, fruit, and wine or juice).
liability insurance coverage through Allianz.
free time in Agios Nikolaos town at the end of the day.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availableNot for heart conditions

Operated by Cretan Odyssey

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to swim and eat without rushing — the long stop at Kolokytha is what makes both possible in a single day. The fixed schedule and included transport mean you don't arrange the drive, the boat times or the meal, so the day holds together without you building it.