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Elounda

(updated August 5, 2007)

Elounda is a touristic seaport town with 1,500 inhabitants. It is named after the sunken city of Olous. Elounda is known for the series "Who pays the ferryman?" from the BBC.

EloudaElounda

Today, the port of Elounda is mainly used by tourists who want to make a visit to the island Spinalonga. In Elounda there are many shops and restaurants. Yet there is still a quiet village atmosphere, which makes it nice to stay. There are also long sandy beaches. You can swim in the bay, where the water is much calmer than in the seas around Crete.

The old city of Olous drowned near Elounda. Before Olous disappeared under water it was a very important Greek city. When the weather is good it's possible to make a boat trip to Olous. You can go diving. Fishermen in the area often tell stories about findings that they did. Unfortunately, most of those stories are not true.

The series "Who pays the ferryman?" were broadcasted by on the BBC in 1977 in England and later in other countries in Europe. It was at that time a very popular series. The director of the series was William Slater and the story was written by Michael J. Bird. The series tells the story of Alan Haldane who after war returned to Crete. There he discovers that his girlfriend died. Because he appears to have a daughter in Crete Alan decides to stay in Crete where he is confronted with things from the past.

Elounda is best reached from Agios Nikolaos by bus. Agios Nikolaos can be reached by bus from Heraklion. This bus stops in Chersonissos and Malia. Along the road from Agios Nikolaos in northerly direction to Elounda you'll find the most luxurious resorts of Crete. Most of these, however, are out of sight. The Greek national football team stayed here after winning the European championship in Portugal in 2004.

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