Worth a DetourSpinalonga
Lasithi
About 34 miles away
A Venetian island fortress off Elounda, later a leper colony, reached by small boat.
Guide Coming Soon
Koules Fortress
The Venetian sea fortress guarding the old harbor, with the lion of St. Mark carved on its walls.
- Open
- Closed Tuesdays; shorter hours from November to March
- Price
- Paid
- Time Needed
- 1 hour
- Address
- Koules Fortress, Old Harbor, HeraklionDirections
- Getting There
- At the start of the harbor breakwater, a 10-minute walk from Lions Square.
Why Go
The Venetians built the fortress they called Rocca a Mare between 1523 and 1540 to guard the port of Candia, as Heraklion was then known. Inside are vaulted rooms that held stores, guns and prisoners, and from the roof you look back over the city and along the breakwater.
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