ELOUNDA
One of the loveliest spots of Crete is the town of Elounda (or Elouda), situated 7km from Agios Nikolaos. This modern town lies on the shores of a deep blue lagoon that contains the sunken remains of the lost city of Olous. Some ruins of the city have been preserved on the edge of the peninsula but the rest of the city is below sea level. On days when the water is calm, the walls of this ancient city can be seen beneath the waves. In summer, scuba diving expeditions to the sunken city are available. Elounda's lagoon, technically the Gulf of Korthos, also contains the island of Spinalonga and its Venetian fortress, which for many years was used as a leper colony. Sad tales are told of lepers who would try to escape from the "Isle of Tears", using barrels or wooden bed frames for boats. It is not known if any of these desperate escapees came across the other occupant of the lagoon: Britomartis, who in Cretan myth is said to be a mermaid goddess, possibly the daughter of Carme and Zeus, and is still believed to inhabit the local waters. The image of Britomartis is certainly kept alive, when visiting the local souvenir shops you will come across plenty of statuettes and other images of Britomartis.
