Today’s installment in our series on abandoned places takes us to forsaken islands. Let the Lord of the Flies commentary begin.
1. Spinalonga Island, Crete, Greece
Oh Greece, I don’t think you’ve ever recovered for having murdered Socrates,* and I may have never rebounded from my philosophy 101 course. Instead, let us focus on an abandoned fortress island. Spinalonga was once part of the island of Crete until the Venetians arrived in the 15th century and carved out a section of the peninsula to establish an 8.5-hectare island. The fortified island was built to protect Venetian trade routes, particularly the entrance-way to the ancient port of Olous. Overtaken by the Ottoman Empire in 1715, Spinalonga eventually served as a Leper colony (1903-1957) following Crete’s independence. Unoccupied, the site remains a popular tourist attraction. The warmest of thanks to DaisyWalker for having suggested the bulk of the featured locations.
2. Ross Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Located in the Andaman archipelago, Ross Island acted as the residential headquarters for the British administration of the Indian Penal Settlement. The penal colony was established in 1857 for the sole purpose of jailing individuals who challenged British occupation. Rocked by an earthquake in 1941, the small island was divested of its administrative powers and now serves as a popular tourist spot.
3. Chacachacare Island, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Chacachacare is a fantastic name for an island. Say it out loud. Go on. There’s just something Cha-ca-cha-care-ly-charming about it, no? Located northwest of Trinidad, the island was once used as a Spanish whaling station in the 17th century, a sugar, apple and cotton plantation in the 18th century, followed by a leper colony managed by Dominican nuns in the 19th century. Uninhabited except for a few lighthouse caretakers, Chacachacare is also believed to be haunted. Like by a creepy love-stricken lantern wielding nun. Let’s visit!
*I’m choosing to ignore the fundamental impact – well according to Wikipedia – of ancient Greek’s Hellenistic civilization. Boring.
For previous entries, please click here.
