Located opposite Nea Chora, the islet Lazaretta was used by the Venetians in the 17th century as a leprosarium in honour of Lazarus, the patron saint of lepers according to the Roman Catholic Church. Remains of graves have been identified, seemingly of patients, and the foundations of buildings that were demolished by the Turks in 1645 to place a large cannon for their attack of Chania’s stronghold can still be seen. Additionally, metal fragments from bombs dropped during German military exercises during WWII can be found on the island.
In 1954, a local built a shrine of Saint Nicholas on the islet, having made a miraculous swim to Nea Chora after suffering sunstroke. A small sandy beach exists on the island, ideal for snorkeling and regularly visited by local diving schools and sea excursion boats. During the 1950s, long distance swimmers used Lazaretta as the starting point when competing, with the Chania inner harbour as the finish line.
