I really liked the area though where you had to wade through around waist-deep water to get to a second sandy beach portion away from all the sun chairs and umbrellas. Even rarer is the winter-flowering bulb Androcymbium rechingeri. It has rooms above their taverna and in several other buildings scattered around an olive grove and among their citrus trees. Elafonisi Beach is situated southwest of the island of Crete.Elafonisi is a rectangle, which often “breaks” in two parts by water giving the impression of being a distinct island. Quick View. Most day tours include several hours of free time at Elafonisi, so travelers can sunbathe, swim, and head out across to the island nature reserve to explore the trails. Exploring the nature reserve on the island is still possible in November, but you may have to wade through cold, knee-deep water to get there. Nobody recommends the very average food at Panorama, but this bar is worth a daytime visit because it has a terrific view. The island is a mile long, ending in a rocky outcrop and weird, freestanding towers of rock formed by wind and water. Elafonisi Beach Idyllic Escape & Spirit of West Crete - Chauffeur-Driven Tour. Lovely beach but be careful how you get there! Driving along roads with shear cliff drops and few barriers. Go in the high season and you'll find this once empty beach, connected by a sandbar to an island nature reserve, crowded and covered with beach loungers. Because Elafonisi is somewhat remote, the town of Chania is at least an hour and a half or more by car, so you might want to stay overnight. But visitors can wade out to the island to enter another world. Then step into the museum’s 9D cinema and thrill at the mythology of Minos, told with a variety of immersive special effects. During the height of the summer season, the beach is crowded until the day trippers and coach tours leave. Plan for a longer drive. More info. Today, this beautiful sandy beach is the target destination for everyone from young backpackers and svelte sun worshippers to families with buckets and spades. Did not really notice that the sand had a pink hue unless. If taking pictures of rare wildflowers is not your thing, bring your camera anyway, as well as something to protect you from the evening chill. It's about half a mile from the beach, or about a 10-minute walk. Chania - Elafonissi Island from Rethimno. Elafonisi is a popular destination for day trips and only few people stay there for longer periods. Elafonisi Beach from Chania in Crete. What a beautiful beautiful beach! Save time to explore the area! The sand is only slightly pink, and in only certain areas. Quick View. Unmade roads where landslides had been filled in with rubble, my little hire car didn't like it! It's a beautiful beach, but it's often crowded. In fact, they are too small to serve the hundreds of tourists disgorged from the tourist buses that arrive throughout the day. Took just under two hours to drive there from Chania (not knowing what the speed limit was and in a tiny little car with just about no power! More info. The rooms have kitchenettes and air conditioning. Great scenery with many little villages but the constant twists and turns made my wife car sick. Elafonisi Beach is a beach in Chania. Further up the unpaved road away from the beach is Panorama. The Elafonisi Resort by the Kalomirakis Family caters well for family groups. Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, located in the southern part of the Aegean Sea. The wide, shallow lagoon is a shelter for rare loggerhead sea turtles. $60.80 per adult. Most visitors report that the WC's are dirty to the point of abysmal. Travelers also recommend Innachorion, a restaurant with rooms about 1 kilometer (1/3 mile) from the beach for a traditional Cretan meal. $60.74 per adult. If you are looking for more substantial food (and cleaner restrooms), the Taverna Kalomirakis Family is part of the Elafonisi Resort and is popular for its seafood and traditional Greek food. Elafonisi Resort by the Kalomirakis Family. The beach is a Natura 2000 protected area. Rome2rio makes travelling from Crete to Elafonisi beach easy. Back to the practical side. But if you do, give them a wide berth as they are a protected species. The ideal time is the early autumn. 3 reviews. Stop here for a drink on the terrace and take in a wide-angle view of the beach, the lagoon and the island beyond. So we decided to take the coast route back from the beach which was a mistake. Quick View. That's why Elafonissi beach is such a popular destination in the prefecture of Chania, and a top of the top things to do / excursion from all over Crete. Your kids will love playing volleyball and rackets in the shallow waters and, if you are among the lovers of water sports, Elafonisi is ideal for wind surfing and kite surfing, as it combines the strong winds of South West Crete with the calm waters of the lagoon. Pink sand in Elafonissi Elafonisi is located 76km west of Chania and 5km south of Chrysoskalitisa Monastery, in the southwesternmost tip of Crete. The beach is connected to Elafonisi Island (Elafi=deer, nisi=island) where you can walk too (except in very high tide days). Just too many people... even though Crete was not full, it was as if everybody who was on the island went ther. The road from Chrisoskalitissa continues as a dirt track of 5km to Elafonisi. The beach here is a strip of sand that just connects the tiny island of Elafonisi off the far western coast of Crete. A mini-market just across the road from Innachorion is a good place to pick up snacks, drinks, basic groceries, suntan lotion and beach toys on your way to the sand. Many people take day tours from the capital to Elafonisi for the day. Elafonisi, South-West Crete. It is an internationally classified nature reserve. Elafonissi Beach Crete Day Trip. Elafonisi Beach: heaven on earth, that’s it, no more words to describe it. $43.40 per adult. You can also blame Instagram and Pinterest for that. Don't get complacent about finding everything you need, though. I thought I ended up in the Caribbean...somewhere..but no it's on Crete. Quick View. Elafonisi Chania: Elafonisi (or Elafonissos) is a small islet connected to the rest of Crete by a shallow reef that can be crossed when the sea is calm.This islet lies 82 km northwest of Chania town and can be reached by boat from Paleohora or by car from the village of Vathi, until a point and then cross the reef. There are two basic beach bars near the beach. The clear, turquoise waters have beckoned travellers for centuries, but thankfully this area of Elafonisi Beach has a restricted development order in place. Elafonisi beach is also offered for sports on the beach and water sports also. That's when this beach on the southwest coast of Crete came to an end as a slice of paradise. It's home to more than 100 rare plants including summer flowering sea daffodils that look like white cups, resembling normal daffs in shape, surrounded by spiky white petals. Quick View. Pink seashell beach and greenish blue clear water..what more can I say... Just go ..NOW These kind of places dont, Don't get me wrong, the beach is big and beautiful, but maybe I saw too many edited photos of the beach before going which made me slightly disappointed to find that it wasn't nearly as pink as I was expecting it to be. 11 reviews. There's no shade and because beach chairs and umbrellas are not permitted, fewer people make their way to it. She currently lives in London. Elafonisi is actually an island, separated from the southwest coast of Crete, by a shallow, warm lagoon and a sandbar that is submerged under about one meter of water at most during high tide. Marriott Autograph Collection Hotels in Crete, Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing in Crete, Heraklion Archaeological Museum: Tickets & Tours, Aquaworld Aquarium & Reptile Rescue Centre: Tickets & Tours, From snorkel to surfing—no expertise necessary, All ashore for easy trips straight from port, Explore on your feet—and never miss anything, Flexible itineraries and personal experiences, Sample the local scene with in-the-know guides. $43.39 per adult. Elafonissi Beach Crete Day Trip. $60.75 per adult. Elafonisi Beach Idyllic Escape & Spirit of West Crete - Chauffeur-Driven Tour. 3 reviews. More info. Located at the south-western corner of Crete, the family-run Glykeria Hotel features an outdoor pool with a sea-view sun terrace, and a restaurant. Chania - Elafonissi Island from Rethimno. Try to get there early before the crowds come. When the beach is crowded, you will have to wait a long time to be served at either. More info. more, Browse our largest collection of experiences. It's a bar with a similar offering, plus alcoholic beverages. Quick View. Elafonisi Beach Idyllic Escape & Spirit of West Crete - Chauffeur-Driven Tour. You'll be lucky to spot one because they are very shy. With life-sized 3D exhibits, discover the island’s many stories – its rich history and ancient legends – in an interactive and family-friendly way. Elafonisi Beach and the small Island is near the southwest tip of Crete, 43km from Kastelli and 76km from Chania. Find all the transport options for your trip from Crete to Elafonisi beach right here. Crete is the largest island in Greece and home to one of the best beaches called Elafonisi beach and Balos Bay. $622.99 per adult. Not long ago, Elafonisi Beach was a secret known to very few locals on Crete. $623.12 per adult. Even in the busiest season, it is possible to find quiet little coves and pockets of sandy beach occasionally popular with nude bathers. There is a daily bus service that runs from Chania to the beach that takes just over 2 hours. This stunning place is a popular sight of the island with millions of visitors every year. To protect its rare plants, specific walks are laid out on the island, and, of course, removing any plants or animals from the island is forbidden an punishable by big fines. A lot longer drive than it appears on the map. Elafonisi Beach is a stunning natural wonder on the island of Crete, offering pink sand and gorgeous blue waters. Also I don't know if it is always windy there, but holy smokes, the day I went was crazy, and actually cold enough that I didn't even go swimming. Elafonisi is an oblong, which often “breaks” in two parts by water giving the impression of being a separate island. The island is a nature lover's paradise but there must be something about the mainland beach itself that draws so many visitors to itself every year. The beach on the mainland and on the part of the sandbar that is never submerged is populated by hundreds of beach chairs and umbrellas and thousands of tourists in the high season. There are sunbeds and beach umbrellas, two small beach bars, toilets and even lifeguards in season. We have rated it among the top-ten best Greek beaches because of the beautiful landscape, as well as the cleanliness of both the sand and the seawater. There are four reasons, actually: Considering how remote Elafonisi is, 75 kilometers (47 miles) southwest of Chania over difficult and occasionally hair-raising roads, it is a pretty well-organized place. Elafonisi looks out the Libyan open sea. It's so rare it doesn't even have a common name and is found nowhere else in the world. Elafonisi is actually an island, separated from the southwest coast of Crete, by a shallow, warm lagoon and a sandbar that is submerged under about one meter of water at most during high tide. 3 reviews. Then, in 2014, it was named one of the world's top 25 beaches on TripAdvisor. Elafonisi Beach is one of the best in Greece. ), but the reward is beautiful clear waters. $43.43 per adult. Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. And if this is a family visit, with children who require an endless supply of drinks and snacks, plan on bringing a good supply of those as well. Amazing Elafonisi Beach. Name: Elafonisi beach (Ελαφονήσι) Location: Chania, western Crete, Greece Click here to see it on the map and to get directions … Continue reading "Elafonisi Beach" Located 2625 feet from Elafonissi Beach, Lafo Rooms offers accommodations with a balcony, as well as a garden and a terrace. Shallow waters makes it safe for small children and non-swimmers to play. Elafonisi Beach from Chania in Crete. The island is full of sand dunes with sea daffodils and jupiners. More info. Buses leave at 9 am and return at around 4 pm, so if you’re going by bus, be prepared to spend the whole day. Its main attraction to most tourists is the unique feeling of being in a South Seas lagoon whilst having a Mediterranean holiday. It is a Natura 2000 protected area. This is a lovely beach but our journey took a bit of the edge off the enjoyment. The beach bars, one on the beach and the other in one of the free parking areas, are small and basic. Loungers are available for 10 euros for a pair (or 7 euros for a single). If you don't arrive early, you may have difficulty finding beach umbrellas or sources of shade. The island has plenty of of dunes with sand lilies and jupiners (like-cedars trees). Chania - Elafonissi Island from Rethimno. More info. Located in the southwest corner of Crete, Elafonisi beach sparkles with pink-tinted sand and crystal-clear Mediterranean waters. There are organized bus tours from Kastelli and Chania as well as boat tours from Paleohora to Elafonisi. Ferne Arfin is a freelance travel writer who covers the U.K. and Greece for TripSavvy. Canteen Kukurakis on the edge of the eastern parking area has snacks, ice creams, toilet facilities, and cold drinks. Rooms Kochilas Elafonisi is a small family run property, 5 km from Elafonisi beach in the village of Moni Chrisoskalitissis. The owner was very helpful.. very hospitable This perfect beach and islets are at the far west coast of Crete. 11 reviews. Elafonisi Beach from Mapcarta, the free map. Elafonisi beach - a visitor's guide Elafonisi, in the South-West of Crete has become a very popular destination for day trippers who flood to this corner of paradise by car, bus or boat. Free private parking is available on site. Elafonisi Beach is located in the far west of Crete - at the tip of the south-west coast - 75 km from Chania town. Someone could say that nature made its wonder in Elafonisi. $623.55 per adult. Step back in time to ancient Minos and immerse yourself in the island’s exciting myths and legends at Minoan’s World Museum and Cinema. The beach is exposed to strong winds in the spring, so if you go early in April and May, the windblown sand can be unpleasant. We hired a small car and travelled the hills route from Chania to get there. But, if you go very early in the season you can still enjoy the remarkable pink sands, the wildflowers, and strange rock formations in relative peace. Elafonisi is a place of an exceptional natural beauty, and it has been included in the Natura 2000 Protection Program. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. More info. you really looked for it, but it is a lovely place nonetheless. The beach on the mainland and on the part of the sandbar that is never submerged is populated by hundreds of beach chairs and umbrellas and thousands of tourists in the high season. This beach is located 72 km south-west of Chania town in western Crete.. Quick View. Elafonisi Beach from Chania in Crete. This is a completely protected natural area, with wide sandy beaches, little coves and islets of the most pristine white and pink sand. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The Elafonisi pink sand beach, Crete, can be found about 75 km / 47 miles from the town of Chania. Overall the beach was worth the visit, it has lovely soft sand and you can walk out a way in the sea before having to swim, which was great for kids there. The west side of the beach tends to get more wind, it faces the lagoon. After the last crowds from the tour buses leave, it's actually a rather quiet place, ideal for a family vacation. Bring cover-ups and sunhats, just in case. 11 reviews. Elafonisi beach is like paradise on earth, and has a wonderful beach with pink coral sand and crystalline waters. It consists of a small islet full of white and pink sandy beaches. Many day tours from Chania visit the beach and also stop at the 17th-century Chrisoskalitissa Monastery en route. The 9 Best South Carolina Family Resorts of 2020, The Best Things to See & Do in Marseille, France, The Best Beaches on the Caribbean Island of Curaçao, Everything You Need to Know About Snorkeling in Buck Island, St. Croix, The Complete Travel Guide to Malaysia's Pulau Tioman, The Best Beaches in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, The Essential Guide to Bermuda's Horseshoe Bay Beach, Elafonisi Beach, Crete: The Complete Guide. In September and October, both the weather and the waters of the lagoon are likely to be gentle and warm. There's also a hut where you can rent kitesurfing kit. than it appears on the map. More info. We would go back but plan a longer day and each journey with some breaks. Elafonisi is an oblong peninsula, which often breaks in two parts by water giving the impression of being a separate island. It's also received a certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor. Elafonisi has an area of 2000 area. 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