Planning a trip to Crete? Don’t miss a day at Elafonisi Island! Located on the southwest coast of Crete, Elafonisi is famous for its pink sand beaches, created by crushed coral shells.
While the intensity of the pink hues varies with the season and conditions, the island’s crystal-clear waters, breathtaking scenery, and excellent beach facilities make it a must-visit spot.
As a protected nature reserve, Elafonisi is home to unique wildlife, and removing sand or shells is strictly prohibited.
Whether you’re looking to relax or explore, this Greek paradise is the perfect destination for a dreamy beach escape.
Getting to Elafonisi Island
If you’re travelling via car or coach, it’ll take around 2-3 hours from Rethymnon and around 2 hours from Chania.
A lot of the route takes the main highway through Crete, but you will soon be taking the narrower bendy roads through the mountain roads and gorges that you see everywhere in Crete.
We took an organised coach trip on our day trip to Elafonisi Island and it was the best decision for us. Whilst the travel day was long, we had time to enjoy the scenery whilst a skilled driver used his expertise on the roads.
Arriving At Elafonisi Island
Once you have arrived in the large car park at Elafonisi, you will have around a 5-10 minute walk down to the beach. There are toilets at the car park (chargeable) and also toilets on the beach (chargeable).
On your walk down to the beach, you’ll pass a souvenir shop and taverna serving food and drink. This is a nice stop on your way back to the car park at the end of the day. It’s also a rest stop along the walk as it’s quite hilly.
Facilities At Elafonisi Island
Aside from the toilets, there are also changing areas, sunbeds with shade (although these are taken quite quickly).
Along the beach there are places to get snacks and food items. For example we purchased a pizza and hot dog style sausage roll for a reasonable cost.
It’s a good idea to pack your own water, towels and some shade if possible. There are plenty of fenced areas at the back of the beach, so you could secure some shade to these if you’re inventive.
How Long To Spend At Elafonisi Island Beach
We spent 4 hours in total at Elafonisi Island beach and it was plenty of time for us. Visiting at the end of May, we found that whilst it was busy, there was plenty of space for people to set up for the day. I can imagine this would get busier as the season gets going in Crete.
Enjoying the water is one of the main attractions at Elafonisi. Depending on the conditions of the water, the level is only just over waist height as you walk between the smaller islands in the lagoon. It’s a great place just to wander in the clear blue seas and enjoy the stunning scenery.
There are small fish swimming about your feet, but even me being squeamish, they didn’t bother me and I forgot they were there after a while.
If you’re visiting Crete and have the opportunity to visit Elafonisi, then I would really recommend you go for it.
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