Elafonisi Beach
The beach here is a strip of sand that just connects the tiny island of Elafonisi off the far western coast of Crete. This area has a wild, unspoilt feel to it and development has been restricted leaving the pristine beaches a beautiful spot to unwind. Whilst the sand at Elafonisi appears white at first glance you may notice a pink hue. This is due to it containing traces of coral reef, broken down over the centuries.
The waters separating the island from Crete are both exceptionally clear and shallow which helps makes them warm and safe. Such inviting waters and stunning surroundings have unfortunately made Elafonsi beach a bit of a must see and it summer it gets busy. The good news though is that you can easily escape the wall-to-wall sun beds by wading across the knee deep shallows of the lagoon to the island itself. Here you will find a sun-lounger free zone and a protected wildlife reserve too. There are several little beaches and coves on Elafonisi island and the further you walk, the quieter it gets.
The island itself is well worth exploring. From the top there are good views along with a lighthouse, small chapel and there is also a memorial relating to the islands rather grim history. Elafonisi is also a great spot for bird-watching as birds migrating to Africa often use this part of Crete as a pit stop.
Nearest town/city
Palaióchora
Submit a correction
More Crete beaches in Greece
Current weather (Sun Sep 8th 05:00)
![Fair](/images/weather/png/200/02n.png)
(Fair)
26.7°C / 80°F
Sea temperature
26.8°C80.3°F
What did we get wrong?
Rate Elafonisi Beach
Crete
Greece
Beaches nearby
- Kedrodasos Beach (1.3 mi)
- Falassarna Beach (16.1 mi)
- Balos Beach (21.8 mi)