Elafonissi
6-26-2022
Pink sand and turquoise water make this one of Crete’s most popular and heavily visited beaches. From Chania, Elafonissi is just under two hours driving, and the route to get there is itself very beautiful. Narrow roads that pass through small towns, tunnels, and some very winding ways through the mountains with some pretty steep drop-offs. The parking lot for the beach isn’t small, but it fills up quickly, so get there early. There are changing stations, bathrooms, and places to buy food and drinks on the beach. As you approach the beach, you’ll notice quickly that it is incredibly stunning and appears very crowded. There will be a lot of people in beach chairs relaxing under umbrellas. You too can find yourself relaxing in these chairs if you desire, they are typically about 15 €, and that will get you two chairs plus the umbrella.
We walked past this first section of the beach and thru a shallow stream to an area that was less crowded, we found an excellent place to lay down our towel without feeling crowded like sardines. The pink sand is easy to see once you get to the beach. I was concerned that maybe it was hyped up more or pictures were altered to help sell the beauty of the beach. The pink color in the sand, from what I understand, is from a micro-organism called Benthic Foraminifera. These little guys, similar to oysters, attach themselves to reefs and rocks in the water. Their crushed-up shells give the sands on the beach that famous pink color. There are only a handful of beaches in the world that have pink sand. And as tempting as it might seem, it is very frowned upon to take any sand home as a souvenir. Signs on the beach warn visitors of the harm that taking sand will cause.
After playing in the water and soaking up the sun, we decided to explore the beach a little more, in the distance were some large dunes that had a path through them. On the other side of these dunes was even more beach, stretching out for quite a distance. The water here is so clear and richly turquoise that it’s irresistible to not want to go back in. I recommend walking around and exploring all this beach has to offer before setting up camp. It’s truly beautiful and lives up to all the talk.
Know Before You Go:
This beach is very popular, try to arrive here as earlier in the day to beat the crowds
The drive to the beach is pretty incredible and scenic, but the roads do get very narrow and can be a little intimidating
Bathrooms, changing stations, and restaurants are all available here, there is a fee to use the toilet but the beach and parking are free. There are also restaurants up the road not far from the beach that are good too, you will most likely pass them on your way
Do not take any sand, please help to preserve the beauty of these beaches