Day 1: Palaiochora to Elafonisi
Day 2: Elafonisi Beach
Day 1: Palaiochora (Παλαιόχωρα) to Elafonisi (Ελαφονήσι)
We had a scenic drive through the mountains from Palaiochora to Elafonisi. We passed or drove through several villages along the way. There were places where the road got down to one lane. Thankfully we didn’t run into any oncoming traffic in places where someone would have had to back up. Because sometimes there aren’t guardrails …
When you arrive in Elafonisi you will be greated by guys trying to wave you into the massive parking lots. Don’t assume the ones farther ahead are full; you’ll save yourself some walking. (Our host in Palaiochora warned us about this.) Since we were staying there for the night I just yelled “Elafonisi Resort” out the window and they waved us on.
You can’t park any closer to the beach than Elafonisi Resort. The cabins, mostly duplex, are scattered in an olive grove. It was interesting to see olives up close.
After dropping our stuff off we grabbed some water and headed down to the beach. We didn’t get there until late afternoon so we didn’t plan to sit anywhere, we just walked around. And we didn’t take our phones — so no photos — because we didn’t know what to expect. We did a lot of our walking in the water, but it never got more than waist high. It was fun wandering without having to schlep a lot of stuff with us. We even saw some fish.
We had dinner at the resort taverna, with a nice view of the sunset. Over the parking lots, but still a dramatic sunset. Later we got some good moon shots from our terrace.
Day 2: Elafonisi Beach
Today we went to the beach to hang out. Yesterday we asked an umbrella attendant when things started filling up. He said if we got there by 9:00 AM there was no problem; things started filling up about 10:00 AM when the buses started pulling in. This beach is popular. That we knew.
We got a good view of sunrise over the mountains from our terrace.
We headed down to the beach just before 9:00 AM. We were up anyway, and it wasn’t like we were doing to do anything except go to the beach.
The first part of the walk down appears to be through the old parking lots. They’ve moved those back farther to protect the environment. We like the twisted trunk on this tree.
There are nice views over the beach as you approach. There’s a small island offshore that you can walk to via a narrow spit or by wading in the water. We walked over there yesterday.
There were maybe two other people there when we arrived about 9:00 AM, so we had our choice of spots. We picked the back row for room to maneuver to stay in the shade. We got a good look at the beach without all the people.
There’s plenty of space in front of the umbrellas for people who would rather sit on the beach. By 11:00 AM things were pretty much filled in.
Elafonisi is famous for pink sand. When we were there it whispered pink, it didn’t shout pink. Up close you can see the particles that give it the pink color.
Here’s a view out to the island and along the spit once the crowds arrived. Even then you could still wind your way through people, and there was plenty of room out in the water, which is pretty shallow throughout.
And what colors. The bottom is sandy and the water is crystal clear wherever you look.
We actually had a couple of brief light rains; not enough to chase us away. By 4:00ish we were ready to head back. We had a look at the dunes behind the beach. One of the nearby tavernas had carved happy faces into some of their cactus.
We had another nice sunset view at dinner.
And later the moon put on a show from our terrace.
If you have the time I recommend spending a couple of nights here. With two nights we were able to spend the day we arrived walking on and around the beach and the second day just relaxing. With a third we could have walked over to another nearby beach. Most importantly, we were there when all the crowds weren’t, which does change the experience.
Essentials
Sleeping
There are only a handful of places to stay right at the beach and the one we chose was the clear winner for us.
Elafonisi Resort was really nice; even better than I expected after seeing the photos. Our room was attractively spacious and modern, with real attention paid to details. We stayed in a Kedros Studio. They’re built in duplex blocks and arranged so that you have privacy from your terrace. We had a view over an olive grove with the sea in the distance. We could happily have stayed another night.
Read about how we find accommodations
Eating
There isn’t a lot at the beach so bring supplies if you can. (Tap water is not potable so bring your own.) There’s a convenience store with snacks and beverages and such, a couple of tavernas, and a couple of beach bars down at the beach. We ate dinner both nights at the taverna at the resort. We both had souvlaki the first night; the second night I had spaghetti bolognese, which was really good. Service was friendly and the food was fine.
Read about how we find places to eat and drink
Getting Around
We had a rental car. There is a bus that runs from Chania and probably multiple tour options. We drove — and spent the night — so we could be there when the hordes weren’t and take the scenic route if we wanted. Once at the beach the only option is to walk, which is easy.