Visiting Elafonisi Beach in Crete

Elafonisi Beach in is one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete and is famous for its pink sand. With a stunning backdrop of juniper-dotted mountains, the water here is crystal clear and a shade of teal that would rival many more exotic locations.

While it’s far from secluded, Elafonisi is large enough that you are sure to find some space to relax for the day and enjoy the sunshine and warm water. It’s a great day trip from Chania or Falasarna.

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How to Get to Elafonisi Beach from Chania or Falasarna

By Car Having a rental car (I used DiscoverCars) for visiting Elafonisi will give you the most flexibility. Driving from Falasarna to Elafonisi is 1 hour and 15 minutes while travel time between Chania and Elafonisi is about 1.5 hours driving. My preference is to stay in Falasarna if driving as you won’t have to deal with city traffic and navigation so it makes for a more relaxed drive.

From Falasarna, I recommend driving the coastal route on the way to Elafonisi Beach. This route is scenic and will take you through tiny mountain towns and has lots of winding curves to drive. If you aren’t a fan of switchbacks and mountain driving, the main highway also offers up beautiful views.

Take the road through the spectacular Topolia Gorge on your return to Falasarna or Chania for a change of scenery. This road is a lot easier to drive than the coastal road as it is wider and doesn’t have twists and turns. Both routes offer beautiful scenery.

By Bus There are public buses that go to Elafonisi and it is likely your cheapest option for travel but least convenient. The bus typically runs once a day in each direction between Chania and Elafonisi. During the off-season, the bus may only run on weekends. Check out KTEL for public bus schedules.

By Tour If you aren’t renting a car on this trip, your best bet is to take a tour from Chania. This day trip to Elafonisi includes 4 hours at the beach, a stop for coffee on the way, and a lunch stop at a tavern on the way back to Chania.

Visiting Elafonisi Beach in Western Crete

While you can easily spend an entire day at Elafonisi Beach, I visited Balos and Elafonisi on the same day. I visited Balos Beach early morning and then followed it up with a visit to Elafonisi Beach and nearby Kedrodasos Beach to make for one mega-beach day in Crete! You can check out my full Western Crete road trip itinerary for more details as well.

How Pink is Elafonisi Beach?

While you may expect all of the sand at Elafonisi to be pink like in photos online, temper your expectations. When I visited, I was only able to spot the more vibrant shades of pink around the shoreline.

The amount of pink sand depends on the time of day, waves, and how much people take from the beach. For your best chance of spotting pink sand, visit early morning (before 10 am!) before the shoreline has had people trampling over the sand.

The good news is, you are likely to see pink sand and even if you don’t, Elafonisi Beach is still one of the most beautiful beaches on Crete!

What is the Pink Sand at Elafonisi?

The pink sand at Elafonisi is not sand. It’s the red shells of Foraminifera. Foraminifera are single-celled microorganisms with a shell. When these shells mix with the white sand of Elafonisi, you end up with the beautiful pink-hued sand.

While you shouldn’t remove sand from the beach, I do recommend getting a closer look and then placing the pink sand back where you found it. Upon closer inspection, you can see tiny shells and pieces of pink shell that the sand is comprised of.

Parking at Elafonisi Beach

As you approach Elafonisi there are multiple paid parking lots that you can park in. I would drive as close to the entrance as possible to cut down on walking. The closest parking lot to the edge of the beach is about 650m and takes a 10-minute walk.

While you used to be able to drive right up to the beach, as of 2023, there is now a short walk through the former parking lots. The walk is fairly flat but exposed to the sun, so ensure you are prepared. I wore flip-flops as I didn’t anticipate walking that far and regretted it as it was uncomfortably rocky and sandy.

There has been a greater focus on preserving the Elafonisi environment which is part of the reasoning behind banning vehicles from Elafonisi.

Exploring the Pink Sand Beaches

Elafonisi Beach was much larger than I was expecting. From the top of the walk down to the beach you can see how spread out it is. You can easily spend an entire day here lounging on the sand or exploring.

Upon first approaching the beach at Elafonisi, there is an area where you will find the changing rooms and bathrooms. The bathrooms are paid so make sure you have some change on you, it cost 1 euro when I visited. The bathrooms are spotless as the bathroom attendant cleans the stall between each person. You will also find a food and drink stand nearby.

Near the beginning of the beach, there is a small shallow lagoon area that is perfect if you are traveling with small children or if you want to just lay in the warm water. This area is quite busy so you will find many people lying on sunbeds and swimming here. Even though it is busy, it is easily one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe.

Walk a bit further to the island across some shallow water and you will find more space. The island is a protected area and as such you have to stay on the path to prevent damage to the soil.

There are endangered plants that call the dunes home including rare trees like the coastal juniper and Crocodilium pumilio, a rare flowering plant.

While I didn’t find Elafonisi to be quite as beautiful as Balos Beach, it is a great beach for swimming at because of the abundance of soft white and pink sand and crystal-clear water.

Beach Near Elafonisi: Kedrodasos Beach

If you have time and energy after spending the day at Elafonisi, Kedrodasos Beach is only a 10-minute drive and worth a stop. There are no facilities at Kedrodasos, only a rocky dirt parking lot that was free when I visited.

After parking at Kedrodasos, you have about a 10-minute walk downhill to a beach. You do need proper shoes or sandals for this as the path is quite steep and slippery at parts and it does not appear to be maintained at all.

Unlike Elafonisi this beach is rocky and there are quite a few sharp rocks. I’m not sure what type of rocks they are but they easily slice up your feet or hands if you slip. It’s also a clothing-optional beach.

The water here was no less beautiful then Elafonisi and was quite striking against the black-coloured stones.

One very appealing part of this beach was that there were juniper trees at the edge of the beach that offered much-needed shade. Kedrodasos Beach was a fantastic stop after spending time at Elafonisi as it was a little bit more relaxed and I felt it was a bit more scenic than Elafonisi.

Where to Stay Near Elafonisi Beach

I recommend staying around Falasarna when planning a visit to Elafonisi Beach if you have a rental car. Falasarna is just a short drive to Elafonisi and gives you easy access to other fantastic destinations in Western Crete including Balos Beach.

If you are not planning on renting a car, Chania makes for a great base because there are plenty of tour options that leave from there.

Casa D’Irene Deluxe Hotel in Falasarna is where I stayed. I loved this hotel. It had really nice and clean rooms, a cute pool and bar area, and a fantastic included breakfast. The location was close to a main highway too so it made for a great place to do day trips around Crete.

Mosaic Hotel in Chania. I stayed here during my time in Chania. The location was great as it was easy to walk to the historic area or the bus station. This is a great option if you are basing yourself in Chania.

Glykeria Hotel is near Elafonisi Beach. This hotel has fantastic ratings. There are rooms with sea views. If you are looking for a quiet retreat, this is a great option and only 15 minutes drive from Elafonisi.

The Incredible Teal Waters of Elafonisi Beach

Elafonisi Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches I had a chance to visit while doing a road trip in Crete. If you are visiting Western Crete, it is well worth making a stop here to explore the soft sand and the almost Caribbean-like waters of Elafonisi.

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