Guide to visit the beautiful Elafonisi Beach: A pink beach paradise in Crete
Last updated: 19.11.24
Standing on a pink sand beach sounds like a dream! And on the Greek island of Crete this can be a reality. Here you find the beautiful Elafonisi Beach. If you’re planning a trip to Crete you definitely need to consider adding a visit to Elafonisi Beach to your Crete itinerary. Famous for its pink shades in the soft sand and crystal clear waters, Elafonisi offers beautiful surroundings for a relaxing day by the sea.
I will admit I was skeptical about the pink color before visiting Elafonisi Beach. But while it’s not the intense pink color you might have seen in heavily edited photos, you will still find spots along the beach with shades of pink.
In this guide I will share everything you need to know before visiting Elafonisi Beach in Crete. This includes how to get there, great things to know before visiting and more. Let’s dive in!
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Guide to visiting the beautiful Elafonisi Beach: A pink beach paradise in Crete
Visiting Crete
Crete is not only a Greek island but also the largest island in Greece. It’s a paradise located in the Mediterranean Sea and have some gorgeous beaches with clear water. One of those unique beaches are known for its pink sand and is called Elafonisi Beach. A must visit for any traveler that loves a chill beach day.
But Crete isn’t just beaches. Besides beautiful beaches Crete also offers you stunning nature with dramatic gorges and mountains. You find plenty of ways to connect with the outdoors.
Furthermore you can’t skip a meeting with the tasty Greek cuisine when visiting the island. A fantastic way to get an introduction to the local gastronomy is by joining a food tour. I highly recommend the food tour we experienced in Chania – It was such a great way to taste different Greek food in company with a local guide and explore the the charming city Chania, which is known as the capital of the Crete. Definitely one of my highlights from our 2 weeks stay in Crete. Exploring Chania is great experience to add to your itinerary too.
Visiting Elafonisi Beach
It’s time to plan your visit to this gorgeous pink Elafonisi Beach. This Elafonisi Beach guide helps you with pratical information to consider while planning.
Where is Elafonisi Beach?
Elafonisi Beach is located on the southwestern coast of Crete. From Chania to Elafonissi Beach is approximately 75 kilometers (47 miles). When you arrive to Elafonisi Beach you can cross the water and reach the island called Elafonisi.
How to get to Elafonisi Beach?
If you are interested in visiting Elafonisi Beach I here present two easy options of getting there – Either by car or joining an organized tour. Other ways may involve a taxi ride or public transport like bus.
How to get to Elafonisi Beach by car
It’s easy to rent a car and drive to Elafonisi Beach, that’s what we did. We rented a car through our hotel Porto Platanias Beach Resort & Spa and drove to the beach. The hotel is located in Platanias and the drive took around 1,5 hours. We paid 50€ for renting a small car (Suzuki Celerio) in the beginning of October (2024) – Notice its outside the high season in Crete.
You can also find a deal with a rental car online. At DiscoverCars you can easy compare prices and rent a car. It may be a good idea to rent the car in advance especially during peak season. We visited in the beginning of October and didn’t have any problems finding and renting the car a day before our trip.
It’s convient with a car. You can have all the stops on the way you want or drive directly to the final destination. Furthermore you can bring all your beach stuff without problems. It’s flexible option and you can drive whenever it fits your planning.
The conditions of the roads are fine. But you will drive in the mountains, where the roads can be a bit narrow and have many hairpin turns – If you don’t feel comfortable by driving in the mountains it’s better not to go on your own by car. We didn’t have any problems and have been driving on more narrow mountains roads in the past.
Parts of the landscape is quite scenic with olive groves, sea view, charming villages, mountain views and gorges.
You can pay for parking nearby the beach.
How to get to Elafonisi Beach by joining a trip
If you don’t feel like driving yourself another easy way to get to Elafonisi Beach is through an organized tour with a company. Most of the time when we are looking for day tours we use Viator. It’s an easy site to search for a trip. For example if you are staying in Chania you can join this tour called “Day trip to Elafonisi Island from Chania” (notice: I haven’t tried this specific tour). Including in this trip are hotel pick up and drop off and the tour costs from 32€.
Check out Viator for other inspiration to trips to Elafonisi:
Is the sand pink?
As mentioned earlier I will admit I was a bit skeptical about the pink color before visiting Elafonisi. To be honest don’t expect the intense pink you see on some heavily edited photos – Then you can only be disappointed. But even though it’s not the intense pink color you might see online, you will still be able to find spots along the beach with shades of pink. The intensity of the pink shades may be effected by weather conditions and tide.
When observing the pink shades you might think of “why is the sand pink?” As I understand it the pink color is created from pigmented microorganisms.
I love this beach – The pink color, white sand and turquoise blue water is so beautiful. Even if the shades of pink doesn’t met your expectations Elafonisi Beach is still a stunning beach.
Great things to know before visiting
To make the most of your trip here is some information about facilities that is great to know:
Parking
There are different parking areas. At the larger parking spots you pay 5€. But we also saw a smaller parking lot where it only costs 3€, bt I guess those spots fills up quickly. All parkering lots requires a walk before reaching the beach.
Food options
You can find different food options near the beach both cafes and kiosks. Prices vary depending of what you want. For example we had a lunch containing two burgers with fries and beverages and paid 27€. The food wasn’t anything special, but it was super convenient finding something close to water.
Toilet and changing rooms
You find toilet facilities available for 1€.
There are also small changing rooms available at the beach.
Umbrella rental
You can rent an umbrella with sunbeds. We did rent this and it was very nice with some shadow during the day.
Price for an umbrella set containing 1 umbrella and 2 sunbeds is 20€. If you need an extra sundbed it’s 5€ extra.
Other tips and pratical information
Here is a list with other things you need to know before visiting:
- The Greek sun can be intense, so always remember sun protection.
- Remember to stay hydrated when being outside in the sun a whole day.
- Packing essentials: It’s a good idea to bring: Sunglasses, sun protection, towel, swimsuit, hat and extra set of clothes.
- Respect the nature – Be mindful of the environment and never leave any trace and trash behind.
With these tips in mind you are ready to enjoy sunny beach day at Elafonisi.
Is Elafonisi Beach worth visiting?
Yes I loved our day trip to Elafonisi Beach. But don’t expect the whole beach to be pink and remember at some of the photos you watch online the color is edited. But you will still find pink shades in the sand.
We visited in the beginning of October and there were many people. I imagine it can feel pretty crowded in high season. It’s not a hidden gem, but sharing this beautiful beach with other is still worth a visit in my opinion. The water is crystal clear and the temperature was perfect for a swim.
If you visit Crete you have to consider adding Elafonisi Beach to your holiday itinerary.
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