Elafonisi is a magical place that consists of a small islet full of white and pink sandy beaches, which is very close to the main busy (during Summer) beach.
You can get to the Elafonissi island on foot because the waters are shallow, sometimes without even getting one's toes wet, and therefore is ideal for families with small children. It is named by the word "Elafi", which means deer in Greek because people years ago discovered that you can get easily to the islet on foot like a deer that walked to it.
Quite right, blindingly white sand with pink hues, turquoise-white lagoon-like waters that ripple as they pick up the breeze, Elafonissi is an exotic place, a flat morsel of land with sporadic vegetation against the stark bareness of the Cretan mountains. If it weren’t for the car park on the mainland, the umbrellas, beach bar and sun beds, one could mistake it for paradise. Luckily, the island itself is a protected zone, so there is none of that once you walk across the shallow water.
Elafonissi is almost a mile long and there is surprisingly much to explore lengthwise, including a fair number of small coves, sandy beaches and interesting rock formations towards the tip as the island stretches out into the sea and into the sunset.
Don't miss to visit, 5km north of Elafonissi, the Chrysoskalitisa monastery. This monastery has been built on a high rock, resembling of a fortress. According to the legend, the last step of the staircase leading to the monastery is gold, but can only be seen by those who really believe in god.
