Elafonisi Beach from Chania Area

The road to Elafonisi Beach going through Topolia Gorge is one of the most breathtaking road trips in Chania, with plenty of opportunities for photos of the Cretan mountains.

The canyon of Topolia starts near the village of Strovles and it ends in the village of Topolia, where the rock walls are very high and steep. A large number of birds find shelter in the crannies, cracks and caves of the otherwise bare walls of the gorge.

Elafonissi is located 76km west of Chania in the southwestern most point of Crete. Elafonisi is an oblong, which often “breaks” in two parts by water giving the impression of being a separate island.

Elafonissi is a “Natura 2000” protected area. The island is full of dunes with sand lilies and junipers (like-cedar trees). The endangered turtles Caretta-Caretta and several rare animals’ nest on the island and it is strictly forbidden to remove any plants, animals from the area. Exotic beach with white sand and turquoise waters, reminding of the Caribbean, are formed on either sides of the peninsula. The sand is pinkish in many places, taking its color from thousands of broken shells.

Near the “breaking” point of the peninsula, the water does not exceed 1m, creating a small lagoon, ideal for children. You can easily cross the lagoon in order to reach the “island”, having your stuff with you, because the water is very shallow there.

The eastern side of the beach, in front of the lagoon, is well organized and has the most people. There are umbrellas, showers, lifeguards, snack bars and changing rooms.