The Greek islands are full of incredible beaches, and Crete is no exception.  No matter what part of the island you stay on, you can be sure to be close to a place where you can lie out for the day.  But there is one beach that has a unique characteristic.  The pink sand of Elafonisi Beach.

Now, I want to be realistic with you.  If you've seen photos on Instagram or Pinterest of Elafonisi beach, you would think that the sand is completely pink.  I'm here to tell you that isn't quite the case.  Elafonisi Beach is mostly white sand with a pink hue to it.  There are times when the pink is more noticeable and times when it is barely noticeable at all.  So, if you plan to visit the pink sand, your best bet is in the early summer.

How to Get to Elafonisi Beach

Elafonisi Beach is located on the remote southwest corner of Crete.  There really isn't much nearby other than a couple of small villages.  It's likely if you are coming to Crete you are arriving at either Heraklion or Chania, either by ferry or plane.  Chania is the closest large city to Elafonisi beach and is about a 1-hour-and-30-minute car ride away.  While Heraklion is quite a bit further away and takes about 3 hours by car.

Getting to Elafonisi Beach by car is your best option.  If you are staying on the island of Crete for any amount of time, I highly recommend a car to get around.  The road to Elafonisi beach is filled with curves so if you get car sick easily, be prepared.  Once you get to the beach area there is a very large parking lot you will have to pay to use with a small market near it if you want to pick up some snacks before getting to the beach.  From the parking lot it is about a 5-10 minute walk to the beach slightly downhill.  It is a pretty easy walk compared to some of the other beaches on the Greek islands.

If you don't have a car you have a couple of options. There is a public bus that runs from Chania to Elafonisi beach during the summer months.  Generally, it runs once a day, but it can vary.  The bus takes about 2 hours from Chania to get to Elafonisi.

Your other option is to take a day tour.  Numerous tour companies offer private and guided tours that get to Elafonisi beach.  This is likely your most expensive option, as even car rentals in Greece are fairly inexpensive.  But if you aren't comfortable driving or the timing of the public bus does not work out, this is the way to go.  It is possible to take a tour from a cruise ship stop in Souda, just outside of Chania.  These tours last anywhere from 8 - 10 hours, usually.

Where to Stay

As I mentioned before, Elafonisi Beach is in a remote part of Crete without much nearby.  There are, however, multiple resorts within walking distance of the beach.   If your goals is to spend a couple of days just laying out at the beach, this is a great option.  There are a handful of restaurants within the area so you wouldn't have to eat at the same spot every day.  And you'll easily have the opportunity to catch the sunset in the evening if you don't want to drive back to one of the larger cities in the dark.

With Chania being only 1 hour 30 minutes away, this is likely where you will stay if you are going to see Elafonisi beach and other attractions on the western side of Crete.  Rethymno is just a little further east and offers many large resorts nearby.  This is where we stayed while on Crete.  Being a little further east, it did take about 2 hours to get to Elafonisi so it was an entire day of our trip just to get to the beach.  I wouldn't recommend staying much further away than Rethymno.

When to Go

Unsurprisingly, Elafonisi Beach is mainly a summertime destination.  The peak time to go is in summer.  The sand will have a brighter pink hue and it is the ideal time to swim in the warm waters.  However, Elafonisi beach can be enjoyed year round.  You just won't want to bring your swimsuit in January.  But you might want to bring a kite as it can get quite windy in the winter months.

I went in mid October, which turned out to be a good time to go.  The water was still warm enough to swim and the sun was still bright enough to feel comfortable sitting on the beach.  It wasn't as busy so finding a spot to sit was quite easy and created a peaceful afternoon.

I also recommend going later in the afternoon if you have a car and are driving yourself.  That way you can stay for the beautiful sunset as evening turns into night.

Spring can be a pleasant time to go as well, but the water will still be a bit cool as it hasn't warmed up yet.  If you really want to swim, you wont want to go any earlier than mid May.

What to do there

Elafonisi Beach really is in a far corner of the island of Crete.  The beach, which is incredibly large, is the main attraction.  You can walk for quite a while to find a spot.  And depending on the tide you might have to walk through the lagoon to get to the parts of the beach that are further away.  Speaking of the lagoon, if you have young kids, this is one of the best parts of the beach.  The lagoon is a large shallow area of the beach where kids can splash around without the rough waves of the sea.

There are some small vendors near the entrance from the parking lots selling snacks and drinks.  Make sure you have some cash on you, as they might not take credit cards.  You can also find bathrooms, changing rooms and vendors for an umbrella or chair, if you would like one.

Finally, if you want to do something more active, you can get in touch with Elafonisi Extreme Sports.  They have everything from kayaks and paddleboards to paragliding to jet skis.  You really can have a mix of adventure and relaxation during your time at Elafonisi Beach.

Is Elafonisi Beach Worth It?

Whether it is worth it to spend a day at Elafonisi Beach depends on your trip.  With the beach being located in such a remote part of Crete, you will need at least one full day to spend there.  So if you only have a few days to spend on Crete, it might not be worth it.  But if experiencing one of Europe's most unique and beautiful beaches is at the top of your bucket list, then you will want to carve out time to get there.  If you are a family with young kids, this is one of the best spots on Crete.  With shallow waters, an easy, and mostly flat walk to the beach and sufficient parking makes it easy to carry along the young ones.  If you just want to see a beach with pink sand, you might be somewhat disappointed and it might not be worth it for you if you're limited on time.

After all you know about Elafonisi Beach now, are you ready to experience this magical seashore?