Elafonisi Beach: Exotic Beauty and Pink Sand Paradise from Rethymnon

Swim in the clear waters and pink sand of Elafonisi Beach, an exotic paradise just a short bus ride from Rethymnon. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience one of Europe’s most beautiful beaches!

Duration: 11 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Topolia Gorge - We’ll have a break for coffee and toilet.
  • Elafonissi Beach - You will have free time to relax on this wonderful beach with pink sand and turquoise water.
    ATTENTION:
    1)Because Elafonisi beach is so famous, sometimes (especially in high season) it’s difficult to find sunumbrellas and sunbeds. We recommend you to carry an umbrella with you.
  1. The toilets there costs 0,50€, 1€ or 2€.
  2. There are 3 canteens for something to eat or drink.
What's Included
  • Air-conditioned vehicles for comfortable travel
What's Not Included
  • Food and Beverage
Additional Information

Ever dreamt of swimming at one of Europe’s most stunning beaches? Welcome to an idyllic haven, a beach known for its exotic allure, rose-tinted sand, and crystal clear waters. Elafonisi (translating to ‘deer island’) is considered by many as a slice of paradise, painted with exotic landscapes and sky-blue serenity. It’s a small island situated 200 meters from the mainland, separated by a shallow lagoon. Courtesy of CHECKINCRETA’s bus service, you can enjoy a smooth and secure 3-hour journey, optimizing your time spent relaxing on the beach rather than travelling. This journey will also include a 40-minute halt at a location renowned for its natural splendour. Come, bask in it!

Location
Topolia Gorge
Minoa Pediada, South of Topolia Village
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(28 Ratings)
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249stez
Aug 18, 2024
Not to be missed - Lovely view, a fabulous place, made a lot of photos from different points, the only flaw is the distance to get to the beach from the parking lot
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maore72
Jul 14, 2024
at the end - beautiful beach or actually there are people but it is so big that you can find a location alone!!!! Trip Tip! go to the other side crossing the small channel
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E8111dwmartinl
Jun 5, 2024
Great tour to a great destination!!! - Top tour!!! From the Creta Marine Hotel (Panormo) it takes a good 5 hours to get there and back (with a short break in a tavern), depending on how many tour guests are picked up at other hotels! The trip itself is a highlight!! We won't say any more. Thanks again to Kevin (tour guide) and Manolis (driver), top class!!! Elafonisi Beach is also great, of course! The 4 hour stay was enough for us as it was already very hot. Sunscreen is a must!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dianne_k
Sep 16, 2023
A must see! - We really wanted to see this famous beach but after reading about the road we didn’t want to make the drive. Our driver was amazing and our tour guide George was great! Umbrellas and chairs were gone when we arrived due to so many people but we walked over to the island where it was more quiet and enjoyed the beautiful waters and views.There was more pink sand over there to see too! Definitely so happy we made the trip and we expressed our gratitude with tips for the driver and guide who did a great job!
Review provided by Viator
Sintijasz
Aug 5, 2023
well organised trip to the beach - I really enjoyed this trip. It takes 2,5 hours with bus to reach the beach also there is 1 stop each way with was 30 minutes long so you can enjoy those beautiful views or just eat some breakfast or lunch in restaurant. everything was well organised and explained
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bongbabu
Aug 25, 2024
Beautiful place - Super nice place, great food and lots of activities to do. Good bus commute to nearby cities. Better than chania. Don’t call taxi to your accommodation rather take it from the taxi stop, much cheaper.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Explore09362531389
Jul 30, 2024
Definitely worth seeing - Very beautiful and characteristic beach, sometimes pink sand of course like all the attractions of Crete you have to go very early to find a free umbrella, Still worth going
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tourist06899228711
Oct 18, 2023
Very beautiful beach with transparent water and pink sand! - The beach is magnificent! the pinkish tint of the sand, however, is only observed when you emerge from the translucent water! The downside: the parking! 5€ even in low season to stay 2 hours (it’s a flat rate of 5€ no matter how long you stay there) then you still have to walk a long way to get to the beach… The price of the deckchairs is quite expensive for the umbrella + 2 deckchair package, we paid around thirty euros in October! But it remains a magnificent place to see, we had quite a bit of wind and that's why we shortened the time there! On the other hand, with young children, getting down and back up can still be a little complicated.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachel
Aug 6, 2022
Elafonisi beach - As a family of 5 staying near hersonissos east Crete the tours were approximately €40 each with 5 hour drive We opted to hire a car and do the drive ourselves stopping for a couple of hours in the beautiful Venetian town of chaina for lunch exploring the maze of cobbled streets and harbour whilst eating gyros from a side street cafe ( half price as those on front restaurants and bigger portion ) Elafonisis drive beware is through steep gorge s up and down mountains not for faint hearted but worth the drive when you get to the beach Very very crowded we weren’t allowed to take car hire off road so we parked up the top and walked down To the right hand side is less crowded and you can walk through beautiful turquoise lagoon to the little island with powder white sand and turquoise waters Huts selling food and drinks but very expensive do bring your own
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jordan_m
Jul 11, 2024
Solo? Don't use - If you are traveling solo don't expect the same treatment that couples get with them. Just like most things when traveling solo you often pay more and treated less.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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