Elafonissi Beach
Elafonissi is located 76km west of Chania in the southwestern point of Crete. Elafonissi is a “Natura 2000” protected area. The island is full of dunes with sand lilies. The endangered 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 sand and turquoise waters, are formed on the sides of the peninsula. The sand is pinkish in many places, taking its color from thousands of 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. TripAdvisor website has rated Elafonissi as the 11th Best Beach in the world for 2018.