Elafonisi Beach: Exotic Beauty and Pink Sand Paradise from Rethymnon
4.8
23 Ratings
Chania Town
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
4.8
(23 Ratings)
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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
Tttthjdjfjf
Jul 7, 2022
Elafonisi trip - The Checkin Crete staff are very professional .The bus driver Manolis and Edith are very friendly ,skilled and helpful.It was a 3 hour drive from Rethymno ,the road is tricky and goes up through some gorges so if you are road sick I recommend taking a pill for it .Elafonisi was very crowded and windy .I recommend taking some water shoes because the beach is rocky in some places.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lamaskoldpaddan
Oct 8, 2021
Wonderful, well organized trip with excellent guide - A wonderful experience, especially for grown-ups travelling without children. (It's a two-and-a-half hour trip by bus, one way) The beach is well deserving of its reputation. But, the little extra was provided by the nice lady, who booked us in a very serviceminded way; our excellent, well spoken, Irish guide (Enda?), who spoke at least FIVE langages! And, not to forget: The excellent, young bus driver, who maneuvered that gigantic bus through narrow streets and passages in a way that proves a skill above others! Thank you guys, for making our trip extra special! The trip is well worth while! Team Sweden;)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dana
Aug 12, 2021
Local stories and landscapes-a feast for the eye and the ear - It was a wonderful experience. Enda’s stories were a mixture of history, culture and fun facts, just the right amount of information. I loved some of the local stories and I hope I will come back to Rethymno one day. Thank you Enda, thank you Dimitris for driving us safely, thank you Checkin Creta for organizing the trip for us. Keep up the good work!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Silentmojo
Aug 12, 2021
An amazing experience - An amazing experience, a trip of around 10 hours organized flawlessly and very professional. Our driver Dimitris and our guide Enda made our journey smooth and pleasant, without unwanted interruptions or useless information. Everything was kept at a need-to-know level, ensuring that we have all the information on safety and what we have to be aware of when on that particular beach. The pink sabd was pretty much absent, more vivid during winter, but the beach’s wilderness and the clarity of water made it an amazing experience. One of the most professional one-day tours I have been with. Thank you, guys!
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
983virginier
Jul 31, 2021
Cristal waters and pink sand - Very beautiful beach with cristal waters and pink sand, even though the pink is much lighter than on the ( photoshopped) brochures. The guide was very helpful and nice. Note: the place is very windy. A well organised one-day tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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