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Elafonisi Island Day Tour: Experience Exceptional Natural Beauty from Rethymno
3.6
19 Ratings
Elafonissi
Experience the exceptional natural beauty of Elafonisi Island on a day tour from Rethymno. Walk through the sea to reach this paradise on earth, with white and pink sand, turquoise waters, and secluded beaches.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
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Elafonissi Beach - Spend a relaxing day on the small island of Elafonisi and soak up the sun on a paradise beach in Crete. Get back to nature on a day trip from Rethymno.
Following pick-up by bus, journey to the southwest corner of Crete to spend a relaxing day on the pink sand beaches on the small island of Elafonisi.
Upon arrival at Elafonisi, get at least 4 hours to relax and swim in the crystal clear water. Laze in the sun, or go for a stroll along the pink sand beach. Benefit from beach kiosks where you can purchase food and water to rehydrate and re-energize.
Situated just off the shore of the main island, Elafonisi can be reached by walking through the water. Both the beach and island are protected wildlife areas of rare beauty. Depart by bus at approximately 16:00 and return to Rethymno for an estimated arrival time and hotel drop off at around 18:30.
What's Included
- Bus ticket and transfers by modern fully air-conditioned coach
- Hotel pick-up and drop off at selected locations
- Professional Guide in English and German
- Professional Driver
- Liability insurance coverage
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Personal expenses
- • No pickup from remote hotels such as Grand Rimondi (pick up is from Creta star bus stop)
Additional Information
We’ll spend the day at the most awe-inspiring and remote location on the island, at its southwest tip. Elafonisi, with its outstanding natural beauty, is a unique hybrid of an island and a peninsula, as reaching it involves wading through the sea.
Previously a stronghold of pirates, today, Elafonisi is a bustling hotspot for excursionists who arrive in droves to enjoy its distant lagoon, all while on a Mediterranean getaway. Elafonisi is a terrestrial paradise, a utopia of unrivaled charm. It boasts sandy dunes, low-lying trees, shrubs, sand lilies, and junipers. Accessible by foot from the beach, you cross through shallow waters of bright aqua and turquoise. The white and pink sand, created from countless shattered seashells, combined with the transparent blue-green waters, the intimate coves, and the hidden miniature beaches, leave visitors with a sense of nostalgia for a lost paradise.
Dive into the lukewarm, tropical waters and unwind under the sizzling summer sun!
- Take swimming suits
- Seats are assigned by the theater box office and will not be known in advance of the performance date
- At the time of booking please mention your hotel name and location. You will be notified by email about the pickup point and time
- Pickup begins up to 90 minutes before tour starts and is done from central meeting points near the hotels, only in the areas of Panormo, Scaleta, Adele, Platanias, Missiria, Rethymno town, Atsipopoulo, Kavros and Georgioupoli
- Infants will be seated with their parents on the bus and will not have their own seat
Location
Elafonissi Beach
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.6
(19 Ratings)
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Y4036cckevina
Jun 8, 2024
Amazing day out - Amazing trip to a lovely beach.
We were picked up o time to start the 2 hour trip to the beach
The guide was great telling us all about the area On the way we stopped smat a taverna set in a gorge lovely scenery.
When we arrived at the beach we were told where to go and where the pick up was.
This beach was beautiful with pink sand in places, the water was shallow and great the children.On the way back we stopped to look at a cave although I was in the taverna having fresh orange juice.
I would recommend this trip
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Acespinoza13
Jul 1, 2023
Great Time - I took my 7y/o daughter. Everything was on time. Our guide spoke German, English, and French. We stopped to eat on the way there and back. The beach was absolutely stunning. You will have to walk from the bus down to the beach for about 10 minutes. Bring appropriate shoes for it, it is rocky. We enjoyed our day so much, less stress than driving myself. Worth
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alyssa_e
Jun 28, 2023
Stunning Day at the Beach - I took this tour with my 7y/o daughter. Everything was on time. Our guide was awesome, kind, and so helpful. He spoke English, German, and French. We stopped for snacks on the way and spent 4 hours at the beach. It was gorgeous. You get there right before it starts to get packed, so you can get a spot. We had a great day. Stopped for food on the way home and then we were dropped off. If your hotel is not listed, they will contact you to set up the nearest pickup. Great price for a great experience! We loved it!
Review provided by Viator
Solveig_m
Jul 26, 2022
WE whent on the bus at 7.... - WE whent on the bus at 7. The guide was very interesting. WE arrived at Elafonissi around 10.
Not much Shade on thé beach if you walk away from thé crowed, but very nice spots. WE came back at 5:30....Very nice day!!
Review provided by Viator
Aksharawalia
Oct 18, 2020
Enjoyable and smooth experience - A really nice experience, well organised and planned. Ingrid was super helpful amd gave us a lot of good information on the way.
The trip took us through some traditional Cretan villages and as a nice bonus, we also stopped at the cave of Agia Sofia on the way back - good stop for those with an interest in local myths and good views!
The beach itself was beautiful, there was ample time to spend - at least 4 hours.
Also, as a side note: the tour company was very quick to answer my questions amd reassure my concerns. Thank you, guys, for a really nice experience in Crete!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rox_rocs
Sep 6, 2020
Beautiful beach and well organised tour - This tour was very well organised. They picked me up very close to my hotel, obviously the coach can’t exactly drive in front of all hotels so they give a pick up point that’s on the main road next to sea which was just a 2 min walk (300m roughly). They arrived on time and was a big coach very comfortable (not one of those mini buses). The tour guide was impressive, he spoke fluent English, German and French and he was a fun person making a joke here and there during his stories. We stopped somewhere on the way there close to the destination for us to grab a sandwich and drink (about 30min) then short drive to arrive to the beach, where we had 4 free hours to just go and enjoy the time there. The beach is absolutely amazing, with crystal clear turquoise water. The pink sand (which is actually pink crushed sea shells) is not as much as you would see if you google images of it, because people take it all the time and is not much left, but you still get to see it and take some nice pictures at the shore where the wave reaches the beach. It was a bit (very much!) windy but not sure if it’s like that all the time or was just that day when I visited. On the way back we even stopped at Topolia Gorge for 40min to do a quick visit and photos. Overall tour guy was very friendly and I believe it is priced excellent for the trip. I definitely recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hadih480
Sep 16, 2023
Highly recommended day trip - Everything was perfect, the tour guide, the friendliness of guide and the bus driver. Highly recommend it for the visitors of Creta.
Only one important tip to remember, confirm the pickup point with the tour operator else you will miss the bus, hence the trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jayne_s
Sep 13, 2019
Really more of a bus transfer - Enjoyed the beach very much as well as the drive through the gorge. It did take a long time to pick up all of the guests and the tour guide jumped from our bus to another throughout trip so the information and communication was spotty.
Review provided by Viator
W9165abtomw
Oct 9, 2021
Complete rip off - Chaotic, badly organised and zero customer care. Pickup was not from hotel as advertised but a random street corner on a busy intersection. Bus failed to pick us up and then we were refused a refund. Feels like they don’t really care once they’ve got your money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
197traveler2013
Aug 11, 2021
Extremely unprofessional - Very unprofessional. The number listed there is incorrect and the people that answer are extremely rude and say that it is their personal number and do not provide information. When you call the reception, they do not have any information.
Wrong directions To the bus stop were provided and the bus never showed and they have ignored the messages of a refund.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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