Elafonisi

Elafonisi is a place I visited with my sister during our stay in Rethymno in the summer of 2022. In fact, that excursion wasn't limited to this beautiful natural area with fine sand and turquoise sea, but also included a visit to the city of Chania in the afternoon. This detail required special planning because we would essentially spend the morning at the beach and the afternoon in a city center. We set out with a change of clothes and a packed lunch prepared by the resort, as the journey was long and there was no lunch stop planned. Elafonisi was almost three hours away from Rethymno, and the fact that we needed to arrive early to avoid having problems finding free umbrellas meant we left quite early. For the first time since we'd been in Crete, our exploration had shifted to the western part of the island, whereas until then we'd been traveling along the roads toward the east. The scenery along the journey wasn't much different: on one side, the sea, and on the other, the landscape alternated between rocky sections and hills with sparse vegetation. Elafonisi, however, was located southwest of Crete, so after losing the road that ran along the sea at a crossroads, we found another road that climbed up the hill. Right near this crossroads, we saw a boat wreck lying near the shore, half-covered by water. In fact, we'd been told that the route south would be unique, especially because it passed over a peculiar hill. What the guide was referring to was a canyon that was notable not so much for its depth as for the fact that the road was very narrow. The bus could barely fit through, and during this stretch, you felt like you might fall off. I must say that the road in that section was indeed unsafe, but the driver's experience made the difficulty seem like an alternative and interesting tourist attraction. Just before reaching the seaside, nature presented us with an incredible spectacle. We passed a stretch where, from the hill, we could see another canyon, with the road winding in a serpentine fashion, and then the sea on the horizon. That glimpse was truly beautiful, and I managed to capture it with my camera. It was one of the most beautiful views before arriving at a large dirt road where the bus dropped us off before climbing back up to the parking lot. From there, together with the guide, we set off along the steep stretch that led to the beach. Elafonisi was a highly natural area, and had been designed accordingly to preserve it despite it being a highly sought-after tourist destination. A more modern road had been purposely avoided, so that it would be seen as a conquest and something that required sacrifices to see. For this very reason, the car park was on a hill, and we actually had to walk quite a distance to reach the beach. This too had been landscaped with an eye to preserving the natural beauty. Facilities such as the bar, restrooms, and changing rooms were stripped to the bare essentials and made from natural materials like wood. The umbrellas, for example, were made of straw, and the only traditional elements were the deckchairs, which unfortunately were not made of wood. Another original feature was the countless wooden walkways, long and intricate, that wound through the natural landscape, as beyond the beach, a variety of vegetation opened up, all pristine.

The wreck

The canyon

Right side of the bay

After getting our umbrella, we immediately set out to explore this natural beach, which was simply stunning. Beyond the umbrellas, a bay opened up, with a small island in front. On the right side, there was another stretch of pristine beach, followed by vegetation. The left side, however, was very large and expansive, with a long stretch of beach that wasn't even equipped with facilities, but rather left untouched. Initially, rather than swimming, I preferred to bring my camera with me, and my sister and I went to capture the various views and every possible angle. Indeed, Elafonisi beach appeared to be a fairly large bay with turquoise sea, fine sand, and crystal-clear water. Furthermore, the seabed wasn't shallow, and we could practically walk through the water until we reached the small island opposite. On the left side, there was a small strip of sand that somehow connected the islet, but the impression from looking at that panorama was of a vast expanse of turquoise water paired with the white sand. In fact, walking through the water offered different perspectives, both because looking at the coast you could see the mountains and because there were rocky sections in the water. In other words, a panorama that seemed the same changed gradually as we reached the front of the land or veered towards the water on one side. My sister and I practically took photoshoots of each other because the place so inviting, with its various nuances and always original views. There, I decided to bring my camera with me to reach the part of the islet where the guide had told us there was another swimming beach. After crossing the small bay and reaching the islet, we walked along a small road flanked by two sand dunes and shortly after we found ourselves in front of another beach with the same characteristics but which opened onto the sea. We did more or less the same things there too: photoshoots and swimming. In that heavenly setting, time seemed to have stopped, and somehow there was a natural alignment. I remember my sister and I were in sync on the choices we needed to make, whereas normally we argue a bit because we fundamentally have two different personalities and different views. What was supposed to be a quick visit just to see the place turned into a truly in-depth explosion, where we practically took photo shoots and even immersed ourselves in the water for a swim. After that experience, we returned to our umbrella for a bit of rest, but I must say that the place inspired me to explore more than just lazing around. Above all, I wanted to go back and wander around the islet and see what lay beyond the bay, especially on the right side, where some vegetation could be glimpsed.

The island

Left side of the bay

Exploring the island

The sea beyond the island

The hours spent at Elafonisi were a mix of relaxation and exploration in a unique, exotic setting that was the quintessential expression of unspoiled nature. Even using the showers and changing rooms before leaving was original, as these facilities were essentially stripped to the bare essentials, allowing you to see people's legs and heads inside from the outside. Personally, I could have done without the deckchair and umbrella, which I used little or not at all. The beach, the bay, and the area in general were very large, yet there was a sense of crowding, the feeling of a place whose beauty would be more appreciated if it were completely free of people. Although the idea was to keep Elafonisi away from large crowds, mass tourism was evident in the people wandering around haphazardly before figuring out what to do and how to spend their time in that heavenly setting. Even worse were the people simply lounging on the deckchairs, accustomed to the habits they had brought with them to Elafonisi. From my point of view, to make the place even more exclusive and natural, they should have avoided installing any umbrellas or services, so as to attract only those who are truly interested, those who have exploration at heart. This was my thought, however, a few days later, when I visited Balós, I discovered my idea wasn't as perfect as I thought. It goes without saying that, from my point of view, any exploration and discovery, even with nuances I don't like, is always a positive experience. For me, discovering and experiencing Elafonisi was enough, even if in such a context there were too many people who behaved as if they were at any other beach resort. The return uphill to the gathering area was always with the spirit of adventure, because if on the one hand we were leaving a unique place, on the other the exploration would continue with a visit to Chania. My personal farewell to Elafonisi was with a panoramic photo, a glimpse I only noticed as we were leaving.

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A.M.