Elafonisi, The Pink Beach of Crete, Greece

When we were going for our vacation in Crete, we did not plan anything ahead. Thankfully, in a hotel, we were told about this pink beach. The beach is located in the western corner of the island and went unknown until 2015. Now it is, I can say, a very touristy place.

Still worth the visit...

THE MOST COMMON TRAVEL MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

So why is the Elafonisi beach pink? It is because of crushed-up pink shells of sea creatures called foraminifera and also the red organisms that live on coral.

The beach gets more pink with high tide when the organisms are washed out.

If you’re very lucky, you may see the loggerhead sea turtles that use the island to lay their eggs! Unfortunately we did not see any, but our travel time was not the best.

It is a lovely place. The colour of the water is insane. We DO urge you to go further... beyond the crowds and bought umbrella spots. Here the beach is crowded and not that pink. Not many people don't want to walk that far, and so you will get a much bigger piece of beach and spots that are more pink.

Getting to Elafonisi Beach:

parking is for FREE

sunbeds 10 EUR a day

toilet 1 EUR

best time is in the early morning or later in the evening

pack your snacks, sun-block cream and water

Stay a night close by and enjoy a romantic soon morning or late evening without people when the entire beach is just for you. See the list of accommodation HERE.

READ SOME FLIGHT TIPS FROM A FORMER CABIN CREW