Elafonisos
4.0/5The Caribbean of the Peloponnese — Simos beach and electric blue water
A short, focused escape to one of Greece's finest beaches — Simos, the village harbour and the quiet coves of the north coast.
Why 4.0: some of the best beaches in Greece and nothing you need a car for — but the sights are thin.
Elafonisos is a one-beach island, and the beach is quite possibly the best in Greece. Simos is a double-sided sandbar hooking out from the island, cedar-covered dunes down its spine and white sand on both flanks, so whichever way the wind blows one side is glass. The rest is a single fishing village with whitewashed houses, a harbour and a handful of tavernas known for fish, plus Kontogoni, the village beach you can walk to, and Kato Nisi on the west coast, near-empty, with the best sunset on the island. There is nothing else — no second village, no nightlife, a 2.0 for culture in our own scores — and getting here means a five-hour drive from Athens to Pounta rather than a ferry from Piraeus, so anyone who wants a varied island should go elsewhere. August is worse than pointless: Simos becomes chaos and the island fills entirely with Greek campers. Go in May, when Simos is near-empty, in June before the Greeks arrive, or in September when it breathes again. Two days is the trip, and you can cross the whole island on foot in thirty minutes.
Good for
- Beach purists — Simos is a double-sided sandbar, so whichever way the wind blows one side is glass
- Travellers without wheels — you can cross the whole island on foot in thirty minutes
- Anyone driving the Peloponnese — you arrive from Pounta on a ten-minute shuttle, not on a ferry from Piraeus
Maybe skip if
- If you want a varied island — there is one village, one great beach and very little else to see
- If you are coming in August — Simos becomes chaos and the island fills entirely with Greek campers
Getting there
No airport. No Piraeus ferry. Reach Elafonisos from Pounta (SE Peloponnese, ~5h drive from Athens) — frequent shuttle, ~10 minutes, takes cars.
Tip: The drive is half the trip — Mani villages on the way are worth a stop.
Best time to visit Elafonisos
Elafonisos is a tiny Peloponnesian island off Lakonia — Simos beach is among the best in Greece, all white sand and Caribbean water. Drive to Pounta, 10-minute ferry. Open May-October. June and September are sweet; mid-July to mid-August Simos becomes an Instagram battlefield, the island fills entirely with Greek campers.
Top beaches of Elafonisos
Simos Beach
Quite possibly the best beach in Greece. A double-sided sandbar hooks out from the island into water so pale it looks tropical, with cedar-covered dunes down the spine and white sand on both flanks — so whichever way the wind blows, one side is glass. It is the reason Elafonisos exists on the map, and it earns the reputation: nowhere in the Aegean or Ionian matches this exact combination of colour, shallowness and scale. Come in June or September; in August it fills.
- Type
- Fine white sand with cedar dunes
- Length
- 1.5 km across two bays
- Depth
- Very shallow — turquoise for 40 m out
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the northeast to southeast at over 5 Bft. Twin bays facing east and west — one is always sheltered
- Facilities
- Two beach bars, sunbeds, a campsite and seasonal canteens. 5 km from the village on a dirt road; parking at the neck of the peninsula.
Kontogoni Beach
The village beach, and the one you can reach on foot. Sand, calm shallow water, and far fewer people than Simos because everyone drives straight past it. Not spectacular next to Simos — very little is — but a genuinely good swim ten minutes from your room.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 400 m
- Depth
- Shallow — calm and gradual
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the southeast to southwest at over 4 Bft. South-facing — sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); calm in summer, exposed only to rare southern winds
- Facilities
- Light: a canteen in season, some shade. Walkable from the village, which makes it the easy option if you have no car.
Kato Nisi (Panagia) Beach
The long west-coast beach, and the quiet alternative to Simos. Open water, clean sand, and the sunset from here is the best on the island. Bring what you need; there is next to nothing built.
- Type
- Sand and fine shingle
- Length
- 600 m
- Depth
- Shallow to medium — very clear
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the southwest to northwest at over 4 Bft. West-facing — sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); calm most summer days, sometimes choppy on rare westerly winds
- Facilities
- Minimal — a seasonal canteen at most. Reached by the dirt road across the island; usually near-empty.
2-day itinerary for Elafonisos
Read the day-by-day plan on its own page →
Day 1: Simos Beach & the Village
- 09:00 · Elafonisos Ferry
Ferry from Pounta on the mainland — about 10 minutes across the strait. Cars can cross but the island is best explored on foot or by bicycle.
- 09:15 · Elafonisos Village
The only settlement on the island — a small fishing village with whitewashed houses, a harbour, and a handful of tavernas and rooms. Quiet, genuine and unhurried.
- 10:00 · Simos Beach
Consistently one of the best beaches in Europe — a double bay of pink-white sand with Caribbean-blue water, separated by a low sand dune. Both bays have a completely different character. The water colour is extraordinary.
- 🍴 Stop for lunch · Elafonisos Village — see Eat & Drink below
- 18:00 · Simos Sunset
Return to Simos for the late afternoon — the beach empties as day trippers leave, and the water turns from turquoise to gold. The best time of day. - 20:30 · Dinner in Elafonisos Village
Short drive back to the village (about 10 minutes from Simos). The harbour-front tavernas are unpretentious and famous for their fresh fish — sea bream, sea bass, and the catch of the day grilled simply with lemon and olive oil.
Day 2: North Coast & Departure
- 11:00 · Kato Nisi (Panagia) Beach
The long west-coast beach — Kato Nisi, known locally as Panagia. Open water, clean sand and the best sunset on the island; usually near-empty because everyone is at Simos.
- 12:30 · Simos — Final Swim
One final swim at Simos before the ferry back. The beach is quieter in the late morning before the day trippers arrive from the mainland. - 15:00 · Ferry to Mainland
Ferry back to Pounta. The 5-minute crossing is the shortest sea journey to leave one of Europe's best beaches behind.