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.
Elafonisos is a tiny island just off the southern Peloponnese — separated from the mainland by a 500-metre strait. It has one village, a handful of tavernas, and Simos beach: a double bay of pale pink-white sand and turquoise water that regularly ranks among the best beaches in Europe. The whole island takes 30 minutes to cross on foot. Come here for the beach and nothing else — it is extraordinary.
Getting there
No airport. No Piraeus ferry. Reach Elafonisos from Pounta (SE Peloponnese, ~5h drive from Athens) — frequent shuttle, ~10 minutes, takes cars.
Read full route
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.
2-day itinerary for Elafonisos
Day 1: Simos Beach & the Village
- 09:00 · Elafonisos Ferry
Ferry from Pounta on the mainland — 5 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.
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 protection
- 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 protection
- 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 protection
- 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.