Elafonisos Island Greece
Frequently Asked Questions
By tender. Ships anchor offshore from this small island at the southern tip of the Peloponnese, and passengers land facing the white village, a fishing harbour that has stayed exactly that.
Swim, essentially. The village in the morning, then Simos beach a few minutes' drive away for the afternoon. There is no monument to tick off and no queue: this is a call about the sea and the table.
Two crescents of pale sand, Sarakiniko and Fragos, separated by a thin dune ridge and regularly listed among Greece's finest beaches. Whatever the wind does, one of the two coves stays sheltered and its water stays glassy.
Very much so. The slope is gentle and the shallows run out a long way: you can wade ankle-deep for dozens of metres. Stronger swimmers head for the point, where the water deepens without losing its clarity.
A few minutes by road from the village, and ships' excursions normally include the transfer. It is the only organised journey of the day.
A submerged city between the island and the mainland, considered the oldest known sunken town in the world: its streets and tombs, nearly five thousand years old, lie in only three to four metres of water.
Diving is regulated, as the site is protected. Supervised snorkelling outings let you float over its outlines from the surface, within the protection rules.
The morning's fish and grilled octopus. The menu depends on the day's catch, and nobody complains: octopus dries on lines in the sun, waiting for the grills of the quayside tavernas.
Little, and it is worth knowing before booking. The dunes shelter sea lilies and rare coastal plants, the Strongyli lagoon draws migrating birds, and there is windsurfing, paddleboarding and coastal walking. No museum, no site to visit.
The euro and Greek. The village is tiny and lives from fishing: bring cash, as cards are not accepted everywhere. English is spoken in the quayside tavernas.
