Elafonisi
A small island off the southwest corner of Crete, reachable on foot through shallow water in summer. Its pink tinged sand comes from crushed shells, and the lagoon and dunes form a protected nature reserve with rare plants.
- Where
- Chania, Crete, Greece
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 35.2692, 23.5325
Get the Elafonisi stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Elafonisi. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Crete volume with your photos and a note.
Near Elafonisi
Gramvousa 38 km
Two small uninhabited islands off the Gramvousa Peninsula in northwestern Crete. The larger holds a Venetian fortress on a rocky summit, and boats from Kissamos stop at the pale sand beach below it.
Samariá Gorge National Park 39 km
A gorge about 16 km long in the White Mountains of western Crete, running from the Omalos plateau to the sea at Agia Roumeli. Walkers pass the narrow Iron Gates, where the walls stand just a few metres apart.
Gavdos 70 km
The southernmost island of Greece and of Europe, south of Crete. It has only a few dozen year round residents and quiet beaches such as Sarakiniko, with a ferry from Hora Sfakion.
Preveli 85 km
A site on the south coast of Crete in the Rethymno region, known for its monastery above the Libyan Sea. A palm lined stream runs down to a sheltered beach below, reached by a footpath from the car park.
Fortezza of Rethymno 86 km
A Venetian citadel on a hill above the old town of Rethymno on Crete, built in the 16th century. The Ottomans captured it in 1646, and its ramparts now enclose a mosque and the remains of the Venetian church.
Arkadi Monastery 100 km
An Orthodox monastery on a plateau 23 km southeast of Rethymno on Crete. Its church dates from the 16th century. In 1866 Cretans sheltering inside blew up the powder store rather than surrender to Ottoman forces, and it became a symbol of Cretan resistance.
Mount Ida 113 km
The highest mountain on Crete at 2,456 metres, also called Psiloritis. In myth Zeus was raised in a cave on its slopes, and the Nida plateau and Ideon Cave are popular with walkers and climbers.
Phaistos 119 km
A Bronze Age Minoan palace and town in south central Crete, set on a ridge above the Messara plain. It is where the Phaistos Disc was found in 1908, a clay disc stamped with a spiral of still undeciphered symbols.
More famous places to visit in Crete
Questions
Where is Elafonisi?
Elafonisi is in Chania, Crete, Greece. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Gramvousa (38 km), Samariá Gorge National Park (39 km), Gavdos (70 km).
How do I get the Elafonisi stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Elafonisi and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Crete volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Elafonisi before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Crete volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 40 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.