Elounda beaches

Elounda is located 10km north of Agios Nikolaos, near the northwest side of the Bay of Mirabello. It is famous for its expensive and luxurious hotels that host celebrities from all over the world. Apart from its glamorous character, Elounda has to offer visitors some of the most beautiful landscapes in Crete. These landscapes are highly dominated by the majestic small beaches of Elounda.

The first beaches of Elounda that you meet after Lenika, as you come from Agios Nikolaos, are the beaches in front of the famous hotels of Elounda at position Pigaidakia. Every hotel that respects itself here has its own harbor, where yachts can stop. Next to the piers there are small sandy beaches which offer all kinds of opulence and luxury services. Access to most them is not allowed, although there are generally no private beaches in Greece. Unfortunately, the Greek law has a small window that says "if there is a license for a private harbour, then the beach next to it is private" and hotels have used this setting.

The most popular beach of the area is located east of Elounda, in Skisma area. The beach is adjacent to the harbor and is very well organized by the local municipality. Here you can swim next to small hotels and taverns of Elounda. The beach is sandy and the water is always calm due to the tranquil lagoon of Korfos. Apart from the classic provisions (umbrellas, showers, etc.), there are facilities for beach volley, a playground and water sports.

If you follow the road to Plaka, which passes right next to the shore, you will find several small beaches with pebbles and stones. In some places the olive trees are planted on the beach because the salty water of the lagoon is always calm and does not destroy them. In some places you will find beach bars on platforms. The finest attraction however are the picturesque fishing boats, which will certainly provoke you to get off your car and take photographs. Further north, near Plaka, you will find the beaches of Dreros and Plaka, with stunning views of the island of lepers, Spinalonga, one of the most famous attractions in Greece.

Name Chiona means "carob storehouse" in the Cretan dialect and is taken after the storehouses that were usually built next to the shore in order to transfer carobs with ships. Indeed, there are still remains of such a building on Chiona beach. Poros name is taken after the Greek word for canal, located next to the mills.

Returning back to Shisma, if you follow the route along the coast after the east end of the town, you will reach the second beach of Hiona (also known as Poros). Note that there is another beach called Hiona near Palekastro. Hiona is sandy and well organized with umbrellas, showers, lifeguard and water sports. Next to it passes the road leading to the Spinalonga Peninsula, running alongside the old salt pans. This road, after a short spectacular route through mills, an scenic bridge with a canal, and terraces, stops near the chapel of Saint Luke. From here begins the short path to the beautiful beach of Kolokitha.

Skisma beach Hiona (or Poros)

Photos

Pigaidakia

Shisma municipal beach

Hiona

If you cannot see the photos, click here to see the beaches of the Lux Hotels, Shisma beach and Hiona beach in Elounda

See all Elounda beaches on the same map