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The small chapel of Agios Spyridon on its islet at Elafonisos, ringed by turquoise water

Elafonisos: one village, and a beach people cross the country for

A small island off the south-east Peloponnese, reached by a ten-minute ferry, whose double bay at Simos is regularly called the best beach in Greece.

An at a glance card for Elafonisos. Getting there: A ten-minute car ferry. Why people come: Simos, a double sand bay. Behind it: Protected dunes. In August: Very busy, parking included. Offshore: A sunken Bronze Age town. One row is marked out as the thing that decides the visit. The conclusion reads: One village, and a beach worth the drive. No prices appear.
One village, and a beach worth the drive.

Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.

It is on this site for one reason, and the reason is a beach.

Simos

Simos is a double bay on the south-east of the island: two crescents of pale soft sand either side of a low sandy neck, backed by dunes and juniper. The water is shallow, clear and unusually pale, and the whole thing looks Caribbean in photographs and, unusually, in person.

It is regularly named the best beach in Greece, which means that in July and August it is extremely busy and the parking is a scene. Early morning and September are the answers.

The dunes are a protected habitat. Where paths and boardwalks exist they exist for that reason.

The rest of the island

  • Elafonisos village, the port, with a waterfront of fish tavernas and rooms, small and pleasant.
  • Panagia and Lefki beaches on the north side, quieter and sandy.
  • Sarakiniko on the south-west, long and often empty.
  • The submerged Bronze Age settlement of Pavlopetri lies in shallow water off the strait between the island and the mainland, visible to snorkellers over sand.

There is very little else, and no reason to want more.

Getting there and how long

Car ferries run continuously from Pounta, which is roughly an hour from Monemvasia and five from Athens. Book ahead for a car in high season.

Two nights, or a day trip if you are staying on the mainland coast.

Last checked August 2026. Ferry frequency and beach management change by season - see our editorial policy.

Common questions

Where is Elafonisos?

A small island a ten-minute car ferry off the south-east coast of the Peloponnese, near Neapoli.

What is Simos beach?

A double crescent bay of pale soft sand either side of a low neck, backed by protected dunes, on the south-east of Elafonisos.

Is Elafonisos crowded?

Simos is very busy in July and August, including the parking. Early mornings and September are much calmer.

What is Pavlopetri?

A submerged Bronze Age settlement in shallow water in the strait between Elafonisos and the mainland, visible to snorkellers.

How do you get to Elafonisos?

By continuous car ferry from Pounta, about an hour from Monemvasia. Book ahead for a car in high season.

Next

Read Monemvasia, Gythio, or Kythira.