Greece 2022 - Day 7: A day at Elafonissi Beach


After our epic hike yesterday, we decided to have a beach day.  We had originally planned to visit Balos beach on the Northwest shore of Crete, but we were told that the only way to get there was by boat, or an 18 km dirt track.  Since our car rental agreement stated we could only drive on paved roads, and we didn’t fancy sitting on a boat full of tourists for the day, we decided to scrap the Balos plan and opted for Elafonissi Beach on the Southwest coast instead. 



 

We had a lazy breakfast of Greek yogurt and local honey, followed by eggs, fresh tomatoes and pita, then set off through the country side and mountains to Elafonissi.  



I was finally brave enough to get behind the wheel of our little rental car, and I’m glad I did.  I loved driving the winding mountainous roads of Crete! 


The scenery on the drive was spectacular.  We passed through numerous quaint little villages along the way.  There were so many roadside stands selling local honey, olives, olive oil and various other goodies.  I couldn’t resist stopping.







After about 1.5 hours, we arrived at Elafonissi Beach.  It was every bit as beautiful as the descriptions made it out to be, with its crystal clear, shallow turquoise waters fringed by pink coral sand.  True paradise!  We claimed a set of chairs under an umbrella and settled in for the afternoon. 




Feeling recharged by a day in the sun, we packed up and headed back through the mountains.  On the drive out to Elafonissi, we had spotted a cute little taverna called Oinohoos along the roadside in Topolia, one of the many mountain towns we had driven through.  The sign out front advertised lamb chops, and I decided these must be sampled. 



The views from the taverna were spectacular!

 


We had yet another delicious meal with amazing hospitality.  The complimentary ice cream cake and lemon flavored raki was the perfect way to end a perfect meal.


Tomorrow, we leave Crete.  Although, we would have liked to be able to spend more time exploring Western Crete, we’re excited to move on to Naxos and start our adventures in the Cyclades!

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