Pink Beach: where is it located? Description. The best beaches with pink sand Crete pink beach how to get there

I returned from Crete and I want to start the story about it from a place that impressed and pleased me - this is Elafonisi, an island where the sand is pink.
I was pleased that the sand there is really pink, that these are not tales from a guidebook, and that it is pink not only when the sun falls at a certain angle, but my imagination is predisposed to see something special in an ordinary beach. No, it's really pink and very beautiful.
To get there and see other interesting places, we took a car. The road to Elafonisi goes through mountains and small villages, so the whole trip was impressive.
Essentially Elafonisi is a small island with an area of one and a half square kilometers. You can get to it on foot along a sand spit.
The sand here is filled with fragments of shells and it is they that give it its pink color.

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The island of Elafonisi itself is 200 meters away from the coast, you can walk along a sand spit, the depth will be no more than knee-deep

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The beach on the island is not equipped (after all, the island of Elafonisi is a nature reserve), but on the shore there are taverns, sun loungers, and other resort delights

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Pink sand is already on the way to the island!

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Here it is ahead, the island-reserve Elafonisi, which means “deer island”:

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Someone even drew a path with a stick =)

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The sand here is snow-white:

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Here it is, the famous pink sand:

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The sea here is Libyan (after all, this is the southern part of the island of Crete and Libya is already ahead, about 300 kilometers), its color is simply beautiful, especially in combination with pink sand:

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I really wanted to pour it into a jar as a souvenir (but I didn’t have a jar with me)

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It's impossible to stop looking at:

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The sea here is shallow, so you won’t be able to swim to your heart’s content, but the beach in Elafonisi (not on the island, but on the shore, where there are sun loungers) is loved by parents with children - here they can splash around in the shallow water.
Here you can enjoy the view =)

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Of course, there are people here, but not as many as there could be - the number of people allows you to take “deserted” photographs

How to get there:
This is the southwest of the island of Crete, 76 km from the city of Chania.
There is a bus from Chania bus station to Elafonisi every morning at 9.00 and returns at 17.00. It takes about 2 hours to drive along a narrow serpentine road. Regular buses to Elafonisi also run from Kissamos.

We took a car and drove from Malia, visiting Kissamos along the way (we didn’t go to Balos Bay), Chania and Rethymno. I want to tell you more about the trip itself.
There is a huge parking lot nearby, there are a lot of cars, because there are no hotels right on Elafonisi and everyone specially comes here.

The pink beaches that frame the shores of the small Greek island of Elafonisi are an amazing natural phenomenon. The coast got this color due to a large number of impurities in the sand, containing small fragments of shells, seashells and corals. You can see the sand from soft pink to purple shades not only near the shore, but also at shallow depths: crystal clear water reveals the coast of Elefonisi.

However, there is another version of the appearance of pink beaches. In 1824, Elefonisi was attacked by the Turks; More than seven hundred local residents were killed in the massacre. In memory of the bloody massacre of the Greeks, a memorial was erected at the highest point of the island. And the pink color of the coast of Elefonisi to this day is a reminder of those tragic days.

The island is separated from Crete by a narrow strait about a hundred meters long, which, due to its shallow depth, is easy to ford. The depth of the strait depends on the time of year: for example, in the summer months it does not exceed 20 centimeters.

The beaches of Elefonisi are ideal for families with small children: the gentle slope into the water allows you not to worry about the safety of the kids. In addition, you can swim here even in a storm: due to the shallow depth, there are no large waves on Elefonisi.

Parking located near the beaches on the island part of Crete is free. Renting a sun lounger will cost on average 9 euros per day. During the summer months, Elefonisi is wildly popular with tourists, so for a relatively secluded walk along the coast, it is advisable to arrive early in the morning.

How to get there

From Elefonisi you can get by car along the E75 highway, which turns into E65 closer to the west coast. Before the town of Kastellion (Kastellion, Kissamos, Kastelli Kissamou) turn left, deep into the island - and continue driving. Be careful: when approaching Elefonisi, a mountain serpentine begins, with steep descents and ascents; the road winds all the way to the southwestern coast of Crete. Due to the mountainous sections of the route, the journey usually takes longer than expected; Thus, the travel time from Chania to Elefonisi may take several hours, but the picturesque views of Crete, opening from the steep descents, are definitely worth it.

During the summer season, a bus service connects Elefonisi and the city of Chania. From other cities located in the southwest of Crete, you can get a transfer in Kissamos, from where there are several regular buses a day to the island.

Also, from May to October, you can get to the pink beaches of Elefonisi by purchasing a one-day excursion tour.

Location

The Greek island of Elefonisi is located in the southwest, 76 km from the city and 42 km from Kastellion.

Most people associate the word “beach” with long-awaited relaxation, gentle waves, and, of course, warm yellow sand. Why yellow?

The whitest beach in the world

The owner of the whitest sand is Hyams Beach, located in Jervis Bay in New South Wales, Australia.
However, every year many beaches in Australia compete for the title of whitest, including Whitehaven Beach.

Black sand beach

Black Beach Punaluu is located on the Big Island of Hawaii and got its name because of the unusual black sand. Punaluu sand is of volcanic origin, as are the Hawaiian islands themselves. In essence, this is crushed lava polished by the ocean.
Tourists come to these places not to swim and sunbathe on the beach, but to see with their own eyes the unusual beauty of nature.
But not everyone dares to take unique black sand as a souvenir, since there is a legend according to which the goddess Pele will curse a thief for the rest of his life.
Also the owners of black sand are such beaches as Piha (New Zealand), Vik (Iceland), La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain).

Beach with green sand.

In addition to Punaluu with its black sand, the Hawaiian Islands have an equally interesting green beach, Papakolea Beach (also called Green Sands Beach or Mahana Beach).
The semi-precious stone chrysolite (or peridot) gives the beach a green tint. These greenish pebbles were born from the lava of local volcanoes; inclusions of chrysolite are also found in the rocks surrounding this outlandish beach.

Beach with pink sand.

The secret of the unique color of the sand lies in single-celled shell organisms - foraminifera. They live under corals, and their microscopic shells mix with talc (a mixture of coral debris, shells and calcium), turning it pink.
The most famous pink beaches: Harbor (Bahamas), Elafonisi (Crete, Greece, pictured), Komodo (Indonesia).

Glass Beach (California, USA).

In the first half of the 20th century, a landfill was located on the beach. In 1967, authorities closed the landfill and carried out beach cleanup work several times. The small pieces of glass that were not collected were polished by the waves, and gradually the entire shore was strewn with thousands of multi-colored “pieces of glass.”

The cleanest beach in the world (Whitehaven Beach, Australia).

Whitehaven is considered one of the most environmentally friendly beaches in the world. Local sand is 98% silica. In addition, due to its composition, the sand here hardly heats up, which is a huge advantage for vacationers. Don’t forget to add to this the size of the beach (8 km long), as well as the incredible purity of the local azure waters.

Glow in the dark beach (Maldives)

It’s as if the stars settled in sea water. Bioluminescent phytoplankton washed up on the beaches of Vaadhoo Island (Maldives) colors the shores with thousands of lights. The brightest light shows take place during the phytoplankton breeding season, when they are most active.

Hot Beach (Coramandel Peninsula, New Zealand).

Hot Water Beach. Under a deep layer of sand there is a hot rock through which underground waters with hot water flow. And at low tide these springs can be seen breaking through the sand. Tourists visit this place with shovels, as you can dig a “pool” that will immediately fill with hot water and take a bath.

Vanishing sea

Have you ever seen the sea disappear? This phenomenon occurs every day on Chandipur Beach, India, when the sea recedes approximately 5 kilometers. This is not only a wonderful sight, but also an opportunity to literally walk along the bottom of the sea, exploring the biological diversity of marine species.

Hidden beach in Mexico. Love Beach in the Marietas Islands

The beach is located inside the rocks of one of the islands of the Marieta archipelago.
Presumably, this unique beach owes its existence primarily not to nature, but to people.
Since the Mexican government used the uninhabited coasts of Marieta Island as military testing ground. Subsequently, the sun, wind and waves polished the rocks, giving this place a completely unique shape.

There are many holiday destinations where the beaches have beautiful fine sand the color of baked milk, or golden color, as in the “Golden Sands” of Bulgaria. But seeing beaches with pink sand is very rare. Many people have a question: why did the sand acquire such a shade, and where did it come from?

World famous pink sand beaches

Let's start with the fact that there are seven famous beaches in the world where the sand really is pink. Two pink sand beaches in Crete. These are the beaches of Elafonisi and Balos. The remaining five beaches, if the reader is interested, are located in different places on the globe:

on ;
on Santa Cruz Island in the Philippines;
on the island of Bonaire, Caribbean islands;
in Bermuda;
in Indonesia.

Elafonisi beach on Crete

Almost the entire coast of Crete is occupied by beaches belonging to resort areas, hotels of travel agencies, as well as municipal ones. It is impossible to say which one is better. All of them are popular, with good infrastructure offering all kinds of services for tourists. In the southern part of Crete, the beaches are pebbly and the landscape is rocky. And the northern part of the island is rich in sandy beaches. The sand on them is of different shades.

One of these amazingly beautiful beaches not only in Crete, but throughout Greece is Elafonisi Beach, and it is located on the island of the same name, which you can wade across. The water level in the hundred-meter wide and shallow strait separating it from Crete does not rise above the knee.

This is Krita. Thousands of tourists come here every year. Some people dream of relaxing on a beach with beautiful pink sand, some come for inspiration, others want to visit the azure sea. All tourists are delighted with this paradise vacation spot.

The beauty of the beach is given not only by the color of the sand, from pale pink to purple, but also by the color of the water. It is turquoise near the shore. Thanks to the cedar trees growing near the beach, the air is filled with their aroma. The sandy beach, flooded with sunlight, looks very beautiful. It all shimmers, changing shades from the incoming waves.

How to get to the beach

During the peak holiday season, buses run between the cities of Chania and Edefonisi, so there is no difficulty in getting to the pink beach in Crete. If you are staying in hotels in other cities, the trip to this unique beach will include a transfer in the city of Kissamos, from where buses run to the beach several times a day.

If you are traveling, for example, from Heraklion with your own transport or a rented car, you will travel along the E75 highway, then along the E65. Approaching Kastellion, make a turn towards the center of the island and drive towards Elafonisi. Next is a trip along a mountain serpentine road, so you need to be careful and attentive. It's a long stretch from Chania, but it's very beautiful. A nice bonus of the trip will be free parking near the beach area. It is not paved, but is well compacted and spacious. There are plenty of taverns along the way where you can eat at affordable prices.

You can visit the pink beach of Crete as part of an excursion. But this pleasure is not cheap, and it is limited by the time of the excursion.

Why is the sand pink?

It turns out that sand gets its color from fragments of corals, shells, and shells. Tiny crustaceans that live in the sea “wear” their shells, which are red in color. When their life cycle ends, these red shells remain in the water, which gradually disintegrate, turning into sand. The sand has this shade not only on the coastline, but also a few meters from the shore in the sea. When it's stormy, it's safe to swim on the pink beach. This is due to the fact that the sea here is shallow.

Usually, families with children come to the pink beach of Crete, Elafonisi. It is safe for a child to swim here, the entrance to the water is gentle, the sand is clean and beautiful, which will definitely interest the baby. The best time to relax on the pink sands of Elafonisi is the end of August, although swimmers can be found from April to October.

There are rental shops on the beach that have sun loungers and umbrellas. The prices, however, are rather high - 9-10 euros. There is also a small cafe where you can buy water and ice cream. The beach is equipped with showers and toilets. The best time to be on the beach, of course, is in the morning, when there are practically no people and you can enjoy a walk along the shore and take photos of fantastic landscapes. There are quite a lot of vacationers on this beach during the summer season, but there is no crowding, since the area is quite large. Those who are going to spend several days in this paradise should take care of accommodation in advance. There are several small hotels here, but it's worth making a reservation in advance.

Elafonisi - a protected place

Due to the fact that this island is a protected place where rare plants grow and rare amphibians and reptiles live, construction, camping and making fires were prohibited here. Sand grasses and sea daffodils grow in these areas. Only on this island lives a green toad, and unique species of lizards run along the sand. On the island you can find the Caretta-Caretta sea turtle, for which this island serves as a breeding site. From reports from fishermen, it became known that Monk Seals live off the coast of Elafonisi. The island is the last stop of migratory birds flying to Africa from Europe for the winter.

Balos beach on Crete

Balos Bay, as the Greeks say, is the most beautiful place in the Mediterranean. The natural attraction of Crete is the fusion of the three Ionian and Mediterranean. The picturesque lagoon of the island of Crete with a pink beach and water with fourteen color shades (according to scientists) of blue and green attract both individual travelers and numerous excursion groups to Balos.

The water of the three seas has a unique composition of minerals, which give it its color. The beach on Balos was wild for a long time. Recently, sun loungers with umbrellas have appeared. But you need to take water with you, since there are no retail outlets on the beach area. The bay is blown by winds, so there are small waves. Shallow water allows you to relax with children. Of course, they are supposed to be transported by ferry. The rest of the paths to the beach are too difficult for them.

The island of Gramvousa is located at the entrance to the bay and protects Balos beach and the bay from the summer winds. There are no trees or shaded areas, so you need to be careful to take an umbrella to protect yourself from the scorching rays of the sun.

How to get to Balos

Since Balos Bay is located in the northwestern part of Crete, the starting point will be the port town of Kissamos. Here you can take a ferry or boat and sail to Balos Bay, where the pink sand beach is in Crete. If you are taking a boat trip on your own, without a group, it is worth considering that the boats operate only in the first half of the day. Travel time takes one hour.

An alternative option is to get to the beach by land, but the road will be unpaved and quite difficult to navigate. The landmark along the road is the Balos Beach Hotel. Along the way there are steep descents and difficult turns, so you need to be careful.

Regular buses also go to the pink beach of Crete. Their last stop is at a small cafe, from which there is a three-kilometer-long walk down to the bay. But on this walking journey, the traveler will be rewarded with the beauty of the landscapes and a fantastic angle for photographing the beautiful lagoon.

On a donkey to the pink beach

In Crete, the so-called donkey “taxi” is often used as a means of transportation. Local residents can offer you the descent and ascent on a donkey with a guide, so as not to have to walk three kilometers to the sea. The descent on a donkey costs 5 euros from the locals, and the ascent costs 8 euros. It is more difficult for the donkey to climb, which is why the road is more expensive. You need to walk in the heat, so the guide recommends stocking up on water. The guide takes you to the observation deck, then you go to the beach on your own.

By the way, it is prohibited by Greek law to take sand as a souvenir from the pink beach of Crete to take out of the country. Even without sand, you will remember the pink beaches long after your holiday in Crete, looking at the unique photos taken there.

Azure waters and pink coastline in the Bahamas, purple bays of the Greek islands, amazing bays in Bermuda and other beaches where you don't need rose-colored glasses.

Pink Sands Beach, Harbor Island, Bahamas

The small Harbor Island is famous for its incredibly pink beaches on the east coast. The perfectly smooth Pink Sands Beach is covered with a mixture of white coral sand and tiny red foraminifera shells. Divers love to relax on Harbor Island: the “Pink Beach” has very clear waters and a rich underwater world.

Balos Lagoon, Crete, Greece

Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent their honeymoon in the pink-blue waters of Balos Lagoon. This Greek beach is perhaps the least crowded on Crete. You can get there by ferry from Kissamos or by boat. There are also boat excursions from the city of Chania. Three seas meet in Balos Bay: the Aegean, Ionian and Libyan. And the best view of the bay opens from the Venetian fortress on top of the once pirate and now uninhabited island of Gramvousa.

Spiaggia Rosa, Sardinia, Italy

The soft pink beach of Spiaggia Rosa is located on the tiny island of Budelli, north of Sardinia. It was closed in the 1990s due to tourists who took away the pink sand en masse as a souvenir. But since 2006, you can again land here by boat and admire the amazingly beautiful bay. Taking sand, shells and pebbles from Budelli Island with you is strictly prohibited - you can be fined for this at the airport.

Komodo, Indonesia

Of Indonesia's nearly 18,000 islands, only Komodo has a pink beach. Pink Beach owes its color to coral chips and is also known throughout the world because it is home to the largest existing lizards in the world - Komodo dragons. Travelers come here to look at rare reptiles and do not miss the opportunity to sunbathe on the unusually colored sand.

Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain

The pink sand of Playa de Ses Illetes meets the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea in Spain on the island of Formentera, six kilometers south of Ibiza. This is one of the busiest Balearic islands, with several hotels and fish restaurants nearby. And there is a ferry from Ibiza to the island.

Elbow Beach, Bermuda, Bermuda

On the south coast of Bermuda there is picturesque Elbow Beach. Most of the pink beach is located at the Elbow Beach Hotel of the Mandarin Oriental chain. To relax in this paradise, you need to book a room.

Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda, Bermuda

Another pink coast on the island of Bermuda is in the Southampton area. Horseshoe Bay is shaped like a horseshoe, and the beach of the same name is one of the best diving spots on the island. If you go to the western part of the beach, you can find yourself in the picturesque Port Royal Cove, surrounded by rocks.

Elafonisi Beach, Crete, Greece

On the islet of Elafonisi, south of Crete, there is an amazing Elafonisi Beach with purple sand, in which small fragments of shells, seashells and corals are mixed. You can see the pink sand even at depth - Elafonisi is famous for its crystal clear waters. The beach can be reached by fording: the island is separated from Crete by a narrow, shallow strait.