The islet of Elafonisi and surrounding beaches are among the most beautiful on Crete!

THE EXCURSION

Departure from Rethymnon or Chania about 8:00 (departure time depends of the hotel location). Stop for coffee and visit Agia Sofia’s cave close to the village of Topolia. Visit the beautiful monastery of Chrissoskalitissa and stay at the unique, sandy, rose, beach of Elafonisi, on the south-west area. Departure from Elafonisi at 15:15 towards Chania with small stop at Elos Village.

THE PLACE

In 1824 650 women and children seeked refuge in the islet from the fury of the Turks. However the Turks managed to discover the passage from the mainland to the islet, walked over and slaughtered them all. According to the legend the sand on the beach took its red color from the blood of all the victims. Walking on the beach of Elafonisos the visitor can see various plants and bushes (A triplex halmus, crithmum, maritimum, rura clepensis, ballota lizards (podarcis erherdil Elafonisi) considered a protected species. There arepseudodictamum etc.). There is also a small frog (bufo viridis viridis) endemic to the island and various also reported instances of a snake (coluber gemonensis gemorensis). There are very few indigenous species of birds on the area, but the area is very important to ornithologists since it is the last stop from Europe to Africa for migrating birds.

CHRISSOSKALITISSA

The monastery Chrissoskalitissa, 73km away from Chania, was built during the Venetian Occupation on the site of the old monastery of Agios Nikolaos. It is built on steep rocks with a view of the Libyan Sea. Tradition says that one of the 99 steps is gold, but the sinners are not able to see it. This is the reason why the monastery was called Chrissoskalitissa The icon of Virgin Mary that is in the monastery, is estimated to be more than 1000 years old and fetes on August 15th. It is of two aisles and consecrated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary and to the Holy Trinity. During the German Occupation, it constituted German outpost. Near the monastery, at the beach, a small settlement of anglers was found from the Middle Minoan Period.