Elafonisos

Elafonissos also called Cervi is a small corner of paradise in the south of the Peloponnese in front of the town of Pounda, the place from where the ferry leaves which in ten minutes crossing the sea for six hundred meters will take you to another world!

A tiny island that covers only nineteen square kilometres, a small piece of land but which offers its visitors incredible places and a still intact and extremely wild nature made up of bays with exotic beaches of soft light sand bathed by extremely crystalline and clean waters, with a sea with crazy colors and seabeds that descend slowly, perfect especially for families with small children.

Its name Cervi attributed to it during the period of Venetian rule comes from its shape which resembles the head of a deer. As in all of Greece, it underwent centuries of Ottoman domination and then became part of the Republic of the Seven United Islands, passing to Great Britain in 1815 and then definitively becoming Greek property in 1864.

You choose to come on holiday to Elafonissos only if you love adventure as reaching it is not immediate, you have to earn it by making an effort that will certainly be rewarded upon your arrival. However, the beauty is also a journey that forces you to cross a good part of the Peloponnese (it depends on where you decide to land, whether in Athens rather than Kalamata, in both cases it is about 3 and a half / 4 hours by car) where you can also make a short stop and enjoy the wonders that the mainland is capable of offering and which have not yet been completely discovered by mass tourism.

Elafonissos is therefore not for everyone but only for those who want to remain in close contact but in the true sense of the word with Nature and are not afraid to venture into a Greece different from the classic Islands but equally beautiful and full of interest.

Going back in time, from numerous archaeological finds, the island of Elafonissos has origins as far back as the Neolithic period. It transformed into a Peninsula in 375 AD following a catastrophic earthquake which practically detached this strip of land from the continent, thus giving it life and a new identity. It is under the protection of Natura 2000 because despite its small size it preserves a particular habitat where at every moonrise the beautiful sea lilies bloom among the soft dunes and where the species of caretta-carretta turtle is almost in the process of expanding comes to deposit its eggs to continue its life cycle.

What do you come to do in Elafonissos? First of all for the sea and the beaches which will be a real surprise for its visitors. The best known is Simos beach in the south-eastern part where two crescent-shaped bays meet, creating an almost dreamlike landscape.

A single village where life is concentrated with a few taverns, cafes and shops for basic necessities, nothing more, but what more could you wish for for a holiday in Greece dedicated to relaxation and quiet living. Most of the inhabitants are dedicated to tourism or fishing, here in Elafonissos every day you can enjoy the freshest fish that the sea generously and the hard work of the fishermen never fails to provide.

If you want something different other than lying blissfully and capturing vitamin D, you can leave the island and visit the wonderful medieval village of Monemvasia, about an hour from Elafonissos. Carved into an imposing rock, it can only be accessed on foot via a road above the sea. You will have the impression of having been catapulted back in time walking through its stone streets which, like a labyrinth, intersect with each other up to the highest point where you will enjoy a panorama that will leave you speechless, especially at sunset when the stones become purple in color creating an almost surreal scenario like in a fairy tale.

A second alternative that will certainly be a wonderful day trip is an excursion to the submerged city of Pavlopetri. A unique archaeological site and UNESCO Underwater Cultural Heritage. Considered the oldest submerged city in the Mediterranean, it is located at a depth of 4 meters and preserves an urban agglomeration dating back to 3000 BC. It was completely swallowed by the sea in 1000 BC by a violent earthquake which modified the morphology of the Laconia region. An unforgettable adventure with fins, mask and snorkel that will let you discover one of the most beautiful places in Greece.

For those who love walking or trekking, we can say that Elafonissos is ideal. The distances are not long and the slopes are at most three hundred meters high but it still offers many routes to go around the entire island.