Elafonisos Island
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 kilometers, a small handkerchief of land but which offers its visitors incredible places and with a still intact and extremely wild nature made up of bays with exotic beaches of soft clear sand bathed by extremely crystalline and clean waters, with a sea of crazy colors and depths 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 that recalls 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, then passed to Great Britain in 1815 and then definitively became 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 conquer it by making an effort that will certainly pay off on your arrival. However, the beauty is also the journey that forces you to cross a good part of the Peloponnese (it depends on where you decide to land if in Athens rather than Kalamata they are in both cases 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 stay in close contact but in the true sense of the word with Nature and are not afraid to venture into a Greece that is different from the classic Islands but just as beautiful and full of interest.
Going back in time, from numerous archaeological finds, the Elafonissos island has origins from the Neolithic period. It was 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 as, despite its small size, it retains a particular habitat where, at every moonrise, the beautiful sea lilies bloom among the soft dunes and where the caretta-carretta turtle species is almost expanding it comes to lay its eggs to continue its life cycle.
What do you come to Elafonissos for? 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 southeast 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 want for a holiday in Greece dedicated to relaxation and quiet life. Most of the inhabitants are dedicated to tourism or fishing, here in Elafonissos every day you can enjoy fresh fish that generously the sea and the hard work of the fishermen never fails.
If you fancy something different as well as blissfully lying down to capture vitamin D, you can leave the island to visit the wonderful medieval Monemvasia village 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 alleys which intersect each other like a labyrinth 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 trip out of town is an excursion to the submerged city of Pavlopetri. A unique archaeological site as well as a 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 up by the sea in 1000 BC by a violent earthquake which modified the morphology of the Region of Laconia. An unforgettable adventure with mask and snorkel fins that will let you discover one of the most beautiful places in Greece.
Who loves walking or trekking, Elafonissos we can say that it is just 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 length and breadth of the whole island.