By Nicolas Bard

At the southeast end of the Peloponnese, 3 nautical miles away from Neapoli, Laconia, is the magnificent Elafonissos. Today there are about 700 residents on the island, while in the summer the population is doubled! Especially in August, the island is flooded with visitors from all the lengths and widths of the universe, who come to admire the authenticity of the place and the unmatched natural beauty. Because Elafonissos may be small in extent, but it has extremely paradise and exotic beaches, which we hardly find elsewhere.

The island has an area of ​​19 square kilometers and is the municipality of Elafonissos in the prefecture of Laconia. More specifically, the municipality consists of the village of Elafonissos and the settlements of Kapari, Kato Island, Lefki and Pounta. In addition to the hospitable locals, most of whom are involved in fishing and tourism, you will also find many strangers, fascinated by Elafonissos, gave up everything and went to live there permanently. South of Elafonissos are the picturesque and equally beautiful Kythera.

Its name Elafonissos owes it to the rich hunt that existed in the area since antiquity, as, as Pausanias mentions, many were the sanctuaries of Artemis in the area and more specifically by the existence of a large number of small deer, red. After all, the famous statue of the goddess Artemis at the Louvre Museum, which holds such a deer, has been found in the wider area. It is worth noting, however, that then Elafonissos was not an island, but a peninsula, while the ancient city is located in the submerged part of the island of Pavlopetri. Even today there are ruins of houses and carrots.

According to Venetian maps of the 15th century, Elafonissos is captured as Cervi (Cervi) and Kythera as Cerigo (Cerigo), a name that locals still use for Kythera, but not in Elafonissos, as they were not inhabited at that time. Finally, the opposite village of Viglafia testifies to this truth (Vigla – LEA), as there is a crystal clear one from there the whole plain to Elafonissos, as well as the Stroggylis lagoon. So as a natural observatory of these red deer, he could only get this name.

Elafonissos belongs to the Natura 2000 protected areas and is a separate habitat. The island land comprises bushes with phrygana and thorny sarcopus, Mediterranean alpine, moving coastal dunes, sandy beaches and forests of chickens. Protected species of flora include more than 15 plants, while the protected fauna includes green sea tasks, spyfins, barley turtles, gold jackals, shutters, nanontors and much more. Still, the area is an important station for many migratory birds.

Of course, there is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean on the island. And the reason of course for exotic Simos, with white sand and clear blue waters. The image of this beautiful beach has made the world tour and has flooded the internet, through tourists’ posts on social media. And not unjustly we would say! Just four kilometers from the settlement of Elafonissos, on the south side of the island, are the twin beaches of Simos (small beach) and Sarakiniko (large beach).

The main features of the coast there are fine, golden sand, the shallow turquoise waters, the beautiful cedar forest and the impressive dunes, some of which reach up to 10 meters high! Both on the beach of Simos and in the neighboring Sarakiniko you can admire the special pink sand, which comes from the red corals in the seabed, many colorful shells, as well as explore the rich underwater space.

Undoubtedly, the most beautiful moment to get there is at the time of the sunrise, which shortly before dawn on the stars in the sky look magically, because there is no light pollution, as well as the nights with full moon, when white sand reflects the moonlight Moon). In any case, whenever you choose to go to this place, the only sure thing is that you will be captivated by its raw beauty and promise to come back!