Getting from Athens to Elafonisos

If you are heading to Elafonisos from Athens you are going to one of the most beautiful and most rapidly discovered small islands in the southern Peloponnese. Elafonisos sits just off the Laconian coast near Neapoli, separated from the mainland by a channel so narrow the crossing takes around 10 minutes. The island has pink-tinged sand beaches, particularly at Simos in the south, that are among the finest in Greece. It has almost no tourist infrastructure beyond the basics and a pace of life that reflects its small permanent population. The beaches have been drawing Greeks for years and the wider world is catching up fast.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry to Elafonisos from Athens or Piraeus. The only way to reach the island is by the short local ferry from Pounta, a small port on the southern tip of the Peloponnese around 4.5 to 5 hours by road from Athens. The crossing from Pounta to Elafonisos takes around 10 minutes and runs every 30 minutes in summer from 7am to midnight. Tickets cannot be booked online and are purchased at the port on the day. Getting to Pounta means driving south through the Peloponnese via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta, or taking the KTEL bus from Athens to Neapoli and then a local bus or taxi the final 10 kilometres to the port.

Getting there by air

Elafonisos has no airport. The nearest airports are Athens and Kalamata. Flying is not a practical option for reaching Elafonisos directly as the time saved by flying is lost in the overland journey to Pounta on the southern tip of the Peloponnese.

Your best option

Drive from Athens. The journey to Pounta takes around 4.5 to 5 hours via the E65 motorway through Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta, and having a car on arrival gives you the flexibility to explore the island and the surrounding Laconian coast. If you are travelling without a car, take the KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal to Neapoli and a local bus or taxi to Pounta for the ferry.