Getting from Chania to Elafonisos

If you are heading to Elafonisos from Chania you are making your way from the most intimate of Crete's three main cities to a small island off the southern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of Greece. It has pink-tinged sand beaches that are among the finest in Greece and a setting of extraordinary natural beauty.

Getting there by air

Elafonisos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Chania has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Chania to Athens and then driving south through the Peloponnese via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta to Pounta, where the 10 minute ferry to Elafonisos runs every 30 minutes in summer, gives a total journey time of around 7 to 8 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chania to Elafonisos. Elafonisos is accessible only by the short local ferry from Pounta on the southern Peloponnese. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus, which takes around 8 to 9 hours, and then driving south through the Peloponnese to Pounta. The total journey takes the better part of two days.

Your best option

Fly from Chania to Athens and drive south to Pounta for the short ferry across to Elafonisos. Having a car is essential as the KTEL bus connection to Pounta is complicated and infrequent. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus and drive south through the Peloponnese to Pounta.