Eloúnda
Elounda is a small coastal town on the north-eastern shore of Crete, set on Mirabello Bay about 70 km east of Heraklion and roughly 10 to 12 km north of Agios Nikolaos. Elounda grew from a fishing village into a resort town, and its community is made up of seven villages spread around the sheltered water. The beaches sit either side of the Korfos lagoon and along the Spinalonga peninsula that shelters it, so 5 of them lie within about 4 km of the town. Most are coves or pebble shores, and several are reached only on foot or by boat.
Sitia airport is the nearest airport to Elounda. The town is known for its seafront tavernas and for the boat trips to the fortress island of Spinalonga, and it works as a base for beach days, ancient sites and short drives across the Lasithi region.
Things to do in and around Elounda
Six outings lie within about 10 km of the town, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Walk the Elounda seafront. The tavernas line the water 400 m from the centre, and the sunken ancient city of Olous lies just offshore. Our Elounda town page covers the hotels, the villages and the services in more detail.
- Walk down to Kolokytha. The cove sits 2.8 km away on the Kolokytha peninsula, with no road running to the sand. Reach Kolokytha on foot from a small church car park after a short drive out of Elounda, and pair it with a Spinalonga day out.
- Take the boat to Spinalonga. The fortified islet stands in the Gulf of Mirabello 3.7 km away, and its Venetian fortress is what most visitors come for. Spinalonga beach lies below the fortress on the south-west side of the islet and is reachable only by boat, on the same day trip.
- Spend a day in Agios Nikolaos. The capital of the Lasithi region lies 8.2 km south, built around Voulismeni Lake on the north-western side of Mirabello Bay. Shops in Agios Nikolaos sell Cretan art, jewellery, embroidery and copies of pieces from the local archaeological museum.
- Hike the Kouroukoulos Gorge. The gorge begins 8.4 km away at the abandoned village of Agalianos, where an old trail reaches the Lagos stream and follows it the whole way down. Oak trees give way to brushwood and oregano near the sea, and Kouroukoulos merges with the Patsopoulos Gorge just before the water.
- Walk the Skotini Gorge. The gorge lies 9.1 km away, a short way north of Finokalias village, through bare rock and sparse vegetation scented with herbs. Inside Skotini are 2 or 3 water-filled wells and caves set into the walls.
Beaches in and around Elounda
5 beaches lie within about 4 km of Elounda, and they differ mainly in how you reach them.
- Armos lies 2.6 km away on the northern part of the Spinalonga peninsula, opposite the fort’s islet of Kalydon, with deserted old farms and no roads. Vathi, a sheltered cove of pebbles and sand 2 km north-east of Elounda port, faces south-east towards the town, and a canoe from Plaka is the usual way in.
- Kolokytha sits 2.8 km away, a secluded white-sand cove across from the Spinalonga peninsula, facing the small island of the same name where gulls nest offshore.
- Tsifliki (Dreros) is 2.9 km away on the road that links Elounda to Plaka, in olive groves overlooking the lagoon and the Spinalonga fortress. The sand is broken by occasional rock, the water is calm, and tamarisk trees stand close to the shoreline of the beach the nearby hotel keeps.
- Spinalonga stands 3.7 km away below the Venetian fortress on the islet itself, with sand and rock, usually calm blue water, tamarisks for shade and a few snack bars, but no umbrellas or sun loungers.
- Plaka lies 4.1 km north, a well-organised beach of smooth pale pebbles facing Spinalonga across a narrow channel, with tamarisk shade behind the sunbeds and boats leaving for the island.
Where to eat in Elounda
Eating in Elounda happens on and just behind the seafront, where tavernas, bars and restaurants sit within 200 m of the centre.
- Anemomylos Taverna does taverna cooking in the centre.
- Magali Cretan Cooking serves Cretan cooking 100 m from the centre.
- Marilena Restaurant sits 100 m from the centre.
- Beeraki Cretan Pub is a Cretan pub 200 m out.
- Taverna Leonidas stands 200 m out, with taverna cooking.
Getting to Elounda
Reach Elounda on the coast road north from Agios Nikolaos, which lies roughly 10 to 12 km south and is the regional capital and transport hub. Heraklion is about 70 km west, and the road carries on north from Elounda to the village of Plaka, where the Spinalonga boats go from. The inland town of Neapoli sits 10.4 km away for anyone heading off the coast.
A car helps for the gorges and the villages inland, but the nearest beaches do not all reward one. Kolokytha is reached on foot, Spinalonga beach only by boat, and the coves on the north of the peninsula have no road at all.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Elounda in Crete?
Elounda sits on Mirabello Bay on the north-eastern shore of Crete, about 70 km east of Heraklion and roughly 10 to 12 km north of Agios Nikolaos. The town belongs to the Lasithi region and its community takes in seven villages.
Does Elounda have good beaches?
Elounda has 5 beaches within about 4 km, and they are coves and pebble shores rather than long open sand. Plaka, 4.1 km north, is the organised one with sunbeds and shade, and Kolokytha, 2.8 km away, is the white-sand cove reached on foot.
How do you get to Spinalonga from Elounda?
Take a boat. Spinalonga is a fortified islet in the Gulf of Mirabello and has no other access. Plaka, 4.1 km north of Elounda, is one of the main points where the boats leave, and the beach below the Venetian fortress is reached on the same trip.
Which beach near Elounda is quietest?
The coves on the northern part of the Spinalonga peninsula are the quietest, because no road leads to them. Vathi, 2 km north-east of Elounda port, is a small sheltered cove of pebbles and sand, and a canoe trip from Plaka is how visitors usually reach that shore.
Which airport serves Elounda?
Sitia airport is the nearest airport to Elounda. The town lies in the eastern half of Crete, east of Heraklion, on the Lasithi coast.
Can you walk a gorge from Elounda?
Two gorges start within about 9 km of the town. The Kouroukoulos Gorge, 8.4 km away, runs from the abandoned village of Agalianos down the Lagos stream to the sea, and the Skotini Gorge, 9.1 km away, begins a short way north of Finokalias.
Location
Eloúnda is located at Eloúnda, in the Lassithi region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
