There are many holiday destinations where the beaches have beautiful fine sand the color of baked milk, or golden color, as in the "Golden Sands" of Bulgaria. But seeing beaches with pink sand is a rarity. Many people have a question: why did the sand acquire such a shade, and where did it come from?
World famous pink sand beaches
Let's start with the fact that there are seven famous beaches in the world where the sand is really pink. Two pink sand beaches in Crete. These are the beaches of Elafonisi and Balos. The remaining five beaches, if it is of interest to the reader, are located in different places on the globe:
- on Harbor Island, Bahamas;
- on Santa Cruz Island in the Philippines;
- on Bonaire Island, Caribbean;
- in Bermuda;
- in Indonesia's Komodo National Park.
Elafonisi beach in Crete
Practically, the entire coast of Crete is occupied by beaches belonging to resort areas, hotels of travel agencies, as well as municipal ones. It is impossible to say which one is better. All of thempopular, with good infrastructure offering all kinds of services for tourists. In the southern part of Crete, the beaches are pebbly, the landscape is rocky. And the northern part of the island is rich in sandy beaches. Sand on them in different shades.
One of these amazingly beautiful beaches not only in Crete, but throughout Greece - Elafonisi beach, and it is located on the island of the same name, which you can wade into. The water level in the hundred-meter wide and shallow strait that separates it from Crete does not rise above the knee.
This is the pink beach of Crete. Thousands of tourists come here every year. Someone dreams of relaxing on a beach with beautiful pink sand, someone comes for inspiration, someone wants to visit the azure sea. All tourists are delighted with this heavenly vacation spot.
The beauty of the beach is given not only by the color of the sand from pale pink to purple, but also by the color of the water. She is turquoise on the shore. Thanks to the cedars growing near the beach, the air is saturated with their aroma. The sandy beach, flooded with sunlight, looks very beautiful. It shimmers all over, changing shades from the oncoming waves.
How to get to the beach
During the peak holiday season, buses run between Chania and Edefonisi, so there is no difficulty in getting to the pink beach in Crete. If you are staying in hotels in other cities, a trip to this unique beach will be with a transfer in the city of Kissamos, from where buses run to the beach several times a day.
If you are traveling from, for example,Heraklion by private transport or rented car, you have to drive along the E75 highway, then along the E65. Approaching Kastelion, make a turn towards the center of the island and drive towards Elafonisi. Next, a trip along a mountain serpentine, so you need to be careful and attentive. A long stretch of road from Chania, but very beautiful. A nice bonus of the trip will be free parking near the beach area. It is not paved, but well compacted and roomy. There are enough taverns along the way where you can have a bite to eat at affordable prices.
You can visit the pink beach of Crete as part of the tour. But this pleasure is not cheap, and limited-time excursions.
Why is the sand pink?
It turns out that the shade of the sand gets from the fragments of corals, shells, shells. Tiny crustaceans living in the sea "wear" their shells, and they are red. When their life cycle ends, these red shells remain in the water, which gradually collapse, turning into sand. The sand has this shade not only on the coastline, but also a few meters from the shore in the sea. When it's stormy, it's safe to swim on the pink beach. This is due to the fact that the sea here is shallow.
Families with children usually come to the pink beach of Crete Elafonisi with pleasure. It is safe for a child to swim here, the entrance to the water is gentle, the sand is clean and beautiful, which will definitely interest the baby. The best time to relax on the pink sands of Elafonisi is the end of August, although swimmerscan be found from April to October.
On the beach there are rental shops with sunbeds and umbrellas. Prices, however, are a bit high - 9-10 euros. There is also a small cafe where you can buy water and ice cream. The beach is equipped with showers and toilets. The best time to stay on the beach, of course, is in the morning, when there are practically no people and you can enjoy a walk along the coast and take photos of fantastic landscapes. There are a lot of vacationers on this beach during the summer season, but there is no crowding, since the territory is quite large. Those who are going to spend a few days in this heavenly place should take care of housing in advance. There are several small hotels here, but it's worth taking care of booking in advance.
Elafonisi - a reserved place
Due to the fact that this islet is a protected area where rare plants grow and rare amphibians and reptiles live, construction, camping and campfires were prohibited here. Sand grasses and sea daffodils grow in these places. Only on this island lives a green toad, and unique species of lizards run across the sand. On the island you can meet the sea turtle Caretta-Caretta, for which this island serves as a breeding place. From the reports of fishermen, it became known that monk seals live off the coast of Elafonisi. The island is the last stopover for migratory birds flying to Africa from Europe for their winter quarters.
Balos beach in Crete
Balos bay, as the Greeks say, is the most beautiful placeMediterranean. The natural attraction of Crete is the confluence of three seas: Cretan, Ionian and Mediterranean. The picturesque lagoon of Crete with a pink beach and water with fourteen color shades (according to scientists) of blue and green attracts both individual travelers and numerous excursion groups to Balos.
The water of the three seas has a unique composition of minerals that give it its color. The beach on Balos was wild for a long time. Recently, sunbeds with umbrellas have appeared. But you need to take water with you, as there are no outlets on the beach area. The bay is blown by the winds, so there are small waves. Shallow water allows you to relax with children. Of course, they are supposed to be taken by ferry. The rest of the way to the beach is hard for them.
Gramvousa Island is located at the entrance to the bay and protects the beach of Balos and the bay from the summer winds. There are no trees or shady areas, so take an umbrella as a precaution to protect yourself from the scorching sun.
How to get to Balos
Because Balos Bay is located in the northwestern part of Crete, the starting point will be the port town of Kissamos. Here you can take a ferry or a boat and swim to Balos Bay, where there is a beach with pink sand in Crete. If the boat trip is done on your own, without a group, it is worth considering that the boats run only in the morning. Travel time takes one hour.
An alternative is to get tobeach by land, only the road will be unpaved and rather difficult in terms of patency. Landmark on the road - Balos Beach Hotel. There are steep descents and difficult turns along the way, so you need to be careful.
Regular buses also go to the pink beach of Crete. Their last stop is at a small cafe, from which there is a three-kilometer long descent on foot to a bay. But on this hiking trip, the traveler will be rewarded with the beauty of the scenery and a fantastic angle for photographing the beauty of the lagoon.
On a donkey on a pink beach
In Crete, the so-called donkey "taxi" is often used as a means of transportation. Locals can offer you to go down and up on a donkey with an escort, so as not to walk three kilometers to the sea. Descent on a donkey from the locals costs 5 euros, and the ascent costs 8 euros. It is more difficult for the donkey on the rise, therefore the road is more expensive. You need to go in the heat, so the guide recommends stocking up on water. The guide brings you to the observation deck, then you go to the beach on your own.
By the way, it is forbidden by Greek law to take sand from the pink beach of Crete as a souvenir for export from the country. And without sand, pink beaches you will remember long after your holiday in Crete, looking at the unique photos taken there.
