Elounda … a small, charming town in the east of Crete. Perfect for a week of being lazy and doing nothing. Armed with an e-reader full of fresh books, beach towels and litres of sun cream, we hopped on the plane to Crete.
We chose a lovely family hotel with a slide park and, in their own words, the most beautiful sunrise in the world. And oh, how right they were!
After a four-hour flight we landed at the small airport of Agios Nikolaus.
We were immediately welcomed by Michalis and Paul from Elounda Residence.
Michalis runs a small car rental and excursion company (Elounda Happy Travel) and makes sure everyone who comes to Elounda is provided with suitable transport. After cold and grey Belgium, the Greek sun and hospitality were the perfect start to our holiday.
To catch our morning flight we had to get up at 3 in the morning. No matter, because we weren't planning on doing much …
https://www.eloundaresidence.gr/
On the way to the hotel we already passed the most beautiful places, but once we arrived at the hotel we heard about the most magical spots nearby and we started itching to see more of the little town of Elounda.
Here are the 10 best things to do in Elounda
1. Elounda Waterpark
Ok, with two kids, a waterpark with a playground, a cinema and tasty snacks right on your doorstep, you're definitely spared the 'what-can-we-do' question.
Not so much spared the squealing and shouting of enthusiastic children, you'd think. Well, it was super quiet in our villa and in the other parts of the hotel.
Although the waterpark belongs to the hotel, it sits lower than the main building and the rooms and villas, which means the sound travels differently.
But once you're in the park, it's truly great fun. It's actually a series of terraces with different pools: a toddler pool, a more relaxed pool and a slide pool. There's a bar with a glorious view and also a playground.
Although I initially installed myself tactically on a sun lounger and wanted to read, it didn't take long before I was going up and down the slides like a little kid too.
The park is free for hotel guests, but visitors from outside the hotel can also make a day trip to Elounda Waterpark.
2. Elounda Epano
Whitewashed houses in narrow streets that run up and down a mountainside, an idyllic little church at the highest point, brightly coloured flowers against every side of the houses and little old ladies in black clothes in front of their homes.
The traditional Greece of our dreams to a tee, right? But also Elounda Epano through and through. Where ordinary Elounda is a cute harbour town, just five minutes further on you suddenly have 'traditional Greece'.
We rode there on our little scooters and thought we'd suddenly gone 100 years back in time.
Not only is it a beautiful village, it also has splendid views of the mountains and sea, and the grannies from the village are the sweetest of all.
Although they don't speak a word of anything but Greek, they can tell you all sorts of things like nobody else, but especially your children.
3. The Atlantis of Elounda
Whether Atlantis exists we won't comment on, but that Elounda has a piece of sunken city is certain: The Sunken City of Olous?
Along the causeway that connects Elounda to Kolokytha you can find a piece of sunken city.
At low tide you can often even see the tops with the naked eye from our hotel. But when the water is a bit higher it's fun to go snorkelling there.
The water there is calm and not particularly deep. There are also various archaeological remains you can walk to in your flip-flops. Think of a beautiful mosaic, the windmills and, in the middle of it all, a cosy taverna with a wonderful view of the sunset.
Note: you do need to be interested in antiquity. This isn't an archaeological site that's run with tourists in mind. Really still off the beaten path.
The little walls can be viewed underwater and it can certainly be a fascinating trip into the past, but don't expect castles and fortresses.
4. Kolokytha Peninsula
Kolokytha, or the long island you can see from every spot in Elounda, is connected by the same causeway along which you find the sunken city of Olous.
It may not be built on and is truly a natural gem. You can choose the busier beach, which is sometimes called the 'blue lagoon', or go swimming in the countless little coves.
The 'well-known' beach is easy to reach by car via a dirt road. Park where the road "stops" and then walk for another 5 minutes. We found it a beautiful place to swim and, despite the turquoise water and the tourist boats, it's still a fairly quiet spot.
Still, we really enjoyed looking for a private swimming spot. There are several rock shelves underwater and lots of fish swim in the clear, shallow water. The perfect snorkelling spot, then.
If you take the time to explore the peninsula on foot or by mountain bike, you'll come across all sorts of gems such as archaeological remains, little chapels (it's still Greece, after all) and the most fabulous views.
Be sure to bring plenty of food, drink and sun cream, because there are no facilities and not much shade.
If you don't feel like making much of an effort, or if it's simply too hot for walking and cycling, it's certainly an idea to book a full-day or half-day boat trip that takes in not only Kolokhyta but several beautiful swimming spots in the bay of Mirabello.
You can get more info from Elounda Happy Travel. Dorina walks to Kolokhyta with her dog every day and really knows every excursion or outing that's worth the effort.
5. Spinalonga
In other words, one of the most famous archaeological sites in Crete and even in Greece, and so really a no-brainer when you're in Elounda.
We ourselves were only allowed to stay for 1 hour because of the corona measures, but in a normal season I could easily wander around here for hours. The private tour we did lasted exactly an hour. I would have loved to have had the time to walk up to the top, swim a bit in the insanely turquoise water and enjoy an aperitif under the trees.
Spinalonga isn't just bursting with history, it's also a really, really beautiful island … don't be fooled! I didn't experience it myself, but I think you can also enjoy a stunning sunset here.
You can take the boat from Elounda or Plaka. You pay for the boat separately from the entrance fee for Spinalonga.
On site there were also people offering to act as guides. You pay them separately too, and in cash.
Boat:
Elounda: 12 eur/adult
Plaka: 8 eur/adult
Entrance Spinalonga:
Adults: 8 eur
Children: free
Guide:
25 eur
You can also buy a drink or a snack on site, but we found this very pricey and were glad of our water bottles.
If you want to make your Spinalonga experience complete, you can go for dinner in the evening at Taverna Giorgios Jiovanni's. From Friday to Sunday they light up Spinalonga, and Giorgios Jiovanni's is right opposite the island. The view from the romantic waterside terrace is spectacular … and so is the food.
Count on classic Greek hospitality with an aperitif and nibbles straight away and a surprise dessert with fruit, biscuits and raki.
6. Elounda
We had a wonderful holiday in Elounda … just like so many others: the first, but certainly not the last holiday. Elounda itself is a very charming town; a stone's throw from Agios Nikolaos, yet suddenly a whole other world.
Elounda itself has a charming little harbour, a bustling town beach and a sort of promenade along the sea with beautiful bars and restaurants around it.
We were hugely impressed by Ergospasio. Certainly a class more expensive than we're used to, but truly worth it. The restaurant itself is actually an old factory and has a lovely little shop.
Although you can sit inside, there's a beautiful terrace on the water where you can eat, as well as a sort of lounge with armchairs along the water.
Full of style and class but still warm and inviting, with lots of attention for the children (a special plate, bringing a bag of bread to feed the fish, a children's aperitif …)
Another must-see is Plaka, full of little blue-green shops and the cutest cafés. It's tiny but so pretty and cosy that you really must make a trip there.
From Plaka you can drive all the way up to where a wind farm stands among all sorts of dirt roads. You're treated not only to a magnificent panorama over the Gulf of Mirabello but also to two super cute little Greek churches.
And for anyone with a soft spot for views … you're in the right place at Elounda Residence. As I said, they're already known for the most beautiful sunrise in the world and the amazing view over the Gulf of Mirabello … but they also have secret viewpoints you can go looking for. 'The Benches of Elounda' … one gives you a wonderful view of the town and the other of Kolokytha, the sea and the most easterly part of the island.
Last but not least, you can also have fun swimming in the sea, chilling on the beach and doing water sports at Elounda's town beach. Personally I certainly didn't think it was the prettiest beach, but it's perfect for a bit of a romp in the late afternoon.
For anyone who doesn't know Elounda yet I'd say: hop on a plane and get to know this amazing place in Crete. There's a wide range of luxury hotels, but we felt Elounda Residence offered the best value for money … of course the amazing water and fun park and the warm staff helped a great deal too.
Oh yes … and despite our plan to relax for a week and do nothing, our hearts were completely filled with nature, culture and history AND we still went home relaxed.
Efcharisto poli!
Accommodation:
https://www.eloundaresidence.gr/
Transfers, car rental and excursions:
