Crete's luxury bay
EloundaFive-star resorts on a sheltered bay, a fishing village square and Spinalonga across the water
- Author
- By George K., Crete travel specialist
- Updated
- Updated 13 September 2026
- Reading time
- 6 min read
Photo: Nadiia Astakhova · Pexels
Elounda at a glance
- Region
- Elounda · Lasithi
- Known for
- Crete's luxury bay
- Best months
- May, Jun, Sep
- Getting there
- Athens (Piraeus) ferry 8h 30m to 9h
- Character
- Luxury · Couples · Calm bay
- 1h 10m from Heraklion airport
- Largest cluster of 5-star resorts in Greece
- Spinalonga boats: 15 min from Elounda
- Plaka fishing village 5 km north
- Agios Nikolaos 11 km, 15 min
- Best: May-June, September-October
01Why go to Elounda
Why go to Elounda
Elounda is a village on a sheltered bay in eastern Crete, 11 km north of Agios Nikolaos and about 1h 10m from Heraklion airport. It is known for the largest cluster of five-star resorts in Greece, spread along the bay south of the village, and for Spinalonga, the Venetian fortress island and former leper colony reached by boat from Elounda or from Plaka, 5 km north. The village itself keeps a harbour square with tavernas, a small beach and a causeway to the Kolokytha peninsula.
Elounda's bay is what made it. Sheltered by the Kolokytha peninsula and Spinalonga at its mouth, the water is calm most of the year, which is why the first luxury hotel opened here in 1971 and a dozen more followed along the shore. Their guests rarely see the village, and the village rarely notices them.
The village is a square by the harbour with tavernas, a church, a supermarket and fishing boats. From the square a causeway crosses the old salt pans to the peninsula, past the sunken ruins of ancient Olous, which show through the water beside the road on calm days.
Spinalonga sits in the mouth of the bay. Boats leave the harbour every half hour in summer for the 15-minute crossing, or from Plaka, the fishing village opposite the island where the fish tavernas are. The island is the most visited site in eastern Crete since the novel and TV series that told its leper colony story.
“Book the resort for the bay, but eat in Plaka. The tavernas on the water opposite Spinalonga are where Elounda's hotel chefs go on their day off.”
- Luxury
- Couples
- Calm bay
- History
Show Elounda on the map
02Where to stay in Elounda
Where to stay in Elounda
Each area below suits a different trip. Compare live rates on the Elounda hotels page, or ask Touristas AI to shortlist for your dates.
Elounda village
Harbour square, tavernas, small beach
The square on the harbour has tavernas, cafes and the boat ticket kiosks. The village beach is small and shallow; the salt pans and causeway are a five-minute walk south.
- Harbour square
- Spinalonga boats
- Village beach
- Causeway and Olous ruins
The resort shore
Five-star hotels along the bay
South of the village towards Agios Nikolaos, the shore is lined with resorts, each with its own beach, jetty and restaurants. Most guests never leave; a taxi to the village square is 5 minutes.
- Private beaches
- Spa hotels
- Fine dining
- Bay views
Plaka
Fishing village facing Spinalonga
Five kilometres north, Plaka is a row of fish tavernas and pebble beaches directly opposite the island. The shortest Spinalonga crossing (10 minutes) leaves from its jetty. Quieter and cheaper than Elounda.
- Fish tavernas
- Shortest Spinalonga boat
- Pebble beaches
- Sunset over the island
Kolokytha peninsula
Sandy coves and the windmills
Across the causeway, a dirt track leads over the peninsula to Kolokytha beach, a sandy cove facing the open sea, reached on foot in 30 minutes or by boat from the harbour.
- Kolokytha beach
- Old windmills
- Walking trails
- Boat trips
03The best beaches near Elounda
The best beaches near Elounda
- 1
Elounda village beach
Small sheltered town beach
Shallow and calm, steps from the square
- Water
- Flat, warm, sandy bottom
- Access
- On foot
- Best for
- A quick swim, families
- 2
Kolokytha
Sandy cove on the peninsula
Sand and clear water facing the open sea, no buildings
- Water
- Clear, deeper
- Access
- 30 min walk over the peninsula or boat from the harbour
- Best for
- Snorkelling, escaping the resorts
- 3
Plaka beaches
Pebble beaches facing Spinalonga
Swim with the fortress island in view
- Water
- Clear, pebbly, cool
- Access
- 5 km north by car
- Best for
- Lunch and a swim
4Driros and Voulisma
Day-trip beaches south
Voulisma at Istron is the best sand within 30 minutes
- Water
- Shallow, turquoise
- Access
- 25 km south via Agios Nikolaos
- Best for
- A full beach day
04Things to do in Elounda
Things to do in Elounda
A realistic day plan, in the order a local would do it.
Morning · 3 hours
Spinalonga
Boats from Elounda harbour every 30 minutes from 9am in summer (15 minutes); from Plaka every 20 minutes (10 minutes). Entry €8. Go early; the island has little shade after 11am.
Afternoon · 2-3 hours
Walk to Kolokytha
Cross the causeway past the salt pans and Olous, follow the track over the peninsula to the sandy cove, swim, walk back at sunset.
Evening · 3 hours
Dinner in Plaka
Drive or taxi to Plaka for fish on the water as the sun sets behind Spinalonga.
Half day · 4 hours
Kritsa and Panagia Kera
Twenty-five minutes inland via Agios Nikolaos: the finest Byzantine frescoes on Crete, the weaving village and ancient Lato.
Full day · 5 hours
Boat trip round the bay
Private and shared boats from the harbour circle Spinalonga, stop at Kolokytha and the caves on the peninsula, with lunch on board or in Plaka.
Anytime · All day
Spa and pool day
Most Elounda resorts sell day passes to non-guests in shoulder season; ask at reception in May, June, September and October.
05Eating in Elounda
Eating in Elounda
Resort dining on the bay, fish tavernas in Plaka
- Fresh fish in Plaka
- Grouper, sea bream and lobster by the kilo at the tavernas opposite Spinalonga. Ask the price before you order.
- Kakavia
- Fishermen's soup made with the small rockfish the bay produces.
- Dakos
- Barley rusk, tomato, mizithra and olive oil, on every menu in the square.
- Lamb with staka
- The rich Cretan butter-cream sauce, served in the village tavernas on Sundays.
- Xerotigana
- Honeyed pastry spirals; the wedding sweet of eastern Crete.
- Sitia olive oil
- The PDO oil from the east of the prefecture is on the tables of every resort restaurant.
06When to go to Elounda
When to go to Elounda
Month by month: daytime temperature, how busy it gets, and what is happening.
| Month | Temp | Crowds | Our rating | What is happening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 23°C | Low | 5 out of 5 | Resorts open; sea 20°C; quiet beaches |
| Jun | 27°C | Medium | 5 out of 5 | Warm sea, long evenings, water parks open |
| Jul | 30°C | High | 3 out of 5 | Peak families and groups; book early |
| Aug | 31°C | Max | 2 out of 5 | Hottest and fullest month; highest prices |
| Sep | 28°C | Medium | 5 out of 5 | Sea at its warmest; crowds thin after the 10th |
| Oct | 24°C | Low | 4 out of 5 | Still swimming; some bars close by month end |
| Nov-Apr | 15°C | Very low | 2 out of 5 | Most resort hotels closed; towns quiet |
07Getting to Elounda and getting around
Getting to Elounda and getting around
- Heraklion airport is 1h 10m by car or pre-booked transfer (around €90-100 by taxi). Most resorts arrange transfers.
- KTEL buses connect Elounda with Agios Nikolaos every hour in summer (20 minutes) and continue to Plaka.
- A car is only needed for Kritsa, Vai and the south; the village, Plaka and Spinalonga are reachable without one.
08Olous, salt and the fortress island
Olous, salt and the fortress island
Ancient Olous
The Dorian city of Olous stood on the isthmus to Kolokytha. It sank as the coast subsided; its walls are visible under the water beside the causeway, and a mosaic floor survives by the road.
Venetian salt
The Venetians cut salt pans on the isthmus in the 16th century; the shallow rectangles beside the causeway are their remains. Salt from Elounda supplied Venice's fleet.
Spinalonga (1579)
Venice fortified the island in 1579 to guard the bay. It held out against the Ottomans until 1715, half a century after the rest of Crete fell, then housed Ottoman families until 1903.
The leper colony (1903-1957)
Crete's lepers were confined on the island from 1903 until the last patient left in 1957. The colony's street, church and houses are what visitors walk today.
- 1579
- Spinalonga fortified
- 1715
- last Venetian outpost on Crete falls
- 1957
- leper colony closes
- 1971
- first luxury resort opens
09Practical tips
Practical tips
Money, health, manners and what changed this year.
Money
- Elounda resorts are the most expensive rooms on Crete in July and August; May, June and October rates are 40-50% lower.
- Village rooms and apartments around the square are mid-priced and put you five minutes from the same bay.
- Spinalonga: boat €12-15 return from Elounda, €10 from Plaka, plus €8 entry.
Health and safety
- The general hospital is in Agios Nikolaos (15 minutes); resorts have doctors on call.
- Spinalonga has no shade and steep paths; hat, water and proper shoes.
- The bay is calm but the Kolokytha track is exposed; walk it before 11am in July and August.
Local manners
- Spinalonga is a memorial to the people who lived and died there; behave as in a cemetery.
- Plaka is a working fishing village: the boats and nets on the beach are someone's livelihood.
- Dress modestly to visit the churches on Spinalonga and in the village.
New this year
- Spinalonga has a daily visitor cap in summer; buy boat tickets the day before in July and August.
- Book Elounda resorts six months ahead for June and September; they sell out before the Heraklion coast.
- The causeway road to Kolokytha is a rough track; walk or take the boat rather than a hire car.
10Elounda questions, answered
Elounda questions, answered
How do I get to Spinalonga from Elounda?
Boats leave Elounda harbour every 30 minutes from about 9am in summer and cross in 15 minutes; from Plaka, 5 km north, boats leave every 20 minutes and take 10 minutes. Island entry is €8. Book the day before in July and August because of the daily visitor cap.
Is Elounda only for luxury travellers?
No. The resorts are, but the village has mid-priced rooms and apartments around the harbour square, and Plaka has cheaper tavernas and rooms with the same view of Spinalonga.
Does Elounda have good beaches?
The village beach is small and calm; the resorts have private beaches. For sand, walk or take a boat to Kolokytha on the peninsula, or drive 25 minutes south to Voulisma at Istron.
How far is Elounda from Heraklion airport?
About 75 km, 1h 10m by car on the national road via Agios Nikolaos. Taxis cost around €90-100; most resorts offer transfers.
What is the sunken city at Elounda?
Ancient Olous, a Dorian city on the isthmus that subsided into the sea. Its walls are visible under the water beside the causeway to Kolokytha on calm days, and a mosaic floor survives by the road.
When is the best time to visit Elounda?
May to June and September to October. The bay is calm, the resorts are cheaper and Spinalonga is not crowded. July and August are hot and fully booked.
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