Elafonisi Island tour with Agia Sophia Cave and monastery visit

Excursions & day trips

Crete, Greece

from 16 reviews

4.2/5

Free Cancellation

Language: English , Italian

Mobile voucher accepted

Duration:2 hours

Instant Confirmation

Guided Tour

e-Voucher

Group Tour

Do this because

Soak up the sun on the pink sands of Elafonisi beach, one of Crete's top beaches

Discover popular myths and beliefs at the coastal Chrissoskalitissa Monastery

Admire the impressive stalactites and stalagmites at the cave of Agia Sophia

Enjoy a drive through the jaw-dropping scenery of the rugged Topolia Gorge

Expert local guide with an unrivalled knowledge of Crete and its countryside

What to expect

The uninhabited islet of Elafonisi in southwestern Crete is bursting with natural beauty and cultural riches. Topolia Gorge, Agia Sophia Cave, Chrissoskalitissa Monastery and a beach many consider the best on the island are among the star turns of this day trip. Rena, one of our local guides, says, ‘This tour combines the best of the Cretan highlands with the idyllic pink-sand beach of Elafonisi on the south coast.'It's a laidback start to the day, with a pit stop for coffee in a family-run taverna in the farming hamlet of Voulgaro. From here, a dramatic drive south through the Topolia Gorge awaits. The views on the deep ravine to your left are epic. We'll then visit the cave of Agia Sophia, which is famed for its stalactites. Linked to a variety of legends, it's said that the hoof print of St George's horse can be found here. And if you look hard enough, you'll find what looks like a horseshoe print in a rock.Next up is the Chrissoskalitissa Monastery. Built on a hill overlooking the coastline, this 1,000-year-old retreat offers timeless charm. Its name means ‘golden steps' and it's steeped in myth. According to some, one of the steps is golden – but is only visible to the religious. The last port of call is nothing short of postcard-perfect. Rena says: ‘You can reach Elafonisi islet walking through a shallow stretch of water from Elafonisi beach.' Spend the afternoon swimming, relaxing and taking in the top-tier views, then we'll finish the day at Paleochora fishing village.

What's included

Transport

Guide

Coffee stop and local snack

What to remember

Not suitable for guests with reduced mobility

Food and drinks not included

Admissions not included

Bring bathing gear and sunblock

Bring a hat

Bring a towel

Provider

tui-supplier+tui-hellas-ae@musement.com

Booking Fee

Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.

Cancellation Fee

Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 1 day before the experience begins

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Reviews

great

4.2/5

Based on 16 reviews from verified customers

All ratings (16)

Excellent (9)

56%

Great (3)

19%

Average (4)

25%

Poor (0)

Bad (0)

Blue

October 2024

From United Kingdom

Traveled as Alone - 51 years old

Excellent

The tour was good value for money, it was a long day. I think it should be stressed more that to get the most out of the excursion there is a lot of physical exertion. 250+ steps to the caves and inside big steps with no handrails, I didn't feel very safe. Also the walk to the beach was quite a long way and it was very busy. The guide was very good.

Michele

August 2024

From United States of America

Traveled as As a couple - 47 years old

Excellent

Maria our guide was very informative and made the day very interesting.

Anonymous

August 2024

From United States of America

Average

It’s a bit disappointing. The pictures are misleading as the sands aren’t pink at all. The tour guide even admitted that the sands aren’t pink and the photos are photoshopped to make it seem pink. There is no shade on the beach so you are very exposed and prone to burning. It is also VERY touristy.

Claire

June 2024

From United States of America

Traveled as With friends - 40 years old

Excellent

Everything was good, very happy.

Jeremy

July 2023

From United States of America

Traveled as As a couple

Great

Apparently it is cheaper to book similar excursion locally

S.L

June 2023

From United States of America

Traveled as With family

Excellent

Rosie

October 2022

From United Kingdom

Traveled as Alone - 12 years old

Excellent

Guide was excellent, very informative and the driver did an amazing job on the narrow roads in the mountains. It was a busy day, we stopped at a local taverna and had a traditional pastry first, then on to the cave, lots of steps, harder in the sun but doable and well worth it. Monastery was next, again very beautiful but would have been nice to spend longer there. Too much time spent at Elafonisi beach, and the last stop was palaiochora, would have preferred to spend longer here.

Gary

October 2022

From United Kingdom

Traveled as As a couple - 33 years old

Average

We enjoyed the location. The thing we didn't enjoy was the time on the coach, out if nearly 10 hours we spent 5 of this on the coach. The coach was extremely uncomfortable and others mentioned it as well. The seats had no leg room and my knees were constantly stuck against seat in front as was my wife's. I have small legs so I can only imagine others had the same problem too. I feel the excursion should have mentioned long time on coach, extremely long day as you can imagine.

Bianca

October 2022

From United Kingdom

Traveled as As a couple - 15 years old

Excellent

We loved this trip. We had Andy as our driver and Maria as our guide. Maria explained all of the historical background throughout the trip and gave hints and tips throughout to make the most of each stop. We would highly reccomend this trip if you want a few hours at the beach without it being too excessive alongside some historical information about the monastery and local towns.

Majlis

October 2022

From Sweden

Traveled as As a couple - 63 years old

Great

Varierat program och utflyktsmål. Trevlig guide och säker chaufför. Vi hade gärna önskat mer information om landskapet vi färdades genom, såsom natur, växter, djurliv mm. Önskvärt om vi hade haft tillgång till en svensk- eller nordisktalande guide. I programmet för utflykten kan gärna nämnas att vissa delar är fysiskt ansträngande. (Min man och jag är 80+ och hade varit tacksamma för denna upplysning.)

Paul

September 2022

From United Kingdom

Traveled as As a couple - 41 years old

Average

The day was very long 11 hours. We were picking up people for over an hour. All entrance fees were on top of the trip price. I have a condition that means I been to go to the toilet often, so I cannot drink much on trips I asked the guide how long it would be for our journey back to the hotel and she said one hour as we would be dropped off first. So i had a drink, but when we got back.in the bus the driver decided he was dropping off in the order he collected, making the journey over 2 hours.

SixBurgers

September 2022

From United Kingdom

Traveled as As a couple - 31 years old

Average

An interesting trip, some parts were great - the monastery, the cave in the mountain, the town visit. More time at all of these would have been great. The title of the trip is misleading, the island is a small one off the coast that you can wade out to, but you need to be in swim wear and be able to carry your belongings with you. The beach part is too long, and being without shade between 12.00 and 2.30pm is very bad planning. It’s extremely busy and no beds, seating or shade available.

Sarah

August 2022

From United Kingdom

Traveled as With family - 29 years old

Excellent

Excellent excursion - the guide was very knowledgable and interesting and the driver amazing at getting around tight corners! We all had a lovely day and saw lots of western Crete that we wouldn’t have otherwise seen.

Lee

August 2022

From United Kingdom

Traveled as With family - 31 years old

Excellent

The guide was amazing. She explained everything very well and my whole family enjoyed listening to her. The coach felt a little hot in the afternoon. The air conditioner wasn’t strong enough with a full bus and 34 degrees outside

Maine

June 2022

From Sweden

Traveled as As a couple - 41 years old

Great

Väldigt bra guide som utförligt beskrev vad vi kunde se längs vägen mm. Hann få se mycket under dagsutflykten så det blev en toppendag! Det som var negativt var den rätt varma bussen. Hade varit skönt att få vila från värmen när man förflyttade sig mellan ställena vi skulle se. Sen stod det att kaffe och tilltugg skulle ingå på ett av stoppen. Det gjorde det inte. Kaffet gick att köpas men kändes mindre bra att inte ett komplett fika kunde få ingå som det stod i planen.

Trish

June 2022

From United Kingdom

Traveled as Alone - 53 years old

Excellent

I enjoyed every minute. The tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable and the driver was excellent at negotiating the very bad bendy mountain roads. We were all vey hot despite cold air circulation but it was a very hot day

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