Simos Beach

Simos, the most beautiful beach in Europe on Elafonisos

Located 4 kilometers from the settlement of Elafonisos, on the southern side of the island, are the twin beaches of Simos (small beach) and Sarakiniko (large beach or Tseratsiniko for locals). Access is by car, while during the summer months, there are boat routes from the old port of Elafonisos (Scala).

Characteristic of the landscape is the fine golden sand, shallow, azure, transparent waters, sand dunes reaching up to 10 meters in height, and the cedar forest that stretches over a large area connecting the two beaches. The vast, white sandy beach and turquoise waters give the landscape an exotic beauty. At Simos and Sarakiniko beaches, one can admire the pink sand derived from red corals on the seabed, countless colorful shells, and the rich underwater environment.

The most magical moments to be at Simos are at sunrise, on moonless nights when one can see countless stars, but especially on full moon nights: a rare experience where the white sand reflects the moonlight and the sea fills with shimmering plankton (possibly some kind of bioluminescent plankton that glows in the dark but is only visible in the light of the moon).

According to local tradition, the beach of Simos was either named after a Kalymnian diver-sponge diver or a hermit named Simos.