Why Visit
The most famous is Simos beach, on the southern side of the island, very popular for camping too. Other nice beaches include Sarakiniko and Panagia, while many other coves are found around the island. The only village of Elafonissos concentrates all activities. After a long day on the beach, visitors head to the village for a stroll along the beach promenade and a tasty meal in the taverns.
History
Elafonissos appears in the ancient times, when the worshipping of Artemis and the other Olympian gods was in all its glory, and the island hosted a great temple of Artemis. Artemis was the goddess of haunting and this was a popular activity those times. In fact, Elafonissos counted on a vast population of red deer. This is how the island took its name, as Elafonissos means the island of the deer in Greek. Many of these facts were described in the 2nd century AD by the famous Greek geographer Pausanias, and were also confirmed by the 15th century Venetian maps.
In the Medieval times, the history of Elafonissos is poor as it was mostly used as a base of operations for pirates. The Channel of Elafonissos was then used for the passage of vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean. Today, it is still in use with hundreds of ships crossing it every day. Regarding the inhabitation of Elafonissos, there are findings dating from the First-Hellenic period, uncovered on Lefki, Pavlopetri, Foudianika, Vigla, Kournospila and Kato Nisi, to testify that the island was inhabited 5000 years ago.
However, no such further evidences have been found for the centuries that followed. Elafonissos spent most of its time with no inhabitants. After the 1830s, there was an effort to settle the island. People from Vatika village, Mani, on the opposite coast of Laconia, started moving to Elafonissos after a decree of the Greek government. This fact was the reason of a diplomatic conflict from between the Greek Government and Great Britain, who until then had the Ionian State under their control (1814-1864).
Over the years, the new residents managed to do well on Elafonissos. The suppression of piracy by the Hellenic Navy made things easier. The residents would occupy mostly with agriculture and fishing. In fact, even today Elafonissos has the biggest fishing fleet in Greece. Unfortunately, the economy of the island gradually declined and in the 1950s-1960s, many of the permanent inhabitants migrated to Athens or abroad. Today the island of Elafonissos has only about 800 permanent inhabitants.
Museums - Archeological
The island of Elafonissos does not have a museum itself. As it is a small island with a few inhabitants and was settled in the middle of the 19th century, the inhabitants haven't created yet a museum to promote their cultural identity. However, the archaeological excavations that were made on the island some decades ago show that Elafonissos has a long and interesting history. The archaeologists have unearthed findings from the prehistoric era, which proves that the area was once inhabited but the residents left before the historic times.
In the antiquity, Elafonissos was united to the coast of Peloponnese. The area was used as a place of cult. As Elafonissos was a hunting place with many red deer, it was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of hunting. In fact, excavations on Pavlopetri islet, to the north of Elafonissos, have revealed ruins from temples of Artemis, Apollo and Zeus. Pausanias, the Greek geographer who lived in the 2 century A.D., said that there was also the tomb of Kinados, a navy commander who took part with the side of Menelaus in the Trojan War.
What has also been discovered close to Elafonissos is a submerged, prehistoric town which lies to the north-east of Pavlopetri islet in a depth of 2-3 m. This town can be seen from above and you can distinct a well-built town with buildings, streets and squares. This rare, prehistoric settlement was discovered in 1968. In the 4th century AD, Elafonissos was separated from the coast of Peloponnese, as did the nearby tiny islets that surround it.
Beaches
Simos, Kalogeras, Kontogoni, Lefki, Sarakiniko
Religious Monasteries and Churches
The small island of Elafonissos counts on a few churches which area highly appreciated by the locals and the visitors. The symbol of Elafonissos is the church dedicated to Agios Spyridonas, the saint protector of the island. Set right in front of the port with lovely views and nice taverns nearby. It is connected with the rest of the island via a bridge.
West of Elafonissos, surrounded by beautiful islets lies the church of Panagia Katotiniotissa (from Kato Nisi, meaning Lower island). It is set on a high hill from 1895, over the ruins of an ancient church and in close distance is the church of Agios Ioannis. Some of the newly built churches are Agia Triada, Agios Patapios, Agia Irini and the church of Agios Nektarios.
