Simos Beach

Simos Beach on tiny Elafonisos island is Greece's best-kept Caribbean secret — a double beach of impossibly fine white sand and crystalline turquoise water that rivals the Maldives. The twin bays of Megalos Simos and Mikros Simos are separated by a narrow sand dune peninsula, creating a unique landscape of sand, sea, and cedar forest. The water is so clear and shallow that you can wade 50 meters out and still see every grain of sand beneath your feet.

Elafonisos is connected to the Peloponnese by a short ferry crossing from Pounta, keeping mass tourism at bay and preserving the island's sleepy Greek-village charm. The sand dunes behind the beach are covered in fragrant Mediterranean juniper and cedar bushes, creating natural windbreaks and shade. At just 19 square kilometers, Elafonisos has no high-rise hotels — accommodation is in small family-run guesthouses and apartments in the main village.

The beach gets busy in August but feels delightfully empty in June and September.