“The sea was calm and beautiful. The colors are intense—light blue water, pink sand. Paradise,” wrote a TripAdvisor reader about the beach of Elafonissi in Crete, Greece. The beach was voted the 10th most beautiful beach in the world by TripAdvisor readers, 3rd in all of Europe and first in the country.

Elafonissi beach, located on the southwest of Crete has enchanted tourists from across the globe. It is a small island, just 200 meters off the coast of Crete, which is accessible through the lagoon that connects it to the mainland. Visitors can walk the small distance safely and carry along their personal items without worrying about getting them wet since the waters are very shallow.

The sand on Elafonissi is white, but in many places it takes on a pink color due to the thousands of broken seashells it contains. The crystal clear, blue-green sea is reminiscent of an exotic paradise and that is the reason why it was voted as one the most beautiful beaches in the world.