Elafonisi
Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / surface missing template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / height missing
Elafonisi (Greek Ελαφονήσι (n. sg. ), Also Ελαφόνισος Elafonisos ) is a small island on the southwest corner of the Mediterranean island of Crete ( Greece). The name means " deer island ". It is located in the town of Kissamos of Chania regional district, about 15 kilometers southwest of Elos, the capital of one of the three municipal districts of Kissamos.
Location
After Elafonisi performs a single paved road that branches off from the main road south of Kissamos coming in Kefali direction Vathi. Five kilometers after passing the monastery Chrysoskalitissa from the 17th century, the white building is right by the sea on a rock, you reach a dirt parking lot in front of the beach.
In calm weather, without swell ELAFONISI is connected to the main island of Crete by a strip of sand. The sandy beach is colored by tiny Muschelteilchen pink. The area behind the beach is passed with tamarisk trees.
Description
After wading through the shallow water of a sand bank to reach the island itself Elafonisi. It extends to an average of 330 meters wide and 1.5 kilometers long south-west towards the open sea. The tip of the island forms a hill, on which a lighthouse is located. In addition to this the Nordwestkap is the small Koundourakis chapel from the 1970s. The rocky hill can be reached only on this side of a trail.
At the southwestern tip is a large wooden cross in memory of a shipwreck in 1907. Between Lighthouse and cross a monument in the form of a miniature church is still being built of rock, as they are called in a similar form, Proskinitiria, all over Crete are to be seen on roadsides.
The north-west coast of Elafonisi is very rocky and rugged. The other hand between the dark rock many small marine basins have formed on the southeast coast, where there are sandy beaches. Between the two sides of the island is flat sand dunes which are covered with low vegetation cover. The dunes should not be entered because Elafonisi is a nature reserve.
The beach on Crete before the Elafonissi Island and the beaches of the island, opposite to Crete every year destination of many tourists as this place is recommended in many guide books and by many tour operators. Paleochora is a regular excursion vessels landing northeast of Elafonisi.
History
On April 24th 1824 a Easter Sunday, to have been killed by Ottoman troops on Elafonisi several hundred Greeks. 40 armed Greek men had taken refuge with women, children and the elderly from the advancing military units on the island. However, the Ottomans found from their camp on the beach, the shallow ford to the island and discovered the volatile Greeks. According to several sources it was 600 to 850 people, of whom killed the most and the survivors were sold into slavery in Egypt. At the highest point of the small island is a memorial plaque at this event. To commemorate it be every year in August, the " Lafonisia " athletic competitions are held.
Off the west coast of the island fell on 22 February 1907, the passenger steamer Imperatrix the Austrian Lloyd. In the accident due to strong northwest winds 38 people lost their lives, tried in a lifeboat to reach the shore. They lie in Elafonisi. The Imperatrix still lies on the seabed off the cliffs of the island. The accident was the occasion to build on Elafonisi a lighthouse, which was destroyed by the German occupation forces during World War II.