TripAdvisor: Elafonissi, Greece, Ranks Among Top 10 Best Beaches in the World for 2015

Elafonissi, a tiny island with white sand, means “deer island,” but visitors will not see any deer on the island! It is separated from the shore by a lagoon no more than a meter deep. Photo © Facebook – ΟΙ ΟΜΟΡΦΙΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΑΣ ΜΑΣ

Elafonissi in Greece is once again among the winners of travel website Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards for beaches. In its third year, the awards recognize the best beaches globally.

The Greek beach, located in west Crete, 75 kilometres southwest of Chania, is in the 10th place among the 25 best beaches worldwide, up seven spots from last year.

Tripadvisor user comment about Elafonissi: “The sea was calm and beautiful. The colors are intense—light blue water, pink sand. Paradise.” According to users of the travel website, the best time to visit is the May-October period. Photo © Constantin Stanciu

Elafonissi, which is not to be confused with its namesake Elafonissos in Peloponissos, is a protected nature reserve and boasts one of the finest sand beaches in the country.

Travelers’ Choice award-winning beaches were determined based on the quantity and quality of traveler reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor gathered over a 12-month period.

“For travelers looking to escape the snow and cold, we’ve unveiled the world’s best beaches based on feedback from the TripAdvisor community,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.

Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Beaches in the World

1. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
2. Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
3. Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Italy
4. Playa Paraiso Beach, Cayo Largo, Cuba
5. Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
6. Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles
7. White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
8. Flamenco Beach, Culebra, Puerto Rico
9. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
10. Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Greece
11. Camp’s Bay Beach, Camps Bay, South Africa
12. Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
13. Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe, United Kingdom
14. Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida
15. West Bay Beach, West Bay, Honduras
16. Cayo de Agua, Los Roques National Park, Venezuela
17. Playa Manuel Antonio, Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
18. Nai Harn Beach, Rawai, Thailand
19. Sharm El Luli, Marsa Alam, Egypt
20. Iztuzu Beach, Dalyan, Turkey
21. Playa Paraiso, Tulum, Mexico
22. Diani Beach, Diani Beach, Kenya
23. Eagle Beach, Palm – Eagle Beach, Aruba
24. Ngapali Beach, Ngapali, Myanmar
25. Maunganui Beach, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand