This is a 4-kilometer-long route, also covered by a car, but suitable for hiking in order to have time to look at some places of interest.

Starting point: Settlement of Elafonisos, road to Panagia - Kato Nisi.

Less than a kilometer away is the settlement of Kapari.

Then we arrive at the chapel of Agios Andreas - Agios Konstantinos, built in 1972.

After the chapel, on our left hand, at a distance of about ten meters off the road, there is a hill where there is a large cave.

Southwest, there is the area Schiza where there is a gap/schism that the area is named after. When it rains, the rainwater gathers here, forming a river and ending into the sea.

Continuing by the coast, on our right hand, we can see an area with reeds, behind which is the place called Kokkina (meaning Red) due to the existence of red rocks and soil.

Then we meet Mavroudi. The name comes from the owner of the area who was called Mavroidis Melas. It is an area with many and steep caves (where shells and obsidian have been found). During the Second World War the inhabitants of Elafonisos used to hide in these caves to find protection from the German Stukas (dive bombers and ground-attack aircrafts).

In the background, we can see Mavro Akrotiri (Black Cape), which owes its name to the black rocks that probably took this color from volcanic activity in the surrounding area.

Continuing to the south, we see the area called Agnantio (meaning Gaze). It is called so because if we turn our head and look back towards the settlement, we have a very good view of Agios Spyridon (Saint Spyridon) and of the village of Elafonisos.

Above, there is a rocky hill full of caves and cavities, called Korakofolia (crows' nest) because it is the habitat of crows. Legends say that the pirates hid the loot of their raids in these caves. Perhaps even today there is still a hidden, long forgotten treasure! Others say that at this point there were fairies who teased passer-bys. This legend is based, obviously, on the natural phenomenon of the echo that can be experienced in this region.

Moving south, there is a large cave, called Gaidourospilo, where the island's inhabitants kept their donkeys. During the war there were families living there.

A bit down the road, there is a cape called Leptos Kavos. In the wider marine area, the 3rd Ottoman–Venetian naval battle of Elafonisos took place in 1718.

Around the rocks salt pans are formed, from which the inhabitants collected salt.

After Gaidourospilo, there is the Karalis area. From here, we see the The Church of Panagia (Virgin Mary) and the beach with its islands: Xeropoules, Lepto Nisi, Prasonisi and Kassella. The local tradition portrayed the islands of Panagia as the stones that were cast to Odysseus's ship by the Cyclopes and the cave lying in front of them, as the cave of Polyphemos and Katonisi as the land of the Cyclopes.

The 2nd Ottoman–Venetian naval battle of Elafonisos also took place here in 1717.

Finally, in these blue waters, Kolokotronis (hero of the Greek war of Independence) was rescued in 1806 (Anomitris J. 1984-1996).

We have reached the end of the route.

 

 

Sources

Mentis, K., 1994, S. Peloponnesus and its “smigopelaga” islands. - Il Peloponneso meridionale e le sue isole “smigopelaga”, Elafonisos: Library of Elafonisos/Bibliotheca di Elafonisos

High School of Elafonisos, School Year 2011-2012, Stories of Elafonisos (Myths and beliefs about the place names of our island)

http://elafonisos.gov.gr

0
0
0
s2sdefault

Discover the place - Live the experience