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: Megalo Tigani, road to Simos
After the beach Megalo Tigani, there is the port where ferry boats dock.
At a short distance, in the area Kavaki, we find the picturesque chapel of Agios Giannis (St. John) and the cemetery of Elafonisos.
We follow the road to Simos beach and we see Karnagio, the place where the boats are taken to be repaired.
Right after there is an area called Vaporaki (meaning “little boat”). It is a rock that has taken the shape of a boat after the continuous scraping of its surface by the winds and the salt of the sea. According to a legend, this rock was once a pirate ship that got stoned when her crew attempted to attack the church of Agios Giannis.
Continuing to the south, we reach Mavros Kavos (Black Cape). Above, it is the position Fountianika where plenty of clay pots of dark color of the Early Helladic era were found.
Below, there is the cave of Karantrea, a cave in the sea, accessible only by boat.
On our way we see Spilitsa and then the Cape Delakouvia (or Delekouvia) with its Venetian name.
Before Lefki, on an elevated turn, there is the chapel of Agia Paraskevi, the highest point of the route. From up here you can enjoy the most beautiful spectacle of Elafonisos: the beaches of Lefki, Simos and Sarakiniko. In this piece of land it seems that the seas of the Aegean, Ionian, Myrtoan and Cretan seas are joined together.
Reaching the beach of Lefki, our imagination seeks the temple of Apollo in its historic position. According to Thucydides, it was built before the 6th or 5th century BC.
At Lefki Cape there are fragments dating back to the Bronze Age (3500-2500 BC).
Then we come upon the beach of Lefki, where one can relax by swimming in the crystal clear waters.
We continue following the road to Simos. At some point the road is divided into two directions. One leads to Sarakiniko (the long beach) and another to Simos (the small beach). We follow the road to Simos, on our left hand.
From Simos we can walk along the beach to reach the point where the two beaches are joined (Cape Elena) and then walk across the Sarakiniko beach.
The Bay of Sarakiniko (or Tseratsiniko) or Porto di Cervi, according to cartographers, was a refuge of wild Cilics, Saracens, Turks, Barbarians, Maltese, Knights, English, French, people from Mani and others pirates and corsairs. Mass graves, with broken human skulls, found on the beaches of Simos and Sarakiniko, testify the brutality that these beautiful areas once witnessed. Victor Hugo, in his poem on Kythera, refers to the corsairs of the region (Strait of Elafonisos) as well as Jules Verne.
The First Ottoman–Venetian naval battle of Elafonisos began in Sarakiniko in 1572 AD. Don Juan, Ulutzalis, Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) participated in this expedition (Dr Mentis K. 1993: 53-56).
At Sarakiniko the decision for Navarino's naval battle was also taken. On 8 October 1827, on Saturday, at dawn, the Admiral's War Council (Kodrington, Derigny, Heyden) delivered one of the most critical ultimatums in Modern Greek History while in the clear waters of Sarakiniko: "either Ibrahim Pasha immediately ceases all hostilities and returns with his fleet and all of his forces in Alexandria, or he will immediately face the united fire of the Allied Fleet "..." (Dr. Mentis K. 1993: 89-91).
Sources
Mentis, K., 1994, S. Peloponnesus and its “smogopelaga” 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
