Elafonisos is located at the eastern entrance of the Laconic Gulf, west of cape Malea and north of the island of Kythera. A distance of 500 meters separates the island from the coast across (Pounta), which belongs to the Municipality of Elafonisos. Elafonisos has a total area of 22 sq. km. (18 sq. km within the island and 4 sq. miles outside) and a total perimeter of 31.2 km.
Elafonisos lies on the crossroads of the sea route from North to West (eastern Peloponnesian coast, Italy) and from North to South or East (Crete, Egypt, etc.). Therefore it occupies a strategic place of major importance in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Strait of Elafonisos is the shortest natural passage between the Ionian and the Aegean Sea. The geographical boundaries of Elafonisos include the land and the beach of Punta, the lake “Stroggíli” and the islet “Pavlopetri”.
In the northern part of the island lies "Stavrὸs" (meaning "cross"), a small piece of land (reef) where the lighthouse (the locals call it “Spítha”, meaning "spark") is built, which marks the entrance to the port of Elafonisos, around which the main local settlement, called choriὸ (village) extends. The emblematic Church of Saint Spiridon is also located on an islet connected to the mainland through a picturesque bridge. Close to the harbor, there are the beaches “Kontogoni”, “Kalogeras” and “Megalo Tigàni”.
In the southern part of the island, the bays of Sarakiniko and Fragko form the twin beaches of Simos and Sarakiniko while in the east the bay of Lefki forms the homonymous beach. In the western part of the island, that is called “ Kato – nisí” (Lower Island) is the beach of Panagía with its islands: "Leptὸ Nisí", "Prasonisi", Kasella and yet more to the south, the island of “Aglyftis”.
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
http://elafonisos.gov.gr/