TourMaster · Chania area pickup
The most booked day out from Chania: a modern coach to the far south-west corner of Crete, a tasting of Cretan honey and wine on the way, four full hours at Elafonisi and an hour in the chestnut village of Elos. Pick it for the umbrella you never have to hunt for and for a long, unhurried stretch on the lagoon.
The day starts with pickup from one of about 136 meeting points across the Chania region, from hotels and supermarkets on the coast road to the port of Souda. You travel in a modern, fully air-conditioned coach. TourMaster says its vehicles are up to 8 years old and calls itself the only ISO 39001-certified day-tour operator in western Crete. A professional driver handles the mountain bends, and a live tour escort runs the day, with the main commentary in English and essential information in German or French.
About 80 minutes in, the coach stops at the Stathakis Family Honey Experience. You taste four Cretan honeys and a complimentary glass of local wine from a family winery, and there is time for a coffee. Then it is on to the coast for four full hours at Elafonisi: wade across the shallow lagoon to the island, look for the pink tint where the water meets the sand, or find a quiet cove and stay put. The coach parks about 1 km from the beach, a 10 to 15 minute walk on mostly sandy ground, because cars and coaches are kept out of the protected beach zone.
The free umbrella is the part guests talk about. It is guaranteed, with no rental fee and no deposit: one umbrella per booking for up to 4 guests, one for every 4 guests on bigger bookings, returned to the driver before you leave. On the way home the coach stops for an hour in Elos, a village among chestnut trees, for an optional lunch at a tavern, a coffee or a walk. The listing expects you back in Chania around 18:00, traffic allowing. Sunbeds, lunch and drinks are extra. A friendly tip: plant the umbrella deep in the sand, as the listing asks, and bring a towel, because shared beach mats are not provided.
Choose your meeting point when you book. The coach collects guests along the coast, so the first stretch is a slow, scenic loop.
The Stathakis Family Honey Experience: four honeys, a complimentary Cretan wine tasting and a break of about 40 minutes.
Swim, wade to the island, walk the pink-tinted edge of the water or sit under your free umbrella.
About 35 minutes from the beach. Lunch at a tavern, a coffee or a short walk under the chestnut trees, at your own cost.
About 1.5 hours on the coach to the drop-off points, arriving around 18:00 depending on traffic.
★★★★★The best way to enjoy the scenery of Crete [...] get to Elafonisi effortlessly! The village of Elos is charming: an aqueduct, an ancient church, and chestnut trees. Highly recommended!
★★★★★Everything was great! Our guide Eleni gave us interesting and useful information. We spent nice day on the beach, enjoy our ride though amazing nature. It's good option for solo travelers.
★★★★★The guide was incredible and the beach was so beautiful
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Four full hours on the beach. The whole day takes about 10 hours, with a honey and wine tasting on the way and an hour in Elos on the way back.
Yes. The listing guarantees one umbrella per booking for up to 4 guests, with no rental fee and no deposit. You return it to the driver before the coach leaves Elafonisi.
No. The honey and wine tasting is free, but lunch and drinks in Elos are at your own cost. Bring water and a snack for the beach.
About 1 km, or 10 to 15 minutes on foot, mostly on sand. Vehicles are not allowed in the protected beach zone. Every booking has free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Ready to book
Four full hours at Elafonisi from Chania, a free umbrella and a honey and wine tasting on the way.
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