Crete Elafonisi, Greece

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Chania, is 52 km away. Nearest airport: CHQ (CHQ), 63 km.

Watch this spot We email you when Crete Elafonisi is worth the trip.

About Crete Elafonisi

Known for kitesurfing and windsurfing, by the OpenStreetMap map of the area. The shore faces S, so wind from the N blows out to sea (our estimate from the coastline). Facts: verified.

Water about 24°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

A spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing, as OpenStreetMap maps it, on a shore facing S. Wind from the S blows onshore, wind from the N blows out to sea, and wind from the W or E runs along the shore. It is sheltered to the open sea. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 19). The sea is about 16°C in March, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 26°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For windsurfing at expert level the best months are usually January, February, March and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Chania, is 52 km away. Nearest airport: CHQ (CHQ), 63 km.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 20 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to CHQ, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).
See flights ORD → CHQ · Skyscanner from about £525 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 25 from the airport to Crete Elafonisi.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Chania, is 52 km away. Nearest airport: CHQ (CHQ), 63 km.
Hire and lessons.
Windsurfing lessons in Crete Elafonisi · GetYourGuideAd Board and rig hire in Crete Elafonisi · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Crete Elafonisi on Google Maps · Directions

Windsurf spot

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Best on Fri 23: 16 kn gusting 21, side-shore. Water: chop.

The score for windsurf, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor

Wind forecast and score for each day at Crete Elafonisi
Day	Score	Wind	Gusts	Shore	Water
Sun 18Oct	0, poor	wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots	7kn	side	chop
Mon 19Oct	0, poor	wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots	11kn	offnot safe	flat
Tue 20Oct	0, poor	wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots	9kn	offnot safe	flat
Wed 21Oct	0, poor	wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots	6kn	offnot safe	flat
Thu 22Oct	0, poor	wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots	10kn	side	flat
Fri 23Oct	45, fair	wind from the east-south-east, 16 knots	21kn	side	chop
Sat 24Oct	0, poor	wind from the north-east, 2 knots	7kn	offnot safe	chop
Sun 25Oct	0, poor	wind from the north, 1 knot	5kn	offnot safe	chop
Mon 26Oct	0, poor	wind from the north-west, 7 knots	11kn	cross-off	chop
Tue 27Oct	40, fair	wind from the south-east, 18 knots	25kn	side	chop

Day scores are the conditions out of 80. Wind is the day's best reading: the mean and the gusts in knots (10 kn is about 19 km/h); the arrow points where it blows to. Shore: "side" is side-shore, blowing along the beach, the safe way; "side-on" and "on" blow in towards it; "cross-off" and "off" blow out to sea, and offshore scores nothing for kite and windsurf. Water is the open sea's waves near the spot: flat under 0.3 m, chop to 0.8 m.

The season

Good windsurf days in a typical week, each month, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

Jan1of 7
Feb1of 7
Mar1of 7
Apr0of 7
May0of 7
Jun0of 7
Jul0of 7
Aug0of 7
Sep0of 7
Oct0of 7
Nov0of 7
Dec1of 7

Typical, not a forecast. Reanalysis wind misses some local thermal winds, so a spot known for an afternoon breeze may do better than this.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for windsurf. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly ORD to CHQ, changing at DUB, then 1h 25 by road. About 20h 30 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 5 kn gusting 9, offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: flat.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 2 kn gusting 6, offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: flat.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 7 kn gusting 10, side-shore. Water: flat.
Fri 23 Oct
Windsurf Crete Elafonisi
16 kn gusting 21, side-shore. Water: chop.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Not enough of the right wind: 2 kn gusting 7, offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: chop.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly ORD to CHQ, changing at DUB, then 1h 25 by road. About 20h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £785–£1,565 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing. A guide from typical prices, not a quote. No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Kit hire is not in it yet: we have no sourced price for it.

Flights £525–£1,095
To the UK airport £35–£65
Hire car £70–£115
Food £155–£290

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Windsurfing lessons · GetYourGuide Board and rig hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.