Elafonissi and Balos earn top global rankings as Crete’s mayors warn that tourism must not overwhelm fragile ecosystems
Elafonissi in Chania has received another major international tourism accolade, ranking second in the world and first in Europe in Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travellers’ Choice Awards – Best of the Best Beaches, according to a joint statement from the mayors of Kissamos and Kantanos-Selino. Elafonissi ranked first worldwide in 2025, while nearby Balos reached third place globally this year.
The mayors of Kissamos, Giorgos Mylonakis, and Kantanos-Selino, Antonios Perrakis, said the awards extend far beyond the administrative boundaries of their municipalities.
“Elafonissi and Balos are two destinations with global recognition that contribute decisively to the tourism profile of Crete and Greece,” the mayors said. They added that the international recognition also creates a major responsibility to protect the places that attract visitors from around the world.
Municipalities highlight conservation measures
The two municipalities said they have deliberately followed a difficult path in recent years by prioritising environmental protection and using scientific evidence to guide decisions that significantly restrict commercial exploitation of the area.
They highlighted measures covering beach umbrellas, vehicle access, round-the-clock beach surveillance, and fencing to protect sand dunes and cedar trees.
The municipalities also said they have fought several institutional and legal battles to strengthen protection of Elafonissi.
They defended the environmental protection framework and the vehicle ban before Greece’s Council of State, challenged objections from a private company over the area’s forest status and, during consultation on the Special Environmental Study, successfully pushed for the protected nature zone to double in size.
Mayors call for greater role from national authorities
The mayors stressed that responsibility for managing a protected area such as Elafonissi does not rest solely with the two municipalities.
Under Law 4685/2020, the Greek state established the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA), known by its Greek acronym OFYPEKA, as the central body responsible for coordinating the governance and management of the country’s natural environment and protected areas.
For Elafonissi, OFYPEKA commissioned a project to develop management plans regulating recreational activities in western Crete. The project covers Elafonissi, Falassarna and Balos–Gramvousa and aims to determine how far recreational activities can expand within these particularly sensitive ecosystems.
According to the mayors, their municipalities formally requested all project deliverables from OFYPEKA on May 26 but have yet to receive a response.
They also pointed to the pending Visitor Carrying Capacity Study, which they said OFYPEKA must complete as the competent management authority. The study will determine scientifically the maximum number of visitors that Elafonissi can accommodate, as well as the facilities that the beach and the opposite Voulishmeni coast can support.
The mayors also called for the Ministry of Environment and Energy to complete the process for issuing the required Presidential Decree. They said the decree would give permanent and binding force to the protection zones, permitted uses and conservation rules governing Elafonissi.
“Elafonissi does not have unlimited capacity”
The mayors warned that the area cannot withstand unlimited tourism pressure.
“Experience from other destinations around the world has shown that when exploitation exceeds what a place can withstand, the natural environment that created its value gradually deteriorates,” they said.
They argued that Crete still has an opportunity to prevent such an outcome at Elafonissi, but said all relevant authorities must now activate their responsibilities and complete the necessary measures.
“The global recognition of Elafonissi is a great success for Crete and Greece. Protecting it is an even greater responsibility,” they said.
The mayors stressed that the same concerns apply to Balos, Gramvousa and Falassarna, which form part of the Natura 2000 network and fall administratively within the Municipality of Kissamos.
They called for international recognition of these unique destinations to go hand in hand with the level of protection demanded by their environmental value.
