On the Spinalonga peninsula, and in a sense opposite to Elounda and at a distance of 12 km from Aghios Nickolaos, is the beautiful beach (the Pumpkin): small with white sand and blue-green water, and a few tamarisks for shade.
During the summer, the boats that ply to and fro from Spinalonga make a stop here to let people off for a while: the beach accordingly becomes jam-packed at those times.. For that reason, if you have a car, it is sensible to time your visit to either early in the morning or the late afternoon, thereby avoiding the hours when the boats call in (say 11am-5pm). That way you can appreciate the beauty of the place without fear of disturbance.
There is no infrastructure – but Elounda is close by for all your needs. But do not carry too much: the car will not get you all the way there, and you face a 200 m walk at the end!
Getting to the beach can be done by boat or by road. For the second, you must go to Elounda first, and then follow the road that goes through the salt-marshes, by the old stone windmills, over a small stone bridge and then along the dirt-road to the church of Aghios Loukas. Signs will guide you the point where you must leave your vehicle. If you have no car, then take a bus to Elounda, and then follow the route on foot – the whole trip is some 2 km.
The saltmarshes make a tremendous wetland, in which live many types of birds, including the flamingo. If you arrive at the end of the summer, the white sea-lilies perfume the air with their scent.
South of Elounda and Aghios Nikolaos is the Bay of Mirabello: there the next beach you find is Almyros.
