Elafonisos
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 Elafonissos (Ελαφόνησος) |
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| Coordinates | 36°29′ N 22°57′ E | |
| Country | Greece | |
| Periphery | Peloponnese | |
| Prefecture | Laconia | |
| Population | 745 source (2001) | |
| Elevation | 0-276 m | |
| Postal code | 230 53 | |
| Area code | 27340 | |
| Licence plate code | ΑΚ | |
| Website | elafonissos.gr | |
Elafonissos (Greek: Ελαφόνησος) is a small Greek island between the Peloponnese (Greek: Πελοπόνησος) and Kythira (Greek: Κύθηρα). It lies off the coast of Cape Malea (Greek: Ακρ. Μαλέας) and is found in the municipality of the Vatika (Greek: Βάτικα). The area of the island is 19 km². In modern times, Elafonissos was first inhabited before 1850.
The population which is between 400 and 450 during the winter, however, increases in the summer months. This is because the island is a popular tourist destination during the summer. The tourist season is in the months of July and August reaching 5,000 with 1,600 cars every day. Many people visit the island for its light coloured, sandy beaches on the southern tip of the island. There three main beaches on the island, that of Simos (Greek: Σίμος), Sarakiniko (Greek: Σαρακίνικο) and Panagias (Greek: Παναγίας), are filled with golden-green waters. Just across the island 570 m to the mainland there is the Punta (Greek: Πούντα) beach.
On the nearby mainland, approximately 6.5 km (3.7 nmi) east is Neapoli (Greek: Νεάπολη) of the municipality of Vatika. About 8.5 km (4.5 nmi) south is Cape Frangos (Greek: Φράγκο) in the island of Kythira.
3 km² of the community's land includes the mainland which mainly Punta. Today is the only island that is the only inhabited island in the Peloponnese. There are also some archaeological discoveries on the island and in the surrounding waters.
The main church in the village is of Agios Spyridon (Greek: Άγιος Σπυρίδων), which is built on a tiny piece of land that is connected by a hand made bridge to the rest of the island.
The name of Elafonissos probably has a historical origin, and means the "island of deers".
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[edit] Historical population
| Year | Population | Change | Municipal population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 611 | - | - |
| 1991 | 653 | 43/7.04% | 725 |
[edit] History
The current name the Elafonissos (Island of the Deers), according to research of Stamoulis Iakovos and Kroupis Ilias, is due to the rich hunting that existed in the region from the antiquity as it is reported by Pausanias (Greek: Παυσανίας) there was a statuary of Artemis (Greek: Άρτεμις) (Goddess of hunting) in the region. Also, the existence of a population of deers of red colour. This agrees with Venetian and Portolan maps of 15th century where Elafonisos is impressed as CERVI and the Kythera as CERIGO (a name that the locals use up to today for Kythera (Tsirigo, Greek: Τσιρίγο). This wasn't the case with Elafonisso as it wasn't inhabited at the time. In addition, the village across the channel Viglafia (Greek: Βιγλάφια) draws its name from Vigla (observatory) and Elafia (Deers). From Viglafia is a natural observatory for the surrounding fields, the lagoon Stroggyli (Greek: Στρογγυλή), and Elafonissos island. The isolatated population of deers in Elafonisos could well be observed from there.
In the antiquity the current area where Elafonissos lies did not constitute island but a peninsula with the name "Onou Gnathos" (Greek: Όνου Γνάθος) (Donkey Jawbone) as the then form referred in the aspect according to Pausanias (2nd century AD) who in his tour describes the city of Voia in the sunken region of island Petri (Pavlopetri, Greek: Παυλοπέτρι) where is even distinguished today ruins of homes and cart roads as in the Tip of Kalogeras (Greek: καλόγερας), near in the island Kassela (Greek: Κασέλα) in complex of Virgin Mary Islands(Greek: Νησιά της Παναγίας). The region between the island and Peloponnese that sunk in the aftermath of an earthquake and other smaller pieces of ground around the island that today us rewards with splendid gold-greenblue colours in their waters.
During the 16th and 17th century A.D. the island used as a base for operations of Pirates and Corsairs, since the "Elafonissos Channel" it even constitutes today the main passage of vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean with hundreds of ships pass each day and night.
The island was populated by its current residents in 1850, afterwards his final annexation to Greece after A Greek-British minor conflict but also the final end to the piracy in the Aegean by the Hellenic Navy. The initial inhabitants came from the surrounding villages of Vatika area and Kythira island. The Hellenic Kingdom exploited the omition of Elafonissos and another Island called Sapienza from the treaty of sovereignty of the "Ionian Republic" in which both islands where part of.
All the island in the coastal region had observatories (called Vigles, Greek: Βίγλα), where the Observers could watch ships approach the shores, and could warn the local population night or day. The observers shift (called Vardia in Greek, Greek: Βάρδια) gives name of the mountain in the middle Elafonisos (276m height). It was used as an Observator by the current residents during the B World War to protect the civilians from air raids and the firepower of German highspeed ships that started from the German Naval station at Gytheio (Greek: Γύθειο) aiming at scaring the residents of Elafonissos. Residents used the hidden caves at the Mauroudi (Greek: Μαυρουδί) region to hide and protect from the aggressors.
The residents of Elafonissos posses allocating one of the bigger fishing fleets in Greece with boats suitable for coastal mainly fishing. Most of them are wooden "Trehandiri" (Greek: Τρεχαντήρι) but also "Papadia" (Greek: Παπαδιά) and other types. The are famous for exceptional woodwork shipbuilding as genuine descendants trireme from the Spetses, Hydra, Koilada but also Samos and elsewhere.
It is also rumoured that Elafonisi in Southwestern Crete owes the name when at their passage with the Caiques fishermen of Elafonissos they called the place Lafonisi as even today, the resemblance of colours of sea with splendid goldgreenblue waters of Simos, Saracenico, Pounta and Virgin Mary Islands.
[edit] Other
Elafonisos has school and church
[edit] External links
- Elafonissos, Greece
- Elafonissos - Photos
- Map, Elafonissos on earth
- Mapquest - Elafonissos, street map not available
- Elafonisos, Greece, Lakonia
- Coordinates:
| Municipalities and communities of the Laconia Prefecture |
|---|
| Asopos • East Mani • Elos • Faris • Geronthres • Gytheio • Krokees • Molaoi • Monemvasia • Mystras • Niata • Oinountas • Oitylo • Pellana • Skala • Smynos • Sparta • Therapnes • Voies • Zarakas |
| Elafonisos • Karyes |
