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The Venetians fortified the island in the 15th century, the Ottomans captured it in the 18th century, and finally became a leper colony in 1903 until 1957. Now only visited by tourists.
On our descent from the Lasithi Plateau to Hersonnisos, we diverted slightly to see an old 13th Century church said to have the finest frescos in all of Crete.
A tiny little Byzantine church in Kritsa, it was called the Panagia Kera, which we reached via a heart-stopping single track, blind-bend, 10% gradient hilltop climb in the car complete with hairpin turns and landslides. We were shitting ourselves.
When we got there it was closed! Don't visit on a Monday. It was pitch black inside, but my camera did manage to pick some of the old paintings on the wall as well as an image on a window of what appears to be Christ.
Elafonisi Island is near the southeast tip of Crete, 43km from Kastelli and 76km from Chania. The road from Chrisoskalitissa continues as a dirt track of 5km to Elafonisi.
This lovely islet was the site of a massacre of 850 women and children by the Turks in 1824. The women and children were hidden there and as the Turks camped on the beaches a horse found the shallow, 0.5 - 0.8 metre-deep water path to the island. The Turks discovered the women and children and slaughtered them. There is a memorial plaque on the highest point of the islet
This is a popular beach with bright white sand and bright blue water. The beach is flat and open to the sun, and is appropriate for families with children, with smooth sand and shallow waters. Walk 50m north to the islet of Elafonisi for more seculed bathing (nudists sometimes come here).