What do you respond? If you're like most of us, you're too busy gazing at your mind's-eye image of a beautiful beach, picturesque rocky shore, teal blue Aegean waters, brilliant sunshine, a few sailboats carried along by the meltami breezes.
Enough of that. I'm here to tell you that Greek beaches are REALLY nothing more than picturesque rocky shores, teal blue Aegean waters, brilliant sunshine...wait a minute. Where's that line between fantasy and reality?
In most cases, that line is never drawn on a Greek beach. While beaches really do vary in quality, the vast majority are practically perfect. The key factors to be concerned about are crowds and whether or not the beach is clothing-optional. The answers to those questions are simple: if you are travelling in high season, the easily-accessible beaches (in short, those reachable on foot or by some form of land-based transportation) will generally be crowded. The exceptions to that rule are some more remote beaches reachable only by boat, and some of the islands still not overrun by tourists. You can check out a few of these in my feature on the Small Cyclades: Dream Islands.
Should you then avoid the beaches? Absolutely not. Even jammed, they have their delights. But remember to take a few Euro -usually about 3-5 - for a beach chair or umbrella.
Beaches that stand out in my mind is one near Achiaditsa in the Peloponnese, simply because that was my first Greek beach, where I discovered that the high-salt of the Aegean waters really does make the body more buoyant. I also discovered why most beachwalkers and surf-strollers wear sandals, because of the abundant sea anemones that pack a fearsome sting. Where I live, anemones are generally confined to rocky areas near the shore. In Greece, expect them everywhere.
I also enjoyed Ornos Beach on Mykonos, an easily-accessible sand beach lined with tavernas and old concrete structures providing a perfect perch to watch the sea. Just slightly past the high-season, this beach was warm and inviting, and almost deserted.
Regarding nude beaches, these are abundant in Greece, but generally not publicized in the visitor pamphlets. Ask at any taverna catering to the younger tourist set. They will also usually know the more secluded beaches and who with a boat can get you there.
The ever-informative folk at the Greek National Tourist Organization know the value of the beaches of Greece. They provide photos of each beach, describe whether or not it's sand or pebble, and give some indication of where they're located. Here's a few from the Cyclades and the Dodecanese islands.
GNTO Cycladic Island Beaches
Anafi - Amorgos - Andros - Folegandros - Ios - Kea - Kithnos - Kimolos - Milos - Mykonos - Naxos - Paros- Santorini- Serifos- Sifnos- Sikinos- Siros- Tinos
GNTO Dodecanese Island Beaches
Kalymnos-
Kos-
Nissiros-
Patmos-Rhodes-
Simi-
Tilos
Enjoy your daydreaming about these abundant beaches...just save some sand for me!
