Greek Islands with Nude Beaches

Where to dare to get bare in Greece

By deTraci Regula, About.com Guide

Red Beach near Matala on the island of Crete is a famed nude beach.

Picture copyright by deTraci Regula; licensed to About.com

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Greece has an abundance of islands with known or semi-"official" nude beaches. While in practice any secluded stretch of Greek sand may be a nude beach at times, those who have been bare there before attest that some stretches of beach are more nude-friendly than others. Even if you've never been to a nude beach before, you'll find that the sea, sun, and incredible natural beauty of Greece makes it easier to go au naturel. But just don't expect to see many Greeks joining you - though the classical statuary is naked, few Greeks have acquired the nude beach habit. Most of your beach mates will also be travelers. And a nude beach means just that - a place where full nudity is acceptable or at least tolerated. Throughout Europe, you'll find that sunbathing topless for women is widely accepted - something that may jolt some visitors to non-nude beaches.

Here is a quick list of islands with known nude beaches in Greece and the Greek islands.

Nude Beaches in Greece and the Greek Islands

Amorgos
Anafi
Agistri
Alonissos
Andros
Antiparos - Psaralaki Beach, Antiparos
Astypalea
Carpathos -
Vatsalakia Beach
Cephalonia
Chios
Corfu (Kerkyra)
Crete- Nude beaches on Crete include:
Marmara
Sweetwater (Glykanera, Glyko Nero)
Preveli
Red Beach
Kommos
These nude beaches, and many others, are primarily clustered in Southwestern Crete along the remote sections of the coast. Crete is also home to the sole "official" nudist resort, the deluxe Hotel Vritomartis at Filaki Beach. There is also a new nude apartment complex, the Kalo Kairi, on Crete. But don't confuse it with the more-or-less mythical island of Kalokairi from Mamma Mia the Movie!
Donoussa
Nude Beaches on Donoussa
Elefonissos
Euboea/Evia
Folegandros
Fourni
Halki
Icaria
Iraklia (don't confuse with Iraklio)
Ithaca
Kalmynos
Karpathos - See Carpathos
Kea
Kimolos
Kos
Koufonissi
Lefkas
Leros
Lesbos/Lesvos
Limnos
Lipsi/Leipsi
Milos
Mykonos/Miconos - Mykonos is probably the Queen of nude beaches in Greece, with several internationally-famous ones. Bare beaches in Mykonos include: Paradise (the original) and Super Paradise (the follow-up)
Elia
The "Shirley Valentine" beach Ai Giannis.
Naxos
Paros (see also neighboring Antiparos)
Ligari Beach
Patmos
Paxos and Antipaxos
Poros
Rhodes
Samos
Santorini
- Red Beach
Koulombos Beach
Vlychada Beach
Schinoussa
Serifos
Sifnos
Skiathos
"Big Banana"
Skopelos
Veliani Beach

Skyros
Symi
Syros
Thassos
Tilos
Zakynthos

You may have noticed that these are all on Greek islands - and that's not a mistake. Nude beaches on the Greek mainland and in the Pelopponese, while not impossible to find, are much rarer. The Greek islands, while they can be intensely conservative in many ways, seem to have a more cheerful attitude to tourists going naked... just don't expect to see many, or any, Greeks among them. Or maybe it goes all the way back to the very early Cycladic island figurines carved from stone, most of whom are nude. You can see an extensive collection of these figures at the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art located in Athens, or reproduced in almost any gift shop in the Greek islands.

More Resources on Nude Beaches in Greece

If you've never visited a nude beach in Greece (or anywhere else) before, you may appreciate my tips on How to Visit a Nude Beach in Greece - and if that experience proves traumatic, you may want to follow up with my family-friendly How to NOT Visit a Nude Beach in Greece, which will help you to avoid them.

The King - or at least the Captain - of nude beaches in Greece is Cap't Barefoot, who carefully monitors the state of nude beaches throughout Greece, either personally or with continuous reports from hundreds of informants.