Last updated 09 March 2008

A beautiful island dominated by the hill-top Chora. The main tourist centre is at Livadi, the main port.

Mixed reports about its suitability for naturism.  Some recent visitors have confirmed the availability of some of the beaches listed below; other reports suggest that the island is now textile because of "improvements".  One report, from late in the season, suggests at that time of year it can be a naturist's paradise.

Livadaki beach, an easy walk from Livadi, is apparently designated as a nudist beach, but reports indicate that in high season the influx of tourists results in an invasion of textiles. Regular visitors say naturism has been out of the question there for some years now. 

A report from September 2003 confirms that impression, though suggests if you were the first to get to the south end in the morning it could be tried.  However a more recent report, from September to October 2005, indicated no signs of nudism on this beach.

At low-season times, the Captain hears that nudists can even enjoy the sun at the beach in front of the Coralli camping at the right end of the beach (this report dates from July 2006).
 

Karavi beach, a little further around the headland (but only 15 minutes on foot south from Livadi), may be a better bet at these times; however there is development of a group of holiday houses there. A report from August 1999 describes thin crowds (even in high season). Nudist families and older nudists (40-60). Plus, several groups of young males (clothed) there to ogle the few nudists.   (The poor, pathetic souls - it's obviously the only way they can find out what naked girls look like.)

Another correspondent who visited in August 1999 did not see any nudists on Livadhi Beach, but in the northern part of Karavi Beach there were about 10 nudists even at high noon, and in the evening more nudists appeared and they stayed there at nearly eight o'clock, including families. The water was clean and calm. Those were happy days!

In September/October 2005, Karavi beach was completely naturist, despite some housing development just at the back of the beach.  This is quite a nice little beach, but it has a negative feature that seems fairly common in the Cyclades: a strip of flat rock just as you enter the water (this is the case with parts of Plaka on Naxos and Kommos in southern Crete). This is despite the beach being sandy and there being more sand about five meters into the water. It is a particular problem because the rock is very slippery. My contributors wore plastic water sandals, however, and this solved the problem. Water sandals seem antithetical to naturism, but they are very practical.  (The Captain hates them but they do have their uses.)

In July 2007, according to Barefoot reporters, Karavi was half nude, half textile, when Livadhi was entirely textile.

Psili Ammos is at least 60 minutes walk along a vehicle track north of Livadi. It is a beautiful beach and nudity was fine at the north end but I doubt if it will be quite so possible in high season. Contributors describe it as a nice sandy beach, but a long walk from Livadi port. Mainly naturist at north end, but police made a half-hearted clampdown on one day during my contributor's visit, but it was soon ignored. Good tavernas. 

The vehicle track is now a tarred road.   It is a beautiful beach.   No naturists on my contributor's visits in Sept. 2003, but if not crowded you could try at either end, away from the tavernas.

In August 2004 it was noted that there was a newly-built road passing by near the beach and on the left side, on the hill, rental houses have been built. No chance of being naked. There were mostly Greek tourists on that beach, who even looked sceptical when my contributor's girlfriend tried to swim topless. Young boys who wanted to play volleyball nearby even ran away because of that!

But at Ag Sostis beach nearby they found a very nice small beach with a relaxed atmosphere, a mix of textile and nude, and no one cares.

My late 2005 contributor says this is a magnificent beach. Each day it was about 50% naturist (about 20 people in total), with the naturists being at the ends of the beach, particularly the southern end. The atmosphere was very relaxed and comfortable. On other occasions they were usually the only ones there. Occasionally others arrived for a quick swim and about half of these stripped off.

Further away, still, the beach at Agios Giannis is said to be very quiet and may be suitable for naturism.

Koutalas (SW part of the island) has never been a naturist beach (due to the seaside village that have always been there).  It is a nice beach: no naturists present in September 2003, and because of the taverna, houses and church it would really only be possible at the east end (if unoccupied by textiles).

However the two other beaches in the same bay, Ganema and Vagia, offer the possibility at most times. Both are connected by road to Koutalas (1 and 3 km) and Livadi (7 and 9 km). Same for Agios Giannis (sea-side village).

Lia beach is said to be a naturist beach, and is not far from the port, although best reached by car. The Captain is told that it attracts many naturists and the sea is beautiful even when it is windy.

Lia is reached by a just driveable earth road branching off the tarred road to Psili Ammos.   For those walking, it's about the same distance.   It was predominantly naturist on my contributor's visits in September 2003 (a couple of times in the morning it was deserted).  but if there were too many textiles there is a northern section of the beach, almost separated by an outcrop of rock.   The beach is pebbly but the seabed is mostly sandy.

There is a house at the back of the beach, which seemed unoccupied (there are later reports of a family of naturists staying there).  In 2005 there was concern about further development on the beach.

Barefooters who visited in July 2005 found Lia beach beautiful and naturist friendly. The beach on a Saturday was 70% clothes free, Sunday and Monday 100% naturists. The maximum number of people was about 25 on Saturday. After 1800 there were very few people (max 5), all naturists.

Bring your own water and food as it is a pity to have to leave the beach to go for a drink of water.