THE IONIAN ISLANDS      MAP Corfu, Kefalonia, Lefkada, Zakynthos       The Ionian Sea is the subdivision of the Mediterranean that lies between the the west coast of Greece and the south coast of Italy (i.e., the sole of the "boot"), and the Ionian islands are comprised of seven major islands and a number of smaller ones, all of which lie fairly close to the mainland. The four largest islands, in order from north to south, are Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos. Those islands are clustered within a north-south distance of about 260 kilometers, spanning from Albania to the northern Peloponnese, and Ithaca and Paxos are smaller islands amid that cluster. Kythira, the final of the seven islands, is an outlier that is south of the Peloponnese, over 200 kilometers from the next nearest island. Only the four largest islands are considered below, and those four islands are among the upper tier of Greek islands in both land area and population. Among all the Greek islands, Corfu ranks seventh in land area and fourth in population. Lefkada ranks fourteenth and twelfth. Kefalonia ranks sixth and seventh. Zakynthos ranks eleventh and eighth. Not counting the outlier of Kythira, the Ionian islands are the greenest and lushest of the Greek islands.
Corfu     MAP     [ ↑ ]
	NUDE BEACHES       Corfu is the northernmost of the Ionian islands, and the few small islands and islets that are farther north are considered satellite islands of Corfu. The island spans about 55 kilometers from north to south, with east-west distances varying from as much as 28 kilometers (toward the far north end) to as little as 5 kilometers (toward the far south end). In the far north of Corfu, the island is just 2 kilometers from the mainland, but the country across the horizon is Albania. By latitude, the northern third of Corfu lies north of the border of Greece and Albania, while the southern two-thirds corresponds to the northernmost part of mainland Greece's western coastline. With a little more than 100,000 residents, Corfu is the fourth most populous Greek island, and it is by far the most populous of the Ionian islands, containing about half the people in the island group. The population is heavily concentrated in Corfu town, about midway along the east coast of the island. Cosmopolitan and charming Corfu town—the location of the island's airport and main ferry port—is painted in pastel hues, full of elegant architecture with a decidedly Italian flair. It is one of the most picturesque towns in Greece, and there is a good reason it feels a lot like Italy. Venice gradually conquered all the Ionian islands in medieval times, and the islands were under Venetian rule for centuries until 1797, when Napoleonic conquest ended Venice's 1100-year run as an independent republic. Then as now, Corfu town was the principal city of the islands. Corfu, in fact, is an Italian name. The actual Greek name for the island (and its principal town) transliterates as Kerkyra, but the Greek name is rarely used by foreigners. The linguistic variants for the name of the island are based on the Italian name and not the Greek name, with the island known in various European languages as Corfu, Corfou, Korfu and Korfoe. English-language signs at the ferry port welcome visitors to Corfu.       Corfu is popular with Italian visitors due to its proximity to Italy, with ferries linking Corfu town to several locations in Italy. Corfu is also tremendously popular with British visitors, with the history of British tourism dating to the 19th century when the Ionian islands were a British protectorate. Corfu is the most touristed of the Ionian islands, and it was one of the first Greek islands to embrace the concept of mass tourism, starting in the 1960s. Although there is a lot of resort development throughout Corfu, the island is large enough that there are plenty of places off the mainstream tourist radar, including a number of beaches that are popular with nudists. In addition to the sites below, Corfu also has ample stretches or deserted or lightly attended beach that get sporadic nude use.       The small resort village of Glyfada is latitudinally aligned with Corfu town, but it is on the opposite (west) side of the island, about 15 kilometers from Corfu town by car. The are two beaches in Glyfada  that draw nudists—one major and one minor. First there is Glyfada Beach 39.5887N, 19.8124E  itself, where a few nude bathers are sometimes present at one end of the beach, but that is the minor location. Just over the hill from Glyfada, Mirtiotissa Beach 39.5956N, 19.7994E  is not only the most popular nude beach in Corfu, it is also one of the most popular nude beaches in all of Greece. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean, Mirtiotissa is a golden patch of sand backed by cliffs covered in greenery, and several boulders in the water scattered just offshore form an ideal swimming area. Virtually everyone opts to be naked. Mirtiotissa is among the nude beaches of Europe that have achieved iconic status, and it has quite a loyal following. The beach has a renown that is unmatched by any other nude beach of the Ionian islands.       Toward the south end of the western coast of Corfu, roughly halfway between Corfu Town and Lefkimmi, Korission Lake is a large lagoon that is over 5 kilometers long. About halfway along its length there is a narrow channel of water that is the lagoon's outlet to the sea. There are two long beaches  that are backed by the lagoon, and the lagoon outlet is the dividing point between them. By car, the two beaches are approached from opposites ends of Korission Lake. Halikounas Beach 39.4448N, 19.8941E  is next to the northern part of the lagoon, while Issos Beach 39.4320N, 19.9256E  is next to the southern part of the lagoon. Both beaches are frequented by nude bathers along their more remote parts. Issos Beach is regarded as one of the best beaches of Corfu, highly esteemed for its remarkable dunes, so it gets more overall visitors than does Halikounas, and it also tends to draw more nudists. However, nudists at both beaches tend to be widely scattered. A footbridge over the lagoon outlet makes it possible to walk from one beach to the other, but it is a long walk and slow walk that takes you through a lot of sand dunes.       Near the far north end of the western coast of Corfu, Agios Stefanos and Arillas are neighboring villages that more or less blend into one another, and the two village beaches  are separated by a peninsular headland. As the crow flies, the central area of Agios Stefanos Beach 39.7646N, 19.6460E  is about 1.5 kilometers from the central area of Arillas Beach 39.7485N, 19.6431E . By car, it is about twice that distance. Both beaches have similar setups. The main beach areas are backed by commercial development such as small hotels and eateries. Going north from either beach, cliffs begins to rise up and the beach becomes narrower. At both beaches, nude bathers gather along the northern end, beneath the cliffs. Of the two beaches, Agios Stefanos draws the most overall visitors, but Arillas seems to be a bit more popular with nude bathers. Although the backdrop of Agios Stefanos is more dramatic, that of Arillas is softer and greener.       Toward the eastern end of Corfu's northern coast, there are two nearby beaches  near the village of Acharavi. Almiros Beach 39.8159N, 19.8408E  is the name that refers to part of a very long beach that extends several kilometers, and the easternmost part of the beach, beyond the end of the development, draws a scattering of nude bathers. The eastern end of Almiros Beach is canal-like channel of water that is spanned by a footbridge. If you cross the bridge and hike a few hundred meters, you will reach Antinioti West Beach 39.8203N, 19.8459E , an isolated beach where nudity is the norm. The beach can also be approached directly by car, following a route that bypasses Almiros Beach. Antinioti West is just around the beach from the northernmost point of Corfu, and from the beach you can see the mountains of Albania to the east, which are about 11 kilometers away.       Avlaki Bay is a small indentation of the coastline in the far northeast of Corfu near Kassiopi, and Avlaki Beach is the north-facing crescent-shaped beach along the innermost part of the bay. It is a textile beach, but an easy eastward hike of a few hundred meters through the forest bring you to Avlaki East Beach 39.7824N, 19.9434E  , a hidden beach where nude use occurs frequently although somewhat irregularly.
Kefalonia     MAP     [ ↑ ]
	NUDE BEACHES       Kefalonia (also known as Cephalonia) is the largest of the Ionian islands and the sixth largest Greek island, with a land area almost precisely the same as that of the five boroughs of New York City. The island gained notoriety as the setting of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, the acclaimed 1994 novel and the not-so-acclaimed 2001 film adaptation of the novel. A work of historical fiction, the novel is set primarily during World War II, but the 1953 Ionian earthquake figures into the final chapters. This natural disaster wreaked havoc on Kefalonia, with hundreds of lives lost and nearly every man-made structure severely damaged or destroyed. Although some of Kefalonia's historic buildings have been restored, most of its architectural heritage has been lost to the ages. An even more profound impact was the mass emigration that resulted from the devastation, with most Kefalonians fleeing the island, at least for the short term. The island has been resettled over the decades by a mix of returning natives and new arrivals, but the current population of about 36,000 is still less than two-thirds the pre-earthquake population. While the Italianate architecture of Corfu is a big part of its tourist appeal, very little of that remains in Kefalonia. However, the island has no dearth of natural beauty, with the most spectacular scenery of the Ionian islands (arguably, of course). Although Kefalonia is not nearly as visited as Corfu, it is nonetheless quite popular with tourists who come for the plentitude of beaches and rugged landscapes.       In a nutshell, Kefalonia consists of a main body and two peninsular appendages. On the main body of the island, Sami in the north is the location of Kefalonia's primary ferry port, Skala is at the southeastern extreme of the island, and Argostoli in the west is the capital and location of the airport. Mount Ainos, the highest mountain of the Ionian islands with an elevation of 1,628 meters, is approximately in the middle of the Sami-Skala-Argostoli triangle. On the west side of Sami, the main body of Kefalonia tapers into a peninsula that extends northward to the village of Fiskardo, which is the only village on the island that was not devastated by the 1953 earthquake and thus the only village with a good collection of original Venetian architecture. West of the main body of Kefalonia, the more distinctively shaped of the island's two peninsular appendages is known as Paliki, and it is separated from the rest of the island by a prominent inlet called Argostoli Bay. Scattered throughout the main body of Kefalonia as well as on the two peninsulas, there are a number of beaches where a small number of bare bathers are frequently present, but there are no locations that draw really large crowds of nudists.       A few kilometers from Sami, Antisamos Beach 38.2611N, 20.6785E   is a beach is composed entirely of white pebbles and stones, set against a striking backdrop of green mountains. It is mostly a textile beach, but nudity occurs sporadically toward one end. Two far more reliable nude beaches are found near Cape Mounda, a headland that forms the southernmost point of Kefalonia at a bend of the coastline near the villages of Skala and Ratzakli. The two beaches near Cape Mounda  are more or less at a right angle to one another. Going toward Cape Mounda from Skala, Spithi Beach 38.0649N, 20.7961E  is a hidden expanse of sand just beyond Skala Beach where nude bathing is well established. The access to Mounda Beach 38.0612N, 20.7834E  is between Skala and Ratzakli, and the sandy beach becomes nearly deserted as you move toward Cape Mounda, with ample space for naturists. Historically, Spithi Beach has been the best established nude beach in Kefalonia, in part because nudists are clustered together in a fairly small area. Mounda Beach may in fact have just as many or more naturists than Spithi at any given time, but it usually does not feel that way since nudists at Mounda have a lot of room to scatter.       Vlachata, Lourdas and Simotata are a cluster of villages about halfway along the southern coast of the main body of Kefalonia. Directly below Vlachata, Kanali Beach 38.1168N, 20.6208E   is the middle of a chain of three beaches, with Lourdas Beach on one side and Trapezaki Beach on the other. While Lourdas and Trapezaki are easily accessible, Kanali takes more effort to reach. Nude bathing is common at Kanali, which is far more thinly populated than the beaches on either side. Just east of the cluster of villages, Sissia Beach 38.0989N, 20.6537E   is a hidden and rather obscure beach located below two monasteries: the abandoned medieval structure demolished by the 1953 earthquake and the newer incarnation farther uphill. Lightly attended due to a requisite hike and a lack of signage, Sissia has become a favorite with naturists in the know.       Farther west along the south coast between Vlachata and the airport, amid a conglomeration of settlements that includes Metaxata and Klismata, there is a long but narrow beach  that has two points of access, three names and three zones of nude use. The main access is at a textile beach called Avithos Beach, but nude bathing is common a short walk away at Megali Petra Beach 38.1036N, 20.5335E , just beyond the prominent rock monolith for which the beach is named. (Megali Petra means "Big Rock.") Another access is at Paliolinos Beach 38.0990N, 20.5433E & 38.0944N, 20.5503E , which is generally regarded as textile in the immediate vicinity of the access point. However, nudity is possible in either direction, amid the boulders that break the beach into multiple niches. Paliolinos can also be accessed from Avithos, with Megali Petra, Avithos and Paliolinos forming a beach that is more or less continuous except for a few rugged stretches which must be waded around or clambered over if you explore the entire length of the beach.       Located on the western side of the peninsular appendage that tapers northward to Fiskardo, Myrtos Beach 38.3454N, 20.5375E   is the most famous beach in Kefalonia. It is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Greece, renowned for its exceptionally dramatic backdrop. Mountainsides rise steeply on both ends of the beach but more gradually behind the center of the beach. Although overwhelmingly textile, a few nudists are usually present at one end of the beach. Myrtos is a major beach as a must-see scenic attraction but a minor beach as a nudist location.       Paliki, Kefalonia's western appendage, has several options for nude bathers. Lixouri, the main town of Paliki, is along Argostoli Bay. South of Lixouri, Xi Beach along the south coast of Paliki is the region's most famous beach, renowned for its orange-hued sand. Xi Beach used to get some nude use along its western end, but the general consensus in recent years seems to be that it is no longer a viable naturist location, with too many textiles exploring the beach. However, the next beach west of Xi is a relatively unknown expanse of coastline that draws few visitors but looks virtually identical to Xi Beach, with a narrow ribbon of orange sand and sheer walls of gray rock. That beach is called Mania Beach 38.1560N, 20.3994E  , and it is so lightly attended that nudity is always possible along its remote middle section. Toward the southern end of the west side of Paliki, Platia Ammos 38.2173N, 20.3552E   is a gorgeous beach against a dramatic backdrop, but it never gets crowded both because there are no amenities and because it is necessary to descend several hundred steps to access the beach. There is always ample space for nudists and textiles, with nudists tending to gravitate toward the opposite end of the beach from where the long, twisty staircase lands. Farther north along the west side of Paliki, Petani Beach 38.2596N, 20.3746E & 38.2643N, 20.3782E   is a similarly gorgeous beach that is far easier to access, with amenities and adjacent parking. A few nudists are often present toward either end of the beach, well away from the textiles near the middle. Near Petani but out of view, Agia Eleni Beach 38.2603N, 20.3674E   is a hidden beach that is directly accessible by a poorly signed road that winds down the mountain. This lovely little beach is a hidden jewel that is the perfect spot for nude bathing much of the time, but, despite the relative obscurity of the beach, textiles often diminish its nudist potential during July or August. NATURIST RETREATS      Aloni Villas    38.0766N, 20.7700E            Ratzakli
Lefkada     MAP     [ ↑ ]
	NUDE BEACHES       There are just two islands in Greece that are bridged to the mainland, and one of them is Lefkada (also known as Lefkas). While the other island—Evia, on the eastern side of Greece—is generally regarded as part of the mainland, Lefkada retains an island identity. The island's best known beaches are located along its rugged western coastline, which spans about 40 kilometers. Although there are no beaches on Lefkada that draw really large crowds of naturists, a scattering of nudists are often present at a number of beaches, all of them along the west coast.       Lefakda is connected to the mainland via a causeway that is a few kilometers long. The causeway lands at the far northern end of the island, where the principal town of the island—which is also known as Lefkada—is situated next to a large lagoon. On the west side of that lagoon but facing the sea, Agios Ioannis Beach 38.8454N, 20.6841E   is a long and sandy beach notable for its collection of windmills. North of the last of those windmills, the beach becomes very thinly populated, and nudity occurs somewhat sporadically. The wetlands environs of Agios Ioannis is atypical of the terrain of Lefkada. South of the lagoon and Lefkada town, the island becomes mountainous, and all the beaches south of Agios Ioannis have rugged backdrops, some of them quite dramatic.       About 10 kilometers from Lefkada town near Tsoukalades, Pefkoulia Beach 38.8106N, 20.6325E   is below the coastal road, but it is hidden from the road both by trees and the steep slope of the land. The beach is accessed from its south end, and nudity becomes increasingly prevalent as you go north along the beach. A bit farther south in the picturesque and very popular seaside village of Agios Nikitas, Milos Beach 38.7842N, 20.6063E   is an expansive beach that is over a headland from the main village beach, and it is accessed either by a moderately challenging hike over the headland or by taking a water taxi from Agios Nikitas. When the water taxi is operating during peak season, Milos is mostly a textile beach, with nudists relegated to the far southern end. When the water taxi is not running, the beach is far less crowded and nudity may potentially occur anywhere along the beach.       At a driving distance of about 6 kilometers southward from Agios Nikitas, the village of Kalamitsi is perched atop a mountain overlooking the sea. There are two beaches below Kalamitsi  that are attended by nudists. Covered in a sea of sunbeds during peak season, Kathisma Beach is the most crowded and developed beach of Lefkada, but a few nudists are often present at the sparsely attended beach just south of Kathisma, which we'll call Kathisma Beach South 38.7681N, 20.5969E . It can be accessed from either end. You can park at Kathisma and hike there, or you can drive directly to the opposite end of the beach via twisty roads that wind downhill from Kalamitsi. Those roads also lead to Megali Petra Beach 38.7490N, 20.5871E , an outstandingly beautiful beach that never gets crowded since it is quite hidden and a short hike is required to get there. While the beach tends to be textile around its access point, there is always ample space and seclusion for nudists beyond the large boulders that give the beach its name. ("Megali petra" means "big rock.")       From Kalamitsi, it is a southward drive of about 14 kilometers to the village of Athani, and this drive corresponds to a particularly rugged segment of the coastline that is accessible only by boat. Directly downhill from Athani, Gialos Beach  38.6638N, 20.5575E  is accessed via a very steep, serpentine road that descends all the way to the sea. Gialos Beach is quite long, and there is ample space for nudists. Going south from the access point, the crowd quickly thins out, and nudity is possible for roughly 2 kilometers to the headland where the beach ends.       By the time you get to the vicinity of Athani, you are nearing the far south end of Lefkada's western coast. Farther south, there is a beach called Porto Katsiki, which is the southernmost beach of the island. Widely regarded as the most visually stunning beach of Lefkada, Porto Katsiki is a touristic high point that is on the itinerary of virtually all visitors. While some nudity once occurred on the south end of the beach, there does not seem of have been a viable nudist presence at Porto Katsiki for decades. Go there to take in some spectacular scenery, but you'll need to go elsewhere to take your clothes off.
Zakynthos     MAP     [ ↑ ]
	NUDE BEACHES       About half the size of Kefalonia, Zakynthos is the third in size of the Ionian islands, but it is the second in tourism, behind Corfu. Like all the Ionian islands, Zankynthos was under Venetian rule for centuries (until the Napoleonic conquest of 1797). Owing to that history, the island is also commonly known as Zante, its Italian name, but these days the Greek name Zakynthos has become the more commonly used name of the island. The 1953 earthquake that devastated Kefalonia (see the first paragraph under Kefalonia) also devastated Zakynthos, but the long-term aftermath of the disaster manifested itself differently on the two islands. While there was emigration from Zakynthos following the earthquake, it was not as sudden or as profound as the population loss of Kefalonia, and while Kefalonia still has a substantial population deficit compared to 1953, the current population of Zakynthos (about 41,000) is not significantly different from the population at the time of the earthquake. Like in Kefalonia, little original architecture survives in Zakynthos, but, in the rebuilding of Zakynthos, far more emphasis was placed on faithful reconstruction of the more historic buildings that were lost. The Venetian influence is far more discernible in Zakynthos than in Kefalonia. The biggest collection of historically reconstructed architecture is located in Zakynthos town, the principal town of the island, which is toward the southern end of the east coast. In Zakynthos town, there is some semblance of authenticity, albeit a reconstructed authenticity.       Much like Lefkada and Kefalonia, Zakynthos is lacking in any beaches that draw really large crowds of nudists, so the beaches where nudists congregate are characterized by very small crowds of nude bathers. The rugged west coast of Zakynthos has the most dramatic and beautiful scenery of the island, but many of the western beaches are accessible only by boat, and those that are accessible over land are overrun with textiles. You'll need a boat and an adventurous spirit to explore the nudist possibilities of the west coast. Laganas Bay is the prominent concavity along most of the south end of Zakynthos, and the Vasilikos Peninsula is the land mass that forms the east side of the bay at the southeastern extreme of the island. Laganas Bay is a prime nesting ground for the loggerhead sea turtle, also known by the so-nice-they-named-it-twice binomen Caretta caretta, so along many Laganas beaches you are likely to see a scattering of wooden contraptions for protecting turtle nests. Most of the nudist opportunities in Zakynthos are located along the west side of Vasilikos, facing Laganas Bay. Vasilikos is also the location of the only naturist resort in Zakynthos (listed separately below).       The closest of the Vasilikos beaches to Zakynthos town is Vrontonero Beach 37.7372N, 20.9167E  , a hidden and very lightly attended beach just beyond the development of Kalamaki. Nudity is common along the entire 500-meter length of Vrontonero, but nudists tend to be very spread out. Vrontonero is located at the start of Vasilikos, where the terrain changes from plains to mountains. Dafni Beach 37.7197N, 20.9617E   is a somewhat remote beach accessed by either of two twisty mountain roads. Backed by a small valley, the main area of the beach is textile, but nude bathing occurs on the southern periphery of the beach, which is backed by a steep cliff. Toward the southern tip of Vasilikos, Gerakas Beach 37.7044N, 20.9894E & 37.7080N, 20.9824E   is the sandiest and most popular beach of the peninsula, but nudity occurs toward either extreme of the beach, more so toward the south end. The south end of Gerakas is likely to have more nude bathers than any other beach on the island.       Moving toward the far north end of the east coast of Zakynthos, Laparda Beach 37.8581N, 20.7436E   and the Xigia Beaches 37.8628N, 20.7390E   are near the village of Katastari. Laparda Beach is a spacious, wild and obscure beach that is attended by a few nudists in the know. Not far away, the Xigia Beaches are a collection of small, scenic beaches that were frequented by nudists years ago before being discovered by tourists. These days, nudity is much rarer at Xigia, occurring mainly along the tiny southernmost niche.