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PLAKIAS - details

Captain's rating: 97%

See Plakias Bay on Google Maps

The Plakias Bay beach (GPS N35 10.877 E24 24.064) is a huge stretch of golden sand. The south east end is fine sand, with umbrellas and sunbeds, and primarily nude for the last section (three or four hundred metres) which is largely screened from the road by dunes. The entry to the sea is shallow for some way out, which may make it more suitable for children than some of the other naturist beaches in the area. There are showers on the beach, although sometimes reduced to a trickle. It is also quite busy. Very pleasant and well recommended. This is one of my favourite nudist beaches in the whole of Greece (rating 97%).

The naturist section is often by far the most crowded part of the beach, with very few dissenters among the naked ones. It is one of the best beaches in terms of feeling comfortable with fellow sunbathers whilst being so close to the town and road. Extra vitamina!

The setting is perfect. Mountains on three sides, a small fertile valley, and a beach about two miles long. The headland to the west is shaped like the head of a sleeping dragon (watch him breathe fire at sunset).

The east side of the beach (hidden from the road by a few dunes) is mostly nude, with a simple and friendly atmosphere.

Plakias beach is a bit of a magnet for the Captain, I'm afraid; I keep coming back, most recently in September 2006 when it was just as perfect as ever.

The doughnut man calls every day, yum, yum! He calls: "Extra vitamina! Extra! A doughnut a day keeps the doctor away …". He wasn't spotted during a 2-week visit May 2010, but a different gent selling fruit salads was… sign of the health-conscious times?

Beach umbrellas extend into the nudist area and are used by nudists. Enough room in front and beyond them for those not wanting one. 90% nudist in this area. Early reports from 2001 reported "no beach facilities -either umbrellas or doughnuts" but by the end of May all were back in place. A beautiful beach in a beautiful bay. Reports from June 2002 suggest more naturists than ever at the Eastern end.

Another report wished that the beach could be cleaner. Cleanliness has not in the past been a significant problem here. In May 2010 cleanliness was good, with regulars routinely pouncing on the occasional plastic bag as it hit the shore and popping it into one of the bins provided.

Many reports have been received in 2004 and 2005, mostly very positive and confirming all the above.

The sunbeds cost €5 per day (for an umbrella + a pair of beds (tough on singles!)), payable to the delightfully cheerful Freddy.

There are now reported to be beach bars in both the non-naturist and the naturist sections. One report, however, found that seaweed and flies were an unpleasant nuisance, and another described the water as rather murky. In spite of this, overall impressions are still favourable, and two reports particularly commend it for young families.

Reports from June 2007 say that Plakias beach is just as perfect as ever, with the shower in full working order and the doughnut man alive and well.

More information about Plakias can be found on Ostraco's Plakias pages. It includes worrying ideas about huge new developments and extending building in Plakias along the beach road (see below). This could all too easily ruin everything.

Recommended accommodation

• The hotel on the rise behind the eastern end of the beach - Plakias Bay Hotel - can be recommended
• Barefooters also recommend Paligremnos Apartments, right opposite the nudist beach.

Two new recommendations for 2010:

• A Barefooter couple stayed at an apartment at Creta Spirit, which is about half way between Plakias town and Souda. So it's not easily walkable. On the other hand, the location is superb and Theo & Maria are good hosts
• The same Barefooter couple met another naturist couple who were very enthusiastic about the apartments at Studios Stella, in Plakias town and 100-200m back from the main street.

July 2010: A forum member posted www.plakias-filoxenia.gr as "A list of (almost all) apartments in Plakias".

Walking guides

Some contributors recommend Lance Chilton's brochures outlining walks in the Plakias area. They're very good if you want to get to the beaches on foot. There are 10 walks in the Plakias area, 7 more challenging walks in Plakias. It can be obtained in the supermarket next to the bus stop in Plakias.

Tourism day

The local authority has taken to arranging a free festival for the benefit of the tourists on "Tourism day" at the end of September, with food and local wine, music, singing and dancing. Thank you to Finikas authority and all involved for this generous and enjoyable gesture.

Bus service

There's a bus service between Plakias & Rethymnon (the nearest big town, on the north coast):

• depart Rethymnon:
  • • • • 06.15, 10.00, 14.15, 16.30 weekdays
        • 08.15, 10.10, 14.15, 16.30 Sat & Sun
• depart Plakias:
  • • • • 07.00, 09.30, 12.00, 15.00, 18.00 weekdays
        • 09.30, 12.00, 15.00, 18.00 Sat & Sun
• fare: €4 each way

(As at May 2010 - more at cretetravel.com.)

Nearby property development

But the future of this destination, for many years a great attraction to Crete-bound naturists and possessing what is surely one of Europe's best naturist beaches, is uncertain. Plans are in hand to build a huge development of studios and apartments on the land between the main part of the town and the naturist beach (in fact the development seems to be just west of the Drimiskianos studios). Although the plans do not suggest that this resort will extend as far as the naturist beach itself, there must be at least some risk that the arrival of large numbers of new visitors will have a negative effect. Work has started on building the foundations and the developers apparently expected that the first phase will be complete in 2010. But then came the global recession and work stopped because the firm went bust.

In May 2010 there was a bit of building work going on. The first phase - looks like about a dozen apartments - is built but not finished or fitted out; none seemed close to completion. If this development is built in full it will clearly have an impact, but the beach is so large that the extra people won't necessarily spell doom.

The development is described at the Plakias Resorts website, where the description of the beach includes the phrase "…[other areas] are secluded and have been left untouched for naturists."