Donoussa is the most remote of the Little Cyclades and is best reached from Naxos or Amorgos. It's a low-key island, with just three tavernas. There are two other tavernas and one reasonable shop. Bread and fruit only come in when there is a boat and that is not every day. A new (and quite expensive) cocktail bar overlooking the harbour opened in 2003.
It is essential to know when there is going to be a boat to get you off the island before you arrive because although there is a boat ticket office it keeps curious hours. and does not always have notices outside of arrivals and departures. Also have a stock of essential sun creams before arriving early in the season.
Kendros beach
The Captain had received various enthusiastic reports about this beach and finally made it here in June 2003, and liked so much he was back a year later. It is a fantastic clothes-optional beach, with officially sanctioned free camping. The beach is mainly sand and the swimming seems safe. A new snack/bar - taverna built behind the beach has not adversely affected the naturist possibilities here, despite the understandable concerns of some Kendros regulars (in fact it sells high quality and unusual snacks and drinks at very reasonable prices - dress to go to the snack bar). The bar is in any event largely screened from the beach itself by a stone wall. It also means that toilets are available to the many campers at Kendros which must be an asset.
The Captain thought this beach utterly wonderful - certainly in the top 5 naturist beaches in Greece, and rated it 95%.
If you want to check the beach out, it is 1 km. east of the port, a sandy medium size bay. Past correspondents reported it 99% nude, and rated it 95%+. There were quite a number of wild campers there in May and they were not all nude all day. The quickest route is to follow the dirt road east over the hill to the right of the church and to veer right on the older bit of road before you can see the beach. Then follow the donkey track down the hill. The easiest way is to continue on the road to the bottom of the hill and at the corner leave the road but do not head straight for the beach, instead follow a path diagonally across to the right hand side of the bay. Another correspondent describes the beach as very beautiful and purely for nudists. Everyone camps in tents and walks into town in the evening for meals at the tavernas.
In June 2003 there were about 15 tents on the beach and some in the field behind the taverna. Some of the people sitting in their tents were (partly) dressed, but almost all of them were naked when they went for a swim. What my correspondent thought especially nice was the high percentage of young people of both sexes.
A Barefoot reporter who visited in August 2006 found it too crowded with tents, without any regulation, and the people in the tents were not always very respectful of the environment.
We cannot say that the beach was "dirty", but near the stone wall there was a lot of rubbish left by those people (plastic bottles, plastic bags, etc. etc.). The Captain always encourages everyone to take their rubbish with them and leave only footprints in the sand. Littering of this kind can threaten the continued existence of beaches like this as naturist paradises.
As of 2008 a path has been built in natural stones going down from the hill when you come from Stavros main harbour (see the enclosed picture). There is now only a 10 - 15 minutes trip from Stavros by this way.
After having sunbathed, walked and swum nude on the well-known Kendros beach, it is always a great pleasure to relax (dressed) in the inviting taverna, serving good food and fresh drinks with nice music (not too loud) . Friendly and peaceful atmosphere, and not crowded at all (at least at the end of May, when my reporter visited).
Livadi
You can walk to this beach from Mersini, a little village some km east of Stavros. Walk down the concrete path through the village until you come to the solar panels. Walk on the path right of the panels until the paths divide into two. Then you take the right path and in 15 minutes you reach the beach. There was no boat to the beaches when my contributor visited, but maybe you could ask some fishermen to take you? According to the book Walking the Aegean Islands this beach is often deserted. When my contributor arrived there were around 10 people, 2 topless girls, the rest naked. There were 2 tents behind the beach.
You can walk round the island in a day and there are other beaches. There is another beach (sand and shingle) north of the port, said to be suitable for naturism. You only have to follow the northern road from the port for about 15-20 min. My correspondents gave it a rating of 65% because there is no shade.
The harbour taverna is the focal point of the island and if it is the only taverna open it is worth getting there before eight to get a table. You then help yourself to beer and wait until the food is ready. Then everything progresses in its own way. It was very good and very cheap. My contributor had worked out how to get to Donoussa on www.gtpnet.com before leaving home and found he knew more about getting there than the ticket agents on Paros. Accommodation could be difficult in high season but in May it was very good and cheap. This place is very untouristed and very Greek. There is a boat each day which takes people to other beaches round the island. Very quiet and very laid back and a very good beach just 1km. away. What more do you need?
The Captain understand that a caique leaves the port each morning and goes to Livadi beach and, if the wind is favourable and enough people want to go, it goes all the way to Kalotaritissa at the north-east corner of the island. Here there is a small, very isolated, village and there are 3 small beaches - at the farthest one from the village (the best one) the few people there were nude. You have to find out about the caique by word of mouth - there is no information about it displayed anywhere.
Fikio
This is the little beach you reach when you start going down to Livadi beach (the latter being still outstanding) and you remain on the left side when the path divides into two . Some seaweed (not cumbersome) and litter (I still do not understand how people are able to bring full (heavy) plastic bottles with them and not able to take them back (light and crushed …) . Some shade under the big stones. My intrepid Barefoot reporter had the beach to himself all day.
Tripiti
This is the third (last) beach of Kalotaritissa village and the niciest ! Now that the asphalt road goes to Kalotaritissa, you can reach it after a 90 - 100 minutes walk starting from Kendros. You can still reach it too by taking the unpaved central road (there is a detailed map of the island near Stavros bakery and the new cash-delivery machine) which climbs to the vicinity of Donoussa highest point and then transforms in a donkey path to go down to Kalotaritissa (also about 90 - 120 minutes). But you will not regret the length of the trip! White sandy beach, nearly unspoiled, crystal clear turquoise water !!! No shade, no food (may be in Kalotaritissa, but not in May), no water, so bring anything you need (and leave nothing behind you). (Note that the black spots in the water in the picture is not tar but urchins).
My reporter was alone for the entire afternoon there.
