This Western Cycladean island appears to offer some naturist possibilities. It is growing in popularity, however, and with increased crowds naturists have a tendency to be crowded out.
The following report reached me, which I offer without comment:
"I just got back from a 10-day visit to Milos (my second time there) and there were topless women everywhere. I even saw an entire family naked playing ping-pong in the surf. I myself went topless (by the way, I'm a woman) and when I would suntan, I was completely nude. No one seemed to mind…especially not the beautiful man whom I met the day before…God, I love Greece and I love Milos…. "
This is not the only report of this kind I have received about Milos. What is it about this island..?!!
A Barefoot reporter was in Milos and Folegandros between end of May and beginning June 2010. That meant only a very limited number of tourists on both islands: often my contributor was on the beaches alone or only with other two/three people. That’s the reason is quite difficult to say if they could have been nudist spots or not. In Milos exist beaches with different grades of difficulty or “reachability”, all of them sandy with clear waters.
from Adamas anti-clockwise round the island
Papikinou
This is the main town beach close east of Adamas and backed by the main road to the south of the island. It is sandy and shallow, with plenty of trees for shade. There has been a report in the forum of nudist use outside the main season, but you will have to assess the situation for yourself when you arrive.
Achivadolimni Beach
This beach is at the south end of Adamas Bay and faces north, just west of the camp site and the road junction for Provatas and Fyriplaka. In May 2001 Achivadolimni was deserted. It is quite a long sandy beach and could be good in hot weather when there is a cooling north wind. In May south facing Paleochori was best.
A Barefooter who visited in June 2004 was very impressed. Nudism was practised on the right side of the beach as you are looking towards the sea. The sea was crystal clear and it was not at all crowded.
Triades-Ammoudaraki
These are the best bit in Milos. 2x3=6 beautiful beaches just for you. The difficulty is how to get there. You can go with a normal car but you should be careful at some spots of the gravel road. Take the road west from Adamas port to Hivadolimni and Empourio. It can take upon an hour or so to get there but it's certainly worth the effort.
Before you reach the beaches there are two signposts one for Triades (right) and one for Ammoudaraki (left). After 2 km you reach the spot where you should leave your car. Walk down the easy path and you're on the first beach. You can take your clothes off. When we were there there was no-one. If you continue to walk across the beach and then a little up the hill and then again a little walk down you reach the second beach. Also no-one. If you do this thing once more you reach the third beach. There we found 5 nude couples. A real paradise. Sandy beaches with crystal clear waters.
We had no time to vist Ammoudaraki but according to the other nudists there are also 3 beaches there. The difference is that needs more effort because of the difficult path.
If you have time to spend and you stay in Milos for than 3-4 days you should visit these beaches.We rate them 100% although it needs time. These photos are from 1st and 3rd (officially nudist) beaches:
June 2010: 6 sandy beaches on the far West of the island, all connected each other with small paths. A long (and sometimes difficult) way to reach them (both following the “Triades” sign or the “Ammoudaraki” one at the end of a very long dirt road).
You will probably be the only one there, so as nude as you like.
Secluded, clear waters, nice landscape, even if a bit characterless. No natural shadow.
Agios Ioannis
Three beaches on the south-western coast. A real adventure to get there, and no help if your car breaks down: This is the far edge of the world… But the second beach is practically nude, while the third one is almost always free of tourists, and the best place to go if you want to be alone with your girlfriend. The water is OK, not the best, but the landscape is good. Most of the surrounding is wild, no inhabitants around the area. Worth seeing if on Milos for several (>4) days. My correspondent gave this one 75%.
A report from September 2000 describes these beaches as the most beautiful on the island. The second and third beaches were predominantly nude but several couples were unclothed at the north end of the first curved beach. The ride from Adamas, however, is tricky and takes almost an hour, with the last half hour over very poor roads with no protection against the sheer cliffs.
June 2010: Very secluded, on the West side of the Island it is rather difficult to reach. When the main road finishes, add 6 km of dirt road as far as to the monastery that gives the name to the beach, then I advise to go on foot on a steep rocky road for 10/15 minutes. You reach the first of three connected beaches. The real beauty are the second and the third ones with golden sand, turquoise waters, wonderful colourful rocks. No natural shadow. You will definitely be the only one there, so as nude as you like.
Gerontas
At Gerontas, which is another difficult drive, my contributors were the first to arrive at 10am but were joined by 1pm by over ten different Greek couples who remained in bathing suits.
Katergo
Rather messy to get there, but worth the scenery and the underwater beauty. Very crowded (and thus dressed) during mid-summer, but nudism is possible between the rocks. My correspondent rates this beach 70%.
Provatas
In the south of the Island, well served by bus from Adamas in the Summer. There are two lovely beaches, the first near hotels is mostly clothed, but the other and below where the bus terminates at the church of Aghios Nikolais is wonderful and mostly nude. The water is unbelievably clear and calm, being sheltered from the north wind. To get down to the beach walk by the church and down the rather steep cliff immediately below the church and you follow a path and get to the beach. There is a snack bar above Provatas main beach. My correspondent's rating: 85%.
According to a report from September 2003 the bus now terminates at the hotel above the eastern beach. Immediately below the church (labelled Aghios Sostis) is a private residence with what looked like its own, stony, beach. Perhaps my previous correspondent is thinking of a descent between the two which now has a restaurant at the top: the sandy beach here was entirely textile on my new contributor's visit (Sept. 2003).
Fyriplaka
The nudist part is after the rocks on the farthest end of the beach. Crystal clear waters and a very impressive landscape. The road is bumpy, and an ugly factory stands 2km before the beach - don't be misled, it is the right direction! Dressed part is very crowded during the summer, there is no bus service, a beach bar with cold beverages and sandwiches is available though. It is said to be the second most beautiful landscape on the island after Sarakiniko, and the water really is impressive.
My (anonymous) correspondent, to whom the Captain is very grateful for all this information, gives the beach an 80% rating.
A report from September 2000 described Firiplaka as beautiful and nude (3 couples) at the western end. At the centre of the beach there is a snack bar and beach chairs and umbrellas and a large number of fully-suited visitors.
The beach was deserted at the end of May 01 apart from a noisy pump getting sea water up to the quarry above. There is a dusty narrow track down to the beach from the quarry. It was quite easy to drive down and up in May but there could be problems if it was busy. There is a small car park at the bottom above the beach.
In September 2003 my contributors found that even the (western) part after the rock pillar was textile, and took refuge on a stony beach beyond, where there was already one nude couple and several more joined them. As the sea is very rocky to enter, they returned after an hour or two to find that the lovely sandy beach, occupied by textiles when I passed, had become 50% naturist: some brave soul must have started a fashion!
Barefooters who visited in August 2005 spent 4 days on Fyriplaka and thought it the best nudist beach on Milos. After the big rock almost everyone was nude every day, between 20 and 50 men and women.
June 2010: On the South side of the island it is a big gulf divided by a giant rock in the middle of the beach. Easily reachable with a small distance on a dirt road. In summer the small parking spot should be by far too small, I think.
Being rather wide waters an be extremely calm or very agitated according to the wind. Crystal waters, clear sand, wonderful colours on the rocks in the background. No natural shadow.
Nudist spot is still on the far side of the beach, beyond the giant rock.
Paliochori
See on Google Maps (windy day!)
The Captain has received various reports about this beach but has not yet been there himself. Some of the directions in the description which follows may therefore be a bit confused. If anyone feels like providing an accurate re-write I would not say no!
Some reports concerning this beach are now quite old. My contributor last visited the island in 1997 and returned in 2001. In 1997 they used the west section of the beach through the small tunnel in the cliff, this year when they went through the tunnel they found a recent cliff fall blocking their way. they started to climb over it and saw that it was going to be quite easy but felt grit and dust falling on them and looked up at the vertical cliff above and decided to go to the other end of the beach. When they got there they found nudists at the east end of the main beach and that there was no need to clamber over the rocks to the east section. There are three sections to the beach and both east and west sections are nudist as was the east end of the large main central beach at the end of May 01.
A correspondent describes Paliochori beach as one of the best beaches in Greece. It is very long with 3 sections. The northernmost (for north read east!) section after some fallen rocks is the one where you can swim nude. There is a bus service 6 times daily (2010 - three trips out and back). The nudist part (now frequented by some gays as well, the Captain is told), is at your left after the rocks, when you stand looking at the sea. Facilities in the beach (swimming suit part) include water sports and two or three fish taverns. A recent correspondent rates the beach 75%.
A correspondent visited Milos for 3 days in 1997 and stayed in Adamas. The first afternoon they looked at two beaches, Bombarda and Lagada, to the NW of the port and were very disappointed. They were rather grim, empty and doubtful as naturist beaches. They returned to town and hired a car for 2 days. The next morning they discovered Palochori on the south coast and stayed there for two days.
When you reach the beach go to the west end and walk or wade through a small tunnel on to a very pleasant pebble beach. This is a nudist beach. There is a smell of sulphur and when you swim out a wee bit and stand on the sandy bottom it feels quite warm. The area is obviously volcanic (the whole island is the top of an old, and very large volcano - hence the mineral deposits). There is supposed to be a bus service to Paliochori and boats across the bay to Empourios Beach but neither had started at the end of May. My contributors explored a little of the island and decided that it was worth returning sometime.
Some confusion among my contributors about which end of this beach to go to. Recent reports say there is nudism at both ends. One end (W) mostly gay. The other end empty. You don't even know it's there unless you take a walk along the cliffs and you see it down below. It looks great. It's separated by a jutting cliff wedge from the rest of the beach. Another contributor tells me that at the eastern end, after a scramble over the rocks and water there is a large section which was almost completely nude. This is a pretty beach and you can walk back to a snack bar or further to a choice of three nice tavernas.
A report from September 2003 said the west beach is now reached by steps from a fourth restaurant above, and is covered with beach umbrellas, so my contributor did not check for naturists. The east beach is reached by clambering over rocks (don't go up the cliffs) and was overwhelmingly naturist. An excellent pebble and sand beach.
A Barefooter who visited during July 2007 says the area on the left hand side (facing the sea) behind the rocks still remains naturist with a good mixture of locals and tourists. During the day, though, small groups of Greeks who refuse to take off their bathing suits, still pop up but do not seem to care a lot for the naturists.
June 2010: At the end of an easy main road you reach this long beach in a wide gulf on the East part of the island. There are also three bars/restaurants. On the very right, this private small part of the beach is now occupied by a bar/restaurant that has the monopoly of it. This is where a few thermal hot waters get into the sea.
On the very left, beyond some fallen rocks, there is a secluded part: gay crowd (well, perhaps a few, thinks another visitor), nudist people.
Nice clear sands under big cliffs, beautiful colours, blue waters but no natural shade.
Nudists are still clinging to the east end of the central beach as well (July 2010) although heavily outnumbered.
Thiafes (Thiorychia)
A very popular place, the abandoned Sulphur Quarries. The beach is small, and not very nudist in the middle of the summer, but in June/September it is. Very difficult to get there, (ask for explanations several times) and the road is dangerous. Don' t try it with your brand new cinquecento! My correspondent's rating is 65%.
Barefoot reporters who visited Thiafes during July 2007 tell me that the beach during the high season is totally textiles-only - but, on the left side of the beach (facing the sea) just before the beach ends, a big fallen rock and some smaller ones build a small cove which is not totally hidden but still provides a very good place to sunbathe nude. They were able to go nude into the water and nobody seemed to be bothered. People noticed that a couple was swimming nude and they did not even come closer.
The road to Thiafes is indeed hard work and beware: do not even think of trying to get to the end of the road without a 4x4 or an enduro-bike. My reporters did that, unfortunately, and had a nightmare driving up again. Best to leave the car or the bike at the end of the dirt road above the beach before the old fence of the sulphur mines
Voudia
When you reach Voudia, after you reach the entrance to the factory, continue for a little while, until you find a small road in bad condition that will take you to the beach. It will not be very nice while you are close to the mine site, but as you walk down the beach there are plenty of secluded gulfs, with normally one naked couple on each one. Find an empty one and unpack, you will be alone all day, just take water and snacks with you. The beach is nice and sandy, with a few rocks in the water, perfect if you want some time alone with your partner. The only bad thing is the view of the mine on one side…
Aghios Konstantinos
June 2010: A correspondent's favourite, on the North side of the island, reachable with a 5 minute detour from the main paved road. It is rather sheltered, so with the exception of a direct N wind, always calm. It has a nice view of the Glaronissia islands and a small natural lagoon on the right side (looking at the sea). Some small trees can offer you some shadow on the clear sand. On the left side nudist people, otherwise mixed.
Another correspondent confirms this is an excellent, shallow (so warm water), sandy beach. The lagoon is called Alogomandra, and the main part Mourj (pronounced moor'ya) which is where the nudists tend to go, from the tree circle westwards. Textiles tend to stick near the main car park to the right and in Alogomandra.
Another good beach for nude bathing is Sarakiniko on the north coast, but avoid when windy! A late June 2010 visitor says you can expect a numerous textile audience…. Mostly white rocks with very little sand.
Bombarda and Lagada
Lagada is a pleasant town beach, but right in front of the Lagada Beach Hotel (formerly the Venus Village) and no chance of naturism. Bombarda, which is less than a mile from Adamas town, appeared from the distance to be a possibility but during my contributor's visit (Sept. 2003) was deserted except for a camper van: his guidebook says it is an unofficial campsite. Another visitor in June 2010 found it still remarkably deserted even at a weekend. There is a pleasant grove of tamarisk trees backed by an old French military cemetery, and round the corner another line of tamarisk along the beach. Beach is pebbles and gravel, with washed-up sea-grass, but once in the water the bottom is a mixture of sand and mud with sparse sea-grass, etc. going well out. Another nudist couple were even closer to Lagada.
