Mavros Gialos / Mavra Volia
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Location: South of Hios, in Emporeios. Beautiful beach with black middle-sized pebbles (this beach is supposed to be made by the eruption of the Santorini volcano about 3700 years ago), consisting of three bays. A sign at the first bay indicates no camping and no nudism. There apparently used to be a sign before the second bay forbidding nudism but this has been removed, and so the most distant bays were full of nude people. There were about 10 people on those two huge bays in August 1998, according to my correspondent. The water is very deep near the beach, but clear as never seen before. Near the first bay, where clothed people stay, are drink facilities.
29°C
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2000: A report confirms the status of Mavros Gialos. It is near Emporio on the east coast, approx. 33 km from Chios town by car. As you come to Mavros Gialos it might, at least at weekends in the summer, be a bit hard to find a parking place and you might have to park at the picturesque harbour of Emporio with several restaurants and walk a couple of hundred yards to the beach. Here you will find the first of 5-6 beaches in a row. Here you also find a little beach snack bar. Just pass the snack-bar and continue to walk over some steps to the next part of the beach. After the steps walk further about 500 metres on this nice black volcanic pebble beach: Now you will have to walk around a big stone and you will have a nice little pebble beach just in front of you. This is it!
Further on some 100-200 metres you find a new beach (the last one in this chain of beaches) where straight and gay people seem to gather. It is a nice beach with impressive rocks and cliffs, the beach itself only about 5-10 metres from the cliffs to the shore. In the water you will find it gets deeper quickly! In total a very similar surrounding to the Mirtiotissa beach in Corfu!
August: A report agrees that this spot is “worthy”. Approximately 15 people on the beach. Gay and couples.
2003 June: describes Mavros Gialos as the “only” place in Hios where you can go naked. It says it is a long walk till the end of the beach where you can sunbathe and swim in very clear water. Although there were not many people on the beach there were problems with gawpers, including local men some of whom “keep their underwear on and come only to look at your wife”, according to my contributor. Well, if that’s the only way they can get to see a naked woman it says something doesn’t it …
2004 June: Barefooters report that the second, third and fourth beaches were completely nude.
2007 Barefooters really loved this beach. There are at least 10 coves where you can enjoy as much privacy as you want. If you find an occupied cove, just proceed a few metres to the next one. The third cove on the left is the first completely nudist one. In the afternoon the cliffs provide as much shadow as you want.
2011 June: about 10-15 naturists can be found in the far end of the beach. Although we visited the beach at a weekend there are several nude couples and single men.
2014 July: we visited the far end of the beach. There were about 10 people all nude. A perfect beach! Avoid it only when the wind blows from south because of the waves.
2018 September: this is the most frequented by nudists, who tend to stay close each other. Many coves though. Sun goes down early in the afternoon, better in the morning.
2022: The beach remains the best place for nudism. You will just need to walk under the sun. And don’t forget to take water with you!
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Greghory
Our visit was in May 2026, before the formal tourist season had kicked in, so none of the beaches were particularly busy. As we were staying in nearby Emporios, it was only a short walk. Nevertheless this was probably our least favourite nudist beach on the island.
To put the beaches in their correct order, the beach beside Emporios village is called Emporios. To reach Mavra Volia you have to walk along a side road for 5-10 minutes. This is a textile beach and has its own cantina. Naturists may then be found on Foki beach which is accessed by steps at the end of Mavra Volia. This is a long stony beach with no facilities.
The far end of Foki beach has an attractive cove with good shelter. However, we gained the impression that it served as a gay cruising spot, so we ended up avoiding it. The rest of the beach is attractive but very stony. There is a large tree halfway along that affords some shade. During our two visits we encountered a small number of other naturists, but these were all men.
Honestly, there are so many secluded beaches on Chios that I don’t know why people would bother with this one.