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Captain's rating: 97%
Plakias has a very friendly community, and repeated visits have led the Captain to develop a real affection for the place and its people. And it is surrounded by wonderful scenery and some of the best beaches the Captain has had the pleasure to visit are in the vicinity. It's well signposted and has good access roads.
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. In some places at the water's edge there is flat rock where you might expect sand; it is easy enough to walk on, but mind you don't stub your toes.
16°C
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.
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 end of the beach (hidden from the road by a few dunes) is mostly nude, with a simple and friendly atmosphere. From a hotel in Plakias village it takes 15—20 minutes to walk to this end.
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. A beautiful beach in a beautiful bay.
Cleanliness has been an issue in the past, but the guy running the sun umbrellas is obsessive about picking up litter and the beach is now beautifully clean. Regulars do their bit to help keep it that way.
The sunbeds cost €5 per day (for an umbrella + a pair of beds - singles pay €3), payable to the conscientious attendant who replaced the delightfully cheerful Freddie around 2013. Each bed pair now has an earthenware pot for users' rubbish. There are now reported to be beach bars in both the non-naturist and the naturist sections.
One report 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.
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:
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- 06.15, 09.00, 11.00, 14.30, 18.00 weekdays
- 09.00, 11.00, 14.30, 18.00 - - - - Sat & Sun
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- depart Plakias:
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- 07.00, 10.00, 12.00, 15.15, 19.00 weekdays
- 10.00, 12.00, 15.15, 19.00 - - - - Sat & Sun
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- fare: €4? each way
(Summer 2016 timetable - 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.
Plakias Resorts open in June 2012. Looks quite a small and attractive development. It's nearer to the most easterly clothed area of beach than the 'far end' and is about 150 metres to the west of Paligremnos. Another development about 300 metres nearer to the town is half completed with no sign of any work being done or having been done recently. Certainly at the time we were there, the beach could quite easily absorb the extra tourists without disturbing the far end.
2001 May: Early in season "no beach facilities - either umbrellas or doughnuts", but by the end of May all were back in place
2002 June: More naturists than ever at the eastern end.
undated: Wish the beach could be cleaner. (Cleanliness has not in the past been a significant problem here.)
2004-6: Many reports, mostly very positive.
One report 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.
2007 June: Plakias beach is just as perfect as ever, with the shower in full working order and the doughnut man alive and well.
2010 May: 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.
September: Visited Plakias beach nearly every day in the last weeks of September. There were always 50 to 100 people present; 95% nude. From a hotel in Plakias village it takes only 15 to 20 minutes to walk to the beach.
2011 August: On the eastern side many people, 50% naturist including under the umbrellas.
2012 June: The eastern end is well supplied with sun umbrellas (€5 a day), sensibly spaced out and almost 100% nude. The guy running the sun umbrellas was obsessive about picking up litter, so the beach was beautifully clean. I'd read reports that the entry to the water had become stony after winter storms, but all was well and it was sandy and beautiful.
Donut man appeared as well, and at €2 they were a bargain! It's 25 years since we were in Plakias, and I'm happy to say that, despite the expected development, Plakias remains a wonderful place for a laid-back holiday.
September: My wife and I stayed in Plakias for three weeks in May/June and then again for the whole of September. We liked it so much that we will be renting an apartment and living in Plakias for the whole of 2013. I am a massage therapist by profession and will be found at the naturist end of the beach under the large tamarisk tree.
2013 May: The beach is as fine as ever, and the naturist area well used. Some of the sand at the water's edge seems to have washed away, exposing flat rock that is easy enough to walk on (but mind you don't stub your toes).
Freddie has moved on - we forgot to get Fresh Freddie's name or photo but he seems friendly enough … though not (yet?) as extrovert as First Freddie. Doughnut man showed up. There's a Chinese woman who comes round offering massages (details below). We found her very effective. Again, failed to get her name or photo. (Not seen in subsequent years). A few of the new apartments are now showing signs of occupation, but there is no discernible impact on the beach.
2014 July: A good nudist beach because it is at the end of a long beach, so only nudists go that far.
2015 June: brollies now in 3 rows and well patronised. The water is cloudy blue, but not dirty. No masseuse seen. September: nudist end quite crowded, couldn't get a sunbed.
2016 May: We visited this beach once in late May and found the eastern section of sun beds and surrounding area to be 100% nude, most beds occupied and atmosphere relaxed.
June: Still very popular and 90% nude. Mostly couples. Very popular, 100% nude, and many naturists spreading along the beach towards the textile area and beach bar. Showers on the beach fully operational, donut man visits every day, altogether very pleasant.
August: Nearly all the loungers were filled with naturist, though quite a few textiles wandered into the area as well on this Sunday afternoon, making it someplace between 80 and 90% nude. No sighting of the donut man this time. Maybe he takes Sundays off. We had a wonderful day there and count it among our favorite naturist destinations. The eastern part of the beach is nudist with 80%, some families among them…. at the very eastern part under the tamarisk tree there was a very relaxed atmosphere, 50% Germans there. No extra services like massage or sweets offered…
September: We visited the beach on the first 4 days of our holiday and had no trouble getting a sun lounger, with 90% of people there being naturist. By the end of the first weekend numbers of people using the 'Far End' had increased and some had taken to getting up early, before 7am, to put towels onto 'their' favourite sun loungers to reserve them. I find this infuriatingly selfish, especially when, as witnessed, some people do not come to the beach until lunch time and only stay for 1hr!!! There needs for an agreement that if towels are on any unused sun loungers after 10am they get removed so that others can use them. Luckily this sort of thing doesn't happen at Souda beach.
October: Far End still quite busy as season winds down. New Donut man in evidence … apparently the previous vendor died recently, RIP.
2017 May: Very popular, 100% nude, and many naturists spreading along the beach towards the textile area and beach bar. On one day all sun loungers were taken. Showers on the beach fully operational, no donut man or any other beach vendor visited at anytime we were there, we enjoyed our visits here.
August: Very good and busy as always but can be very windy. Expect to be sandblasted frequently. Doughnut man there every day. Very relaxed area of beach at far end right by cliffs.
2018 September: Rammed, impossible to get a sunbed unless you got there before dawn. However, it's so packed, that there it feels slightly claustrophobic. We would take a beach tent to the dunes or along the narrow strip of coast under the cliffs.
October there and the beach was wonderful. More than 80 bathers at the nudist section including 3-4 annoying woman who walked around staring at all men private parts wearing full bikini. Most bathers were aged and middle-aged heterosexual couples plus some whole families, a few lonely women and a gay couple. The sea was warm and the shower very nice and very warm too, by the sun! Free space if you like laying your body on the sand, easy access.
2019 July The eastern part of this beautiful beach is a great place for naturism: more than 90% of people were nude here. There are sunbeds, and a cold shower. The sight is beatiful with trees on the beach and a great rock. Water is perfect for children and those who can't swim.
September Pretty crowded, I would say 100+people on a good day. See post on Souda, the sunbed guy there informed me that Souda and Plakias are now Officially Nudist … whatever that means.
2020 August The nudist part is at the end, so we have it all for ourselves. Very relaxed, all ages. Nice showers.
2023 July: report from Aaron on the Forum:-
Naturism still strong at the far end of the beach, prob about 95% nude but a few textiles who don't get the hint and use the other 95% of the beach available to them. Plenty of sun loungers available every day, they were never all in use. Mostly couples but also a few single men, women, a family one day. Nice mix of nationalities and friendly vibe. The downsides though are the wind - either unpleasant or unbearable, and the rocks / stones that make getting into the sea very hard - once you're in, the long sand bank is lovely but everyone struggled getting in and out. Sun lounger man friendly and clearly knows his regulars, doughnut man calls around lunchtime.
The nearest beach bar is nice but extortionate, the second one is much fairer priced and saw a lot of people from the beach there (both are clothed). Not sure I'd return because of the wind but glad I experienced it. If the wind does whip up and sandblast you, head towards the dunes for a bit of protection.
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