Preveli Beach it widely featured on picture postcards and is undoubtedly very scenic, as a beach which comprises a river mouth. Earlier reports indicated a naturist character, with "a lot of anatomy on display". However, Preveli is now totally commercialised with umbrellas and tavernas. The beach is small and covered with sunbeds and umbrellas. Walking further over the headland there is a taverna and car park (at the end of the long unmade track). Even having climbed all the way down my correspondents did not feel in the slightest bit tempted to stay amongst the clothed visitors and did not even swim in the rather cloudy water before climbing back and travelling to one of the much more attractive and accessible beaches. Don't risk your ankles - it's not worth the climb!

Some GPS waypoints (in WGS-84): the Preveli monastery: N35 09' 27.3" E24 27' 25.3", the parking lot: N35 09' 14.5" E24 28' 13.7", Palm Beach itself: N35 09' 09.6" E24 28' 24.1". See also the picture taken from the footpath from the parking lot down to the Palm beach.

Although Preveli is no longer recommended for naturism, one hears you can walk up the gorge through the palm trees and some people sunbathe and swim nude in the pools formed in the stream as it climbs.

2004 October: A correspondent reports a long stretch of mainly sandy beach with a few rocks about 1 km east of Preveli, along a very rough road through the mountains after crossing the river by a ford near a stone bridge [this means it must be Drimiskianos as described in its own section above]. Worth it though, because the beach is about 1 km long, and about 95% nude (until the cool of the evening when clothes became necessary to keep warm). Rated 95%. The same correspondent speaks highly of a nearby beach called Prakais, also about 95% nudist over its 1 km length, with some textiles on only the last 150m or so. I have not been able to identify this beach, and unfortunately he does not give directions to it.

2006 September: Barefoot reporters who visited Preveli did this. They followed the path under the trees to where the river formed some pools. They found a nice hidden place and decided to "open the nude beach". The pool was more than 2 metres deep and the water was clear and a bit colder than the ocean. Apart from occasional passing tourists you could think you are on a lonely island. Really great place, only the walk back to the car is a minus.

2010 August: Sad news: palm forest of Preveli was burned. Please read: Widlfires burned the Palm Forest in Preveli Crete. However it's good to be able to confirm that by 2015 little trace of this remains and the trees are in blooming good health again.

A report indicates that there is now an easy track over the cliff leading East to Drimiskianos.

2016 August: Palm forest is green again, there are scars from the fire, but nature healed the wounds… the black stems of some palm trees with green leaves add to the special atmosphere… NO NUDITY at all, neither at the beach, nor in the canyon. Fully crowded beach, busy in the canyon, but the canyon is still worth a walk (take good shoes!)!!!! So beautiful places in the rocks to bath in freshwater… so clean and natural… actually a shame to dip there with textiles, it is so natural a place… nudity feels so right there! But no way… too many textile people around… [but note this is in high season.]

2019 September: We visited the beach in the first week of September. NO nudity on the beach. 100% textile. The beach was very crowded, but it's worth taking a walk in the canyon.

2023 July: No nudists at the beach nor in the closest part of the forest. The beach was fairly crowded so it seems that it would be complicated to go nude. Walking along the canyon you might find a more private place to strip, but In our case everything was very crowded and we did not go very far into the canyon.
Still, very nice place to visit.