Skinaria (Σχοιναρια)

Claimed

Popular

Crete, Greece, South Crete

Beaches

This very scenic beach is reached via a fairly long but satisfactory road from Lefkogia. Skinaria Beach Hotel, set back from the beach, appeared to be abandoned in September 1988. A shame, because it looked as if it was once a very nice hotel and did not overlook the beach. A brand new Taverna (the Libyan Star) is coming to completion overlooking the coarse-sand beach, and a diving school had set up its headquarters in the basement.

Skinaria

6:57 am, Dec 7, 2025

14°C

scattered clouds

Humidity: 83 %

Pressure: 1008 mb

Wind: 7 mph

Wind Gust: 7 mph

Clouds: 48%

Visibility: 10 km

Sunrise: 7:17 am

Sunset: 5:10 pm

Temperature
Precipitation
Rain Chance
Wind
Humidity
Pressure

8:00 am

14°/14°°C 0 mm 0% 7 mph 84% 1009 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 am

15°/17°°C 0 mm 0% 4 mph 78% 1009 mb 0 mm/h

2:00 pm

17°/18°°C 0 mm 0% 4 mph 70% 1009 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 pm

17°/17°°C 0.28 mm 28% 5 mph 73% 1010 mb 0 mm/h

8:00 pm

15°/15°°C 0.2 mm 20% 8 mph 82% 1011 mb 0 mm/h

11:00 pm

15°/15°°C 0.61 mm 61% 7 mph 87% 1012 mb 0 mm/h

2:00 am

15°/15°°C 0.82 mm 82% 7 mph 83% 1012 mb 0 mm/h

5:00 am

15°/15°°C 0.66 mm 66% 7 mph 80% 1012 mb 0 mm/h

1998 September: The Captain called at the taverna for a beer and to have a look at the beach. Naturism was being practised on the left hand side (looking towards the sea) despite the fact that the (clothed) diving school was in full session on the right hand side. The turning to the beach is well signposted, from both directions, in the middle of Lefkogia village.

Fortunately, some correspondents also visited in 1998 and stayed for a bit longer than I did. This is their account:

"Beautiful Skinaria Beach overlooked by the Libyan Star taverna (proprietor plays surprisingly good blues tapes at lunch time!). While the right hand end of the beach is heavily used by the diving school from Rethymnon, the left hand part remains a nudist enclave. Wonderful for snorkelling with plenty of fish. Shelving shingle beach - good swimming and beautiful setting. The diving school tend to remain at "their" end of the beach and were in no way intrusive. It was however disconcerting to be snorkelling and see two or three divers pass below you! The taverna served very welcome cold drinks and good food and was set sufficiently far back from the beach to not intrude on the quiet ambience of the beach. Our hosts told us that The Skinaria Beach Hotel (a few hundred yards back up the road) was apparently abandoned suddenly - and drinks were left on the tables and behind the bar!"

Not everyone feels comfortable stripping off here, though, particularly because of the taverna and the diving school. Others say the atmosphere in the naturist section was very relaxed, good snorkelling, and that the beach ought to be highly recommended. It’s a truly magical spot as the sun goes down behind the multiple folds of mountains into the sea, however! The road to the beach starts in Lefkogia at GPS waypoint N35 10' 41.6" E24 26' 34.5". The beach itself is at N35 09' 59.5" E24 25' 20.7".

2002 Summer: The atmosphere in the naturist section was very relaxed, good snorkelling, and that the beach ought to be highly recommended

2003 July: Almost all of the beach was textile (except for reporter), but not everybody likes stripping there (like the rest of his family). But the snorkelling was good (even if you do sometimes see divers pass deep below you)

2004 July: No naturists at all

2005 June: No naturists at all

2013 September: Several nude people to the left on the beach every day. A very relaxed atmosphere and the best snorkelling in the area

2014 July: A sign "nudism forbidden", in English, Greek and German. Too bad, because it is a good snorkelling area

2015 June: No sign forbidding nudism, but a couple told me that, within two minutes of getting bare at the far eastern end, an "official" appeared and asked them to cover up…..

2018 September (beginning): Schinaria beach is not naturist. There are prohibition signs. In the eastern part of the beach I saw only a couple who, hidden by the lowered umbrella, tried to get naked.