Been pondering this one as the 1st time we'd ever been on a nudie beach was in arillas last year.
Are there any kindo of unspoken rules of things that are and aren't acceptable, or things that are frowned upon. Other than the obvious ! :lol:
We think that the most frowned upon activities are probably "leering" "secret camera work!" and setting up your towel(s) to near to other people. But at Arillas there is usually loads of room and a more "mature" crowd. How far along the beach towards the main beach has nudity been accepted? As the nudist area is fairly transient, what is the legal attitude of the village? Couple of years ago we watched two ladies going for a nude swim right in the middle of the main beach,an old guy ,who might have had something to do with the beach beds,shouted at them but they ignored him,he jumped on his push 'bike and shot off,but he hadn't returned by the time the ladies came out of the water and dried themselves.This was around 10am,the beach had not got too busy.Back again in September,hope the nude beach is a bit more accessible.
That's good to know. It's pretty much what we'd assumed as common sense then.
I'm so wary of offending people. Last year in September there were quite a few people, what I would consider too far up the beach, because there wasn't much access to the actual nude beach. I'd also quite like to know what the villagers actually feel is acceptable. I have to say, on that occassion it was 90% Germans that I thought were crossing the line.
i would say that the nude section starts after you pass the point,thats the one that is just under water this year once past that you have the under cliff(where there has been a big land slide in the past and vegitation has grown up)This is what i call the start of the nude beach right to the end of the long straight stretch.Two years ago we could not get around the point so had to use a little cove just off the main beach about 100 yards up from the steps,but i felt i had to keep my trunks on,though a couple did strip off just by us.
A quote from Dimitris i read a while ago,you can go nude on the beach,but not infront of my restaruant,my gran will hit you with her umberella
I have to agreed with you there Harold, that's where I felt the line was drawn. Some people, especially the germans it seems, are less bothered about who they offend.
I found it much more friendlier at the nude end of the beach. People actually stop and talk to you. I think a few more people spoke to us because we were younger, and pierced and tattooed. lol
dont forget that in Germany they are a lot more relaxed about nudity than us British.the first year we went we met a yorkshire family and they asked us where abouts on the beach we went,so we told them and warned them it was a nudist beach the next day they walked down with their 2 small boys and the mother then went mental(I did not go naked at that time we just liked that stretch of beach)this women march off the beach saying she was going to get it stopped,she saw the local Mayor who told her that that end of the beach was naked and no problem.It took me 2 years of going on this beach before i did strip off,but everyone was friendly and would stop and chat to me even when they were naked and i was not.Those first 2 years a releajous sect used Arillas alot and they all met early May and the beach would be quiet full,all seemed quiet nice people
Its funny but up until a few years ago, I thought that 'nudists' were a weird bunch and wouldnt have it that there wasn't anything dodgy going on on in their seemingly 'at one with nature' minds....HOWEVER...a few years back I was up really early and went for a wander in child-free bliss time(ie: before any of them had risen with their dad!). Anyway, the sun was blazing, the sea was glistening and I thought, 'sod it' long time dead....stripped off and dashed into that inviting sea! To say that it was a fabulous feeling, is an unserstatement! The combination of the cool sea, along with my warm skin was divine and it was just lovely. Even stretching out on the sand afterwards without the constraints of a bikini was lovely (dare I say..liberating!!..)
The likelyhood of me walking round doing my supermarket shopping in the nuddy,as the French do , is a definite no-no but if anyone fancies a bit of a change I would highly recommend the experience! As I always say, dont knock it until you try it! One year there was a massage tent there which, in an ideal worlld sounded like luxury but im afraid my nerve wouldnt have spread to that!! Did anyone else have one??
A massage tent ? A religious sect ?! Wow I missed all the interesting times :lol: lol
I have to say I never thought i'd be brave enough to do it either. I went down to that end of the beach with my other half and he gradually coaxed me into it. Took me a few hours though lol. Once you come to the realisation that people aren't staring at you and don't give a hoot about body image, it is wonderful. I didn't ever think it would make that much difference, bikini's aren't exactly huge items of clothing afterall !
Maybe us brit's do need to relax a little about things like this. We weren't born covered head to toe afterall !
They had a massage tent in Agios Gordis a couple of years ago... didnt see any nude massages tho!
Ooer!! What a thought!!
Dont know if id be brave enough to venture onto the nudie beach, bit too shy in that respect!
Me too, Smiffy! People who do it are very brave I think. Would love to do what Jo did but wouldn't dare! Sand in between your toes is uncomfortable so heaven knows what it would feel like elsewhere!
It chafes, so ive heard :-D !!
personly I cant see the point of going in the sea then coming out and being uncomfortable and cold in wet cloths of trying to hide behind a towel to change, which always makes every body around you giggle anyway, why not just get dry all over in the sun. Viv
Quote from: vivian on February 01, 2007, 07:04:27 PM
personly I cant see the point of going in the sea then coming out and being uncomfortable and cold in wet cloths of trying to hide behind a towel to change, which always makes every body around you giggle anyway, why not just get dry all over in the sun. Viv
Agreed ! :)
And sand getting places - I never found a problem lol.
Apart from me being a bit shy I wouldnt like to shock anyone else with me sitting butt naked on the beach. Now I might think I look like Brigit Bardot coming out of the water but others would see something entirely different and its not a pretty sight! I should imagine though it must feel a bit liberating. Look at kids, they run and go mad when they are starkers as if they have been set free, they have no inhibitions.
At least in Arillas if you go on the nudist beach it is what you go there to do and it is not a 'public highway', with no where else to go. We were on a beach in Crete, Elafonisi which is beautiful, the main beach is 'clothed' but you can walk to a small connected island, preservation site, as it is a bit further to walk the nudists go there and supposedly wont get disturbed, the problem is they dont get any peace because so many people are either wading through the water which isnt deep (its a lagoon) or do the longer walk on the beach and of course most of the people are in 'swimmers' so some might be offended if they dont know that. You just ignore it, thats their quiet place and respect it. Did you know there is a website where you can find out the best nudists beaches where you wont get hassled? Dont even ask how I know that!!
Ooh blondegirl, how do you know that then i wonder!!?? :-D !!
Well.... simple really I was just 'surfing' for nice beaches in Greece and the nudist ones came up too, I didnt realise until I clicked to see where they were... very interesting!
Thats your story and youre sticking to it ay!! :-D !!
s'right!
Try Captain Barefoot`s Guide to Naturist beaches!!
Quote from: Lindypops on February 02, 2007, 10:54:50 PM
Try Captain Barefoot`s Guide to Naturist beaches!!
.....
....or you could buy this DVD on Ebay...who knows the Corfu nudie beach featured could be Arillas...hey you might even see someone you recognise!!! :o
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Holidays-Nudism-Naturism-Nude-Beaches-in-Greece_W0QQitemZ200076311451QQihZ010QQcategoryZ617QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
OOer! I hope not!
To back track a bit on this subject, I must say that I agree with what Jo Wissett wrote.
Quote from: willis on February 12, 2007, 12:19:22 PM
To back track a bit on this subject, I must say that I agree with what Jo Wissett wrote. Once you try naked sunbathing and swimming, you realise that it isn't just for odd people. It is hard to explain why it feels so good, but it does. Also, the far end of the beach is by far the nicest, most peaceful part. However, when I go down to the beach, I tend to go on my own. I think different rules apply to blokes in that situation. For example, I would tend to set up near to older people or regulars. Is it just me who thinks like that? For those of you who are too shy, I suggest that just wander down there one day. You will soon see that it is not a beauty contest. A few seconds of courage and you won't regret it.
If you do come down to the nudist bit,please NO GRIPPERS lol ; )
You`re right there Harold,lol. But what about all the nibbly fish!
Hi all,
We like to find a quiet spot on our own - not in a crowd. Its not cos we are shy but just like our own privacy. Down the end of the beach is nice - you can still people watch without invading other people's privacy. We were there in May 2006 and there was a lot of seaweed. When you get into the water you have to wade through a lot of seaweed before you get to clear water. Does this happen all year round?
Does anyone know if you can go nude on Porto Timoni beach. We intend to go there this year and just wondered - it looks nice.
Kevin & Beverly
I dont fancy wading through all that seaweed butt naked.
Thats true - dont really know whats lurking about in all that seaweed
Yes you cam go nude at Porto Timoni, at least I did and there was nobody around to tell me not to. ;-) Viv
Hi Vivian
Thank you for getting back to us. We will give it a go.
The last three times that we were in Arillas, September 04, June 05 and July 06, I don't remember wading through any seaweed. In fact last year, we walked into the sea from the nude beach straight into crystal clear water.
Suppose it depends on tides and the weather.
Steve & Val
Go for it I say ... just put the cameras away though. Those peeps that get offended or are prudes stay on the beach with the sunbeds (and speedos) and dont come down for a stroll and a nosey - you do look very obvious when you do (as we can see your white marks hehehe). It is a really great atmostphere I have to say up there, peaceful and nice conversations - if you want it.
hey! we all have to start with the white bits lol :lol:
Being a big girl- size 18 to 20 i was quite shy the first week of taking my clothes off,however that sharp passed!
swimming in the water naked was fantastic...would definitely do it again!
Where is Porto Timini,then? Is it accessible,sandy,worth going to?
Hi Crawsue, if you look on the tread above,you will see a couple of website's to tell you all about it. Viv
The nudie beach is a peaceful haven just like arillas itself, my hubby goes nude but alas a little on the large side i do not, just topless. No-one there gives a hoot what you look like (only my own insecurites give a hoot what i look like!!!) Do what ever feels right for you. Everyone we have met have been friendly & polite in what some may say could be an awkward situation, we are still in touch with folks we met last year & hope to meet up this year. Families, singles & couples all use the beach with no concerns just having a great time. I just hope its still there when we go back in july as most folk daub themselves in the green sludge (very refreshing actually (mud bath)) but that may have helped the erosion of the rock face & the collapse!! Happy holidays.
The nude beach is just one of the reasons why people return to Arillas time and time again. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but once you've tried it you realise that it's not at all like the stereotypical image a lot of people have about nudists and nude beaches. It's very laid back and friendly, and (if you want to) you can meet with and chat to some very nice people.
The green mud is an added "bonus", and is always good for a laugh when you see the creative ways in which it can be applied.
True, you do get sightseers (quite often lone men) but it's obvious who they are and I always find that firm eye contact is the best way to deal with them if they are staring at you.
As for etiquette, just walk along the beach to the nude section (past where the rocks jut out into the sea) find your spot, take your clothes off (or leave them on if you prefer, it's not compulsory to be nude) and enjoy sunbathing, swimming and walking along the beach (nude section only) as nature intended. Don't do anything to annoy other people and don't offend the locals.
Common sense really.
We're giving Arillas a miss this year (shame) but will return next year. We're going to Croatia so hopefully will see how their nude beaches compare.
Enjoy Arillas and its beach.
Steve
Having read all about Porto Timini it seems a logical place to go if our beach is inaccessible.Are there any "boatmen" at the main beach who would do a ferry service or hire a small motor boat on a daily basis? It is a bit of a clamber to be doing every day if "our" beach is swamped! We are returning in September,but before that we are going to Santa Tomas in Minorca ,where we found an excellent "nudie beach" within easy walking distance from the main part of the resort,it is also quite long and very sandy and clean,so long beach walks are in order.Hope you enjoy your hols in Arillis this year--but don't tell to many people how good it is,wink,wink!
Hi Crawsue, went there last October, really lovely beach. Enjoy. Viv
Bit too young for the liking of a nudist beach...
Ha ha - hey, we're young and we're looking forward to going on there!!!
This could be one for Lozicle who's mentioned this before, but me and the other half are both tattooed - nice to hear that you didn't get much attitude! In Cyprus people were quite disapproving! No more than here though although we did get some stares!
Do you find that people take a lot of notice of you because of your tatts? All mine are in places I can cover up with clothes (back, calf and a pretty big one on my thigh) but obviously they'll be much more on show here!!! :D
We had no problems what so ever. I'm not tattoed but my fiance is. A few people may have looked a bit more curiously to see what the tattoos were but nothing negative. We're both quite pierced as well but nobody seemed to care. Very accepting atmosphere :)
When our holiday to Arillas was booked last February, I didn't know that a nudist beach existed there, but when I did find out I was quite pleased because we have been going on to nudist beaches for the last 10 years. My excitement was extinguished three days before the holiday in July, when I found out that I had skin cancer on my face.
The cancer isn't the serious type that can spread, but it does give you a bit of a shock when you find out you have got it, and it has made me not want to sun bathe anymore.
Everyday, on holiday we would walk as far as the jutting out rocks before the nudist beach, and I would feel quite p***** off that I wasn't going on there to stay for a while. The feeling of swimming naked and then drying off naturally is one of the best feelings ever.
Later on I will write more about my experiences on nudist beached because, in my opinion, the etiquette is really important. The biggest danger is the secret photographer and I think I can now detect them quite quickly.
Last year, in Kefalonia, a single bloke came down to the naturist beach, most days and would always park himself next to couples with children. . The beach was quite large and there was lots of room to get a nice private place, but this bloke always went close to others. He also seemed to spend a lot of time texting on his mobile.
One day he got up to leave the beach and had to walk past us and I noticed that he had his mobile phone in his hand and when he walked past I heard the shutter go. I realised that he was doing this everyday.
I was very angry, but I could not confront him because I didn't know what nationality he was and I couldn't tell the local police because we were breaking Greek law as well.
The moral here is to remember that nudity is illegal in Greece and be very careful who is near to you on the beach.
About four years ago in Kefalonia, at Skala where we stayed, the police actually raided the beach and some people were arrested.
If you go to this web page and find Skala you can read about it, and you may find the rest of the website interesting
http://www.barefoot.info/ionian/cephalon.html
That is really creepy.
I have to say I never even considered that people would do that ! ! I just don't get why.
As for being too exposed for sunbathing - I'm perpetually under 2 sun umberellas anyway because I'm so fair skinned.
There was a nude guy who had got lost it seemed. One of the girls we knew came off the beach with her little girl, they had to turn around because a guy just got out of the sea and was calmly walking along the beach. He wasnt on the nudist part. , he must have got disorientated or was so used to walking around starkers that he didnt think about where he was.
Hi Terryw
We are off to kefalonia in sept and wondered where the nudist beaches are , much appreciate a bit of info if possible
Yammas
Dave n anne
Hi Dave n anne
The best nudist beach is at Mounda bay which is near Skala.
Where are you staying?
Terry
I came across a guy, on the naturist part of Arillas beach, recently. He was lying there,with shorts and T-shirt on, moaning away to himself and annoying everyone around him.
I asked if he would be quiet and got a "Mmmm/Urghhh" in response.
Must be unwell I though so asked if I could arrange to get him back to his appt.
"Mmmm/Urghh" was the response.
Not wishing to give up I asked him again:-
"Where have you come from?"
" The urghh, cliff up there " - He said.
Sorry folks - Now gone off thread yet again. - Toomuch time on my hands maybe.
That guy was me Eggy.
I was checking the 'donkey track' to San Stefanos and got distracted by a couple of birds ;-)
Hi Terryw
We are staying at lourdas , only going for 1 week and thought we would try somewhere else for a change . Looking forward to seeing different places .
Yammas
Dave n Anne
Hi Dave and Ann
I went to Lourdas a few years ago, it was great lovely beach and food.
If your stopping near the top of the village there is a little goat track down to the beach that is not classed as Lourdas ( can't quite remember the name) but is not very busy and very relaxing.
Hope you have as good time as i did there.
Matt & Claire
PS try the red snapper and Stiffado ( Kefelonion style)
H iMythos and Mataxa
I have also stayed at Lourdas and I think you should warn Dave n Anne about the very steep walk back to the top of the village.
The nudist beach near Lourdas is on a strip of beach between Lourdas and Trapezaki. It is not used much by naturists and you always have the problem of "shall we be the first to strip off?" Its always a problem in a country where nudity is illegal to be the first ones to go naked especially if there are already people sunbathing with clothes on.
Helen and I found it fascinating on the beach at Mounda (Kefalonia), to see if people who were approaching the beach would end up nude. It was quite funny at times. One couple would walk along the everyday and not take their clothes off. Then on their last day (we didnt see them again so we assumed it was their last day) they did strip off, had a swim and had a lovely snog in the sea. They were well into their sixties as well. I thought it was a shame that they didn't do it on the first day so that they could have had the pleasure all week.
TerryW
This brings me to my thoughts on nudity! As mentioned before, I always have a blissful hour or so on the nudist beach in the mornings or late afternoons. Never thought I would ever have the guts to try it but so glad I did. My family take the micky beyond belief but I dont care!
Anyway,my point is - I dont believe that there is no ulterior motives going on amongst a few sunbathers. I was approached this year by a minging foreigner who after trying (but failing) to make conversation in the sea, then appeared next to my towel offering to smear the clay all over me! Luckily I shrugged him off but it made me feel a little uneasy.
What are everbody else's views on this?
I have some views on this from the male point of view. The only reason that a naked man would want to chat to a naked woman and then want to smear clay on her can only be for sexual reasons. I bet the bloke in question does things like this on a regular basis and is a menace and could also be a danger if given the wrong signals back.
Lets face it, any normal man loves to see a naked woman but it is usually a discreet peep from a distance. This guy saw you on your own and saw you as a target. I don't suppose you could see if he was standing to attention, but you should be careful Jo. The bloke was obviously not a true naturist.
The "unwritten law" on a naturist beach is to find a place that is the furthest point you can find from anybody else on the beach. Really, the only time anyone should be on full view is when you are going in and out of the sea. I would always go into the sea or go back to my place on a beach when nobody was walking close to me by the shore.
The only time I have had problems is when the sun umbrella is suddenly blown away by wind and you go chasing after it. This then causes a multitude of problems,.You are well on your way to catching it when it lands up against someone elses umbrella. Or, you suddenly realise that the sand is red hot and you have no footwear, and you can't even sit down to take the heat away from your feet. Or a child will catch it for you and then you are completely stuffed and have to retreat for clothes.
I think that in Greece you have to stay on your own, enjoy the sea and the sun without exhibiting yourself, sunbathe discreetly without showing off "bits", relax and enjoy.
I've always gone on the nudist beach on my own and have a few tales to tell from over the years. You do get a few weirdos - some approach and ask you the time or offer to put suncream on your back......how do they imagine I usually cope on my own???!! One guy used to put a peach and a croissant on my towel when I went swimming....and before anyone asks, it wasn't the donut man!! But beware the perv on the cliffs in May and October....
That is a bit weird Sandy !
I've never had that happen , but then again I've never been on my own.
It is only human nature to look at the naked body of a member of the opposite sex. But there is a massive difference between a fleeting glance and staring openly for example.
Unfortnately public nudist beaches are always gonna atrract a few weirdos.
Sandy - Ok !! - I'll stop buying the peaches & croissants.
Negg
There used to be a realy popular guy on nudist beach last year
He could carry 2 cups of coffee and a dozen donuts!!
Now, CLAY I wasn't interested in but Croissants may have been a different matter!Ha ha
I don't think you'd be interested in the croissants Jo - they looked really manky and I always wondered where they'd been. As for the peach....
Eggy....your secret is out!
Hi All
Just got back from Lourdas on Kefalonia . Thanks to Terry W for info , both the beaches at Mounda and Lourdas were good for nude bathing. Regarding you the comments about people looking round before removing there clothing , we were on Mounda beach early 1 day and followed another couple along the beach to the nudist bit and I thought it was very funny as the couple sat down and watched us all the time untill we removed our clothes and then rushed to remove theirs . Kept me chuckling all morning.
Yammas
Dave n Anne
Sounds like me and Pete were the first time we went nude and didnt know whether we were on the right bit of beach. Im giggling now as well. Viv
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