Glyka Nera Beach, more commonly called by the English "Sweetwater," is one of the most unique nude beaches anywhere. This hidden beach, located where the mountains meet the sea, has a number of notable features.

Access to the beach takes some effort. The E4 hiking trail is the overland route to the beach. Parts of the trail are a bit hair raising. You'll be going downhill and across rough terrain, with steep drop-offs in places. The portion of the E4 trail drawn in green is the shortest overland route to the beach. Is is also possible to approach from the opposite end via the tiny seaside village of Lourto (along the E4 trail, which continues west past Sweetwater). However, this presents even more challenges. The hike is longer (about 3 kilometers) and Lourto itself is not accessible by road, so you'd have to take a boat there. The only reasonable way to avoid the hike is to take the fishing boat from Chora Sfakion, but you'll have to plan your trip according to the boat's schedule: you are taken to the beach at 10:30 am and picked up at 4:30 pm. That is it. Besides the hike, parking is a challenge since it barely exists. If you can't find anywhere suitable along the coastal road, you can walk from nearby Illigas Beach or all the way from Chora Sfakion.

Once you make it to the beach, nudity is acceptable on almost all of the 325-meter stretch. The exception is the taverna at the far west end of the beach. The taverna is actually built over the water and connected to the beach by a short footbridge. Nudity is definitely not acceptable in the taverna, and it is generally considered polite to be clothed in the immediate vicinity as well. Otherwise, you'll find that most visitors to the beach go naked. While the beach is in a sense quite secluded, the E4 hiking trail does pass directly through. This path is used as a recreation trail in its own right, not just for beach access, so there are some textile passersby. However, nudity at the beach is established to the point that discretion is not required.

While you are on the beach, you'll probably get to make friends with the local goats, who are far better equipped for handling the rough mountain terrain that are humans. The goats are docile and like to be fed.

The Greek name of the beach, Glyka Nera, literally means "fresh water." It is so called because there are a number of pothole-sized freshwater springs on the beach. The spring water is potable, but you'll want to get water from the faucet that has been installed rather than directly from the springs unless you don't mind drinking after the goats. Keep in mind that using the springs like wash basins is considered a serious breach of etiquette. If you want to wash off with the fresh water, fill up a container full of water and take it elsewhere.

info from Cap'n Barefoot

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GPS: 35.2017, 24.1072

city, island, country  Chora Sfakion, Crete, Greece

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