Donoussa Beaches: Stavros, Kedros & the Naturist Coves
Donoussa has quiet sandy beaches strung around a small island, from the harbour beach at Stavros to the naturist sands of Kedros and Livadi, and most are reached on foot. Kedros, about a kilometre south of Stavros, is the largest beach and the island's best-known naturist one; Livadi lies further south and is largely naturist too; and the coves of Sapounohoma, Mesa Amos and Tripiti gather around the hamlet of Kalotaritissa in the north. Limni and Vathi Limenari add more isolated bays. There is no bus, so a walk is part of every beach day.
- Harbour beach
- Stavros
- Largest & naturist
- Kedros
- Kedros
- 1 km from Stavros
- Character
- Mixed & naturist
Stavros Beach
In the centre of the village of Stavros, on the harbour, lies the island's most convenient beach: clear, shallow, transparent turquoise water and golden sand, clean and easy to reach on foot. The sand is rather hard, but the beach is big and quiet, right where the ferry sails in. It suits an easy swim between walks, close to the tavernas and rooms of the port.
Kedros (main naturist)
Kedros, which the maps and visitors call Kedro while the islanders call it Kentro, is the largest beach of Donoussa, a kilometre from the harbour of Stavros and a twenty-minute walk away. It has very green water and draws people daily, and a small bar two minutes from the sand serves drinks on a hot day. A Second World War German ship once lay on the seabed here and was pulled up a few years ago, with part of its hull still standing out on the bottom. Kedros is a swimwear-optional beach, in practice a nude beach, and many regard it as one of the best naturist beaches in Greece.
Livadi and Fikio
Livadi is a large, light-coloured beach with turquoise water, south of Kedros. You reach it in one of two ways: by the traditional launch that leaves Stavros each morning and returns in the afternoon, or by the road up to Mersini and then the path, about a fifteen-minute journey. Livadi is largely a naturist beach. Beside it lies the small beach of Fikio, marked by the seaweed on the seabed near the shore.
Sapounohoma, Mesa Amos and Tripiti
Three beaches gather around the northern hamlet of Kalotaritissa. Sapounohoma is the first, by the road a few metres from the village, very small but good. Mesa Amos is the main, second beach, with very green water and golden sand. At the end of Mesa Amos a path leads within ten minutes to Tripiti, the last beach of the village, with no car access and named for the holes in its rocks, ideal for those who prefer isolation.
Limni and Vathi Limenari
Two more isolated bays reward a walk. Limni lies in the north of the island, a small bay with a small beach reached by a half-hour path; it is hard to find, so ask the locals. Vathi Limenari is a little bay next to Kedros beach, reached by the path that starts from a district road. Both stay empty even when Kedros is busy.
Naturism on Donoussa
Donoussa is easy-going about naturism, and many of its beaches are mixed or nude. Kedros, a kilometre from Stavros, is the main naturist beach and one of the best in Greece; Livadi further south is largely naturist too. Beyond these, small beaches away from the villages let you swim discreetly without swimwear, such as the little beach we found opposite the islet of Skoulonissi. The whole island and how to reach it are set out in the Donoussa island guide.
