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Vritomartis Hotel and Bungalows in Crete, Greece

Posted By: Maria_and_Steve

Vritomartis Hotel and Bungalows in Crete, Greece - 06/24/2012 05:56 PM

We spent 4 days at this naturalist resort on the south coast of Crete. The resort is a naturalist resort which means that the outside facilities in the resort are all nude (required) but for the inside areas of the resort you must be covered.

The setting for the resort is really spectacular. You drive or take a taxi south over the high mountains of Crete and as you descend from the high ridges the resort is near the base of the mountains along the south coast.

The official nudist beach is 3/4 of a mile from the resort and you can either walk from the resort along a semi-private road or take the shuttle bus from the resort that runs every 30 minutes. This beach is maintained by the resort and they have umbrellas, beach chairs and a beach restaurant there. The walk downhill to the beach is very easy but the return is all uphill so it is easier to take the bus back!

There is also a very nice large outdoor pool at the resort with umbrellas and chairs where nude is required.

Then there is a textile beach, separate from the nude beach that is about 3/4 of a mile from the resort too, if you want that. The route there is an easy downhill walk from the resort to the beach.

The nude beach is composed of rounded beach rocks so shoes are pretty much mandatory, unless you have exceptionally strong feet. The snorkeling is very good in the incredibly clear water but the sea-life is typical Mediterranean - meaning that you won't see much sea life. The water tends to be very cold too but a lot of people can snorkel or swim for an hour without any problems. We didn't go in the water very often because it was too cold for our Caribbean tastes!

We met one couple who had been to Club Orient on Orient Beach, St. Martin in March 2012 and we compared notes of course. Club Orient has to be the standard when comparing nudist resorts. In our opinion, Vritomartis is a very nice resort with a great nudist beach and pool. But the beach is rocky and doesn't have the great sand that ClubO has. Other than that, this resort is highly recommended.

Most guests stay at the resort with breakfast and dinner included in the price (this is called half-board). Lunches can be purchased at the resort snack bars or in the nearby town of Sfakia that is 1.25 miles away.

There are about a dozen very nice places to eat in Sfakia, all along the small harbor. Sfakia is a very small remote village that is used by boats who ferry tourists to the other beaches along the coast. There are no ferry boats that go to the Vritomartis beach.

The guests at Vritomartis are a nice cross-section of European nationalities with ages from about 30 to 70. English is used at the resort as the common language, with Greek the first language of course.

Breakfast is good with an assortment of things to fill you up. Dinner is outside on the terrace with a buffet selection of foods to choose from. No, this isn't Grand Case dining but the food is good and there are a variety of things to eat. The menu changes every day too.

The weather at the resort is the same every day. The sky is a cloudless deep blue color with a light breeze. There are no clouds at the resort, at least in June. None. This part of Crete is very arid and stark with huge gorges that bisect the landscape. The temperature was in the high 80's to low 90's when we were there. There are no mosquitos because of the arid climate.

The big gorges that bisect the south coast of Crete provide an opportunity for some interesting hikes. The resort provides tours to the more popular gorges, hikes along the coast and visits to selected beaches. The area around Sfakia was a historic WWII battle ground as well.

If you are looking for a true nudist resort with a great nude beach, spectacular scenery and a very relaxed atmosphere then Vritomartis is an excellent choice.
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