Americans call a hotel where clothing is not worn in outdoor areas “a nudist resort,” but Greeks prefer the name “naturist.” This term means the hotel is a properly licensed resort where guests observe the rules of “naturism” in all outdoor areas by the pool and the beach, from sundown to sunset. And…the only naturist resort in Crete happens to be just one kilometer from the most traditional of all Greek mountain villages—Chora Sfakion, known for its deep respect of Cretan traditions.
From the day Vritomartis opened in 1989 until today, the hotel owners and its guests and the hotel and tavern owners and their guests in Chora Sfakion remain the friendliest of neighbors. A 20-person van comes four times daily to the square in Chora Sfakion to take guests to and fro.
Chora Sfakion is in one of the most remote areas of Crete; its setting is spectacular and was first described by author Xan Fielding as the area “where the mountains meet the sea.” Surrounded by the White Mountains,
Chora Sfakion’s land is lapped by the beautiful Libyan Sea. To give you some perspective of its remoteness, it is 155 kilometers from Heraklion and eight kilometers from Rethymnon and is reached by traveling over steep, hair splitting, and very narrow mountain roads.
Vritomartis is a large resort in a beautiful setting surrounded by a rugged plateau of mountains rising over 2,000 meters to the North, and resting on a wild coastline. Taking its name from a ancient, Minoan goddess worshiped in the area, the resort has eighty-five beautifully appointed rooms, of which forty-two are located on two floors in the main building and forty-three in nine separate bungalows. All have air conditioning, telephone, television Wi-Fi access, a mini fridge, radio, and hair dryer.
There is a twenty-five meter swimming pool, and a children’s pool and small playground set in a garden with sea and mountain views. Around the pool are sunbeds, umbrellas, showers, and plenty of shade, as well as a pool bar that serves a wide variety of beverages and snacks.
Beautiful, quiet beaches, including Filaki beach, are within easy walking distance of the hotel area and you will find a snack bar, umbrellas, and sunbeds there. The beach has unusual cliffs and cave formations which provide shade and a small shuttle bus goes back and forth between the hotel and the beach.
Some guests want to do nothing more than relax in the peace and quiet of the hotel and its grounds, while others choose to participate in some activities, such as garden chess, tennis, volleyball, table tennis, and bocce. Once every two weeks local musicians and dancers perform for “Cretan Dance Night” outdoors on the bar veranda, and there is music and dancing three nights a week.
For guests who want to explore areas of southern Crete, the hotel offers excursions to the island of Gavdos, the southernmost point in Europe; boat trips to Agios Pavlos, Agia Roumeli, and Fournoti, and day trips to Frangokastello and the palm forest of Preveli. There are weekly walks of the spectacular Aradena Gorge, guided walks through the picturesque villages of Agios Ioannis, Aradena, and Anopolis, and a weekly walk through the nearby Imbros Gorge, which is a lot less challenging than the Aradena Gorge.
TELOS
Published in The National Herald, July 2014 with thanks to Wolfgang Kistler for the first photo
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