Sun Beds

[Mark12345]

Hi There , and hello to all the people who love Plakias as I do. As a regular visitor to plakias virtually every year for the last 10/12 years. Last year was a chore. I like many others like to use the nudist part of the beach up past Palegremnos. But because of new laws put in place by the new local government . The price of sun beds on the beach went up . So half the sun beds that where usually there disappeared . The only way to get a bed on the beach was to get down there at 7.30 am and reserve a bed with a towel. This became a chore. So does any one know if things have changed this year 2012 ? Have more Sunbeds been put on the beach ? 
Thanks Mark and Liz ( Swimming Teacher to Maurice)

[boxerlover]

Hi Mark

I am afraid that it is the same situation as last year, with the same number of sunbeds and parasols.
It was fine in May/June when we were there as Plakias was relatively quiet and therefore enough sunbeds for everyone.

We were there last September, and know exactly what you mean. We were on the beach for 7.30am otherwise all the beds had gone. In fact some mornings we arrived before the sun rose. We were moonbathing!!!!

I reckon it is going to be the same again this September as it is the high season.

It will not put us off though and we are counting the days till we arrive on the 28th August for four wonderful weeks.

John   

[ann5]

Hi There , and hello to all the people who love Plakias as I do. As a regular visitor to plakias virtually every year for the last 10/12 years. Last year was a chore. I like many others like to use the nudist part of the beach up past Palegremnos. But because of new laws put in place by the new local government . The price of sun beds on the beach went up . So half the sun beds that where usually there disappeared . The only way to get a bed on the beach was to get down there at 7.30 am and reserve a bed with a towel. This became a chore. So does any one know if things have changed this year 2012 ? Have more Sunbeds been put on the beach ? 
Thanks Mark and Liz ( Swimming Teacher to Maurice)

 Hi Mark and Liz
We were there a just over a week ago ..I counted 36 sunbeds in the main part with a few more by the trees..
We arrived on the beach by 10.30 most days and there were beds available ...having said this it was windy for most of the 2 weeks so maybe others had travelled to the nearby beaches instead.People came and went during the day freeing up beds .

We ve been to Plakias often in September and didnt enjoy having to "rush" to get a bed..

The non nudist section remained almost empty on most days because of the wind ....Good job the naturists  are dedicated ... they always  keep the sunbed  rent coming in for  that part of the beach !

Enjoy your hols

Ann

[Mark12345]

Oh Dear Oh Dear Oh Dear. Thought that might happen. Georgo in Palegremnos said he and his family were going to make sure there where more beds this year. But doesn't look like there will be. I dont feel like getting up at 6am to get to the beach just to make sure i have a bed. Many Norwegians (nothing against Norwegians-lovely people) arrived on the beach last year and we regular Brits got pushed out . I love Plakias as Bille says in her post it's like going home ! Its not like another holiday but I'm wondering now whether to look for something else this year . Could be that they have cooked the Goose (and those of you that go to plakias a lot will know what I mean ! I think there is only one left ! ) No wonder the Greek Economy is dire straights ! Keep the simple things simple !  Look after the people who bring you money year after year !
If anyone has any more news please post it as soon as possible . Many Thanks. Mark

[Bertie]

Mark
I know I shouldn't say this the Pakias Forum (I love Plakias just as much as you do) but if you do want to look for somewhere else, try Paliochora. The nude "end" of the sandy beach there is just as good as Plakias and there are always plenty of sun beds with friendly attendants who keep the beach clean daily.
Also, it's a lovely little town with all the amenities. It's only problem is it's position; you really need to fly to Chania.
I've just spent a fabulous week there and would have gone on to Plakias but family problems prevented me staying away.
If the locals don't get it then maybe, we should "vote with our feet"- (bare ones).

[bwian]

Leaving towels on sun beds to "book them"? I thought all that had died out in the 1980s!! That's very irritating for those of us staying at the far end of Plakias from the beach who can hardly do the half hour walk in each direction to try to beat the lounger-towellers!

bwian 

[Mark12345]

Hello again peps. Thanks very much for posting replies. I have today booked my flight to Chania/Souda. Had to be quick . Prices where going up and up before my very eyes. I tried every trick in the book to get cheaper flights from Manchester on the 28th August but without success.Flights to Heraklion went up £ 60 with Monarch in a matter of an hour !
So I've booked to go back to ........... Plakias ".......... Couldn't stay away ! I did look into going to Palehora I was very close to booking it until I saw on some webcams that it was even more windy than Plakias !
If there is trouble with the beds well I'll just have to get up when the cock crows ! AGAIN ! Ha lol
See you all in plakias on the 28th August

[Arnaki]

We were in Plakias from 10-24 July and found the whole place much quieter than expected - we normally go for the last two weeks in August.  The far end was pretty quiet most of the time, with sun beds available if you needed them.  As "freelance" sunbathers (we tend to go down early or late for a fairly short time and just put our towels down on the beach) I am quite glad that there weren't many sunbeds out, as it is annoying to see rows and rows of empty sunbeds.  However I can understand that you wouldn't want to be rushing to claim a sunbed.

However, I would like to stick up for the two guys working on the beach and the sunbeds at the far end, as they were working really hard to keep the place clean no matter what time we were there, raking the sand for cigarette butts and other detritus left by inconsiderate humans, watering the dunes to help the grasses to grow and even watering the sand to reduce the sand-blasting on windy days (it didn't work as the wind kept changing direction).  One morning a couple of horse riders came down and one of the men stopped them - my Greek was not up to understanding much of what was said, but the gist was "Don't ride on our beach".  One of the horses answered a call of nature, and after some discussion and arm waving one of the riders got off and simply kicked a hole in the sand at the water's edge and kicked the poo into it and covered it with sand, and rode off.  I don't suppose horse riders carry a pooper-scooper.  The two men to their credit dug it out and cleared it away, avoiding a nasty mess for people walking along the water's edge in their bare feet.

So I say three cheers to the people who work to clear up other people's mess and keep the beach clean, even if they do not supply enough sunbeds for some people's liking.  We're going back for a week on 28 August, and I bet it will be wall to wall sunbeds at the far end!

Arnaki

[Mike from Sussex]

So I say three cheers to the people who work to clear up other people's mess and keep the beach clean, even if they do not supply enough sunbeds for some people's liking.  We're going back for a week on 28 August, and I bet it will be wall to wall sunbeds at the far end!

Arnaki

The problem with the lack of sunbeds does not lie with the providers, but with the licensing. Last year the number of sunbeds licenced at the far end had been significantly reduced from previously, but also those actually provided were crammed together. The man collecting the money, who had paid for the license, told me that this was all in accordance with the licence and when he had spread the beds out a bit due to customer comments, he had been threatened with a large fine, so moved them back again.

As I said in another thread, you would not expect the authorities to be trying to drive tourists away when the Greek economic situation is so dire.

Mike

[Rogataber]

We have been to Plakias over many (>30 years) but are unlikely to go again due to the new attitude to facilities on the far-end!

Roger

[John Gloucester]

Having read the various postings this year regarding the sun beds at the far end, I contacted a friend who visited Plakias earlier this year he has confirmed the number of beds at the far end is the same as last year however they are well spaced out. My wife and I first visited Plakias in 1995 and have been once and sometimes twice every year since, we are returning again in September this year but are coming to the same conclusion expressed by others on the forum, that it is time to seek a new destination for our September/October all over top up of sun.

I make this plea to any business people in Plakias who read this Forum. SORT OUT THE PEOPLE IN POWER WHO HAVE DECREED THAT PLAKIAS IS NOT ALLOWED TO SUPPLY THE QUANTITY OF SUN BEDS REQUIRED TO KEEP IT'S FAR END NATURIST VISITORS HAPPY AND RETURNING YEAR AFTER YEAR and get them to do it before September this year. Or Plakias may find many of us visit towards the end of the season do not return to Plakias in 2013 and beyond. We want to spend our money in Plakias don't send us and our money elsewhere by taking away what brought us back year after year!!!

[Robin Young]

What about the legality of the situation?

[ann5]

We agree with you ..surely its upto the local people to keep Plakias attractive to all its visitors.There are several sunbed sections but it cant be a coincidence that its the naturist end thats the best supported.  I would say its upto the local businesses ,in particular the Paligremnos  to point this out to the powers that be ......we as a couple along with many  others have spent many euros at their resturant at lunchtime ,at the beach bar later  and on renting their far end sunbeds.We have  also visited  similar but not as good beaches in Skiathos,Rhodes and Gran Canaria etc  with many sunbeds to hire . Whilst we adore Plakias have a  feeling "they" are trying to push naturists out ....   
  [quote author=John Gloucester
Having read the various postings this year regarding the sun beds at the far end, I contacted a friend who visited Plakias earlier this year he has confirmed the number of beds at the far end is the same as last year however they are well spaced out. My wife and I first visited Plakias in 1995 and have been once and sometimes twice every year since, we are returning again in September this year but are coming to the same conclusion expressed by others on the forum, that it is time to seek a new destination for our September/October all over top up of sun.

I make this plea to any business people in Plakias who read this Forum. SORT OUT THE PEOPLE IN POWER WHO HAVE DECREED THAT PLAKIAS IS NOT ALLOWED TO SUPPLY THE QUANTITY OF SUN BEDS REQUIRED TO KEEP IT'S FAR END NATURIST VISITORS HAPPY AND RETURNING YEAR AFTER YEAR and get them to do it before September this year. Or Plakias may find many of us visit towards the end of the season do not return to Plakias in 2013 and beyond. We want to spend our money in Plakias don't send us and our money elsewhere by taking away what brought us back year after year!!!


[/quote]

[Mike from Sussex]

We agree with you ..surely its upto the local people to keep Plakias attractive to all its visitors.There are several sunbed sections but it cant be a coincidence that its the naturist end thats the best supported.  I would say its upto the local businesses ,in particular the Paligremnos  to point this out to the powers that be ......we as a couple along with many  others have spent many euros at their resturant at lunchtime ,at the beach bar later  and on renting their far end sunbeds.We have  also visited  similar but not as good beaches in Skiathos,Rhodes and Gran Canaria etc  with many sunbeds to hire . Whilst we adore Plakias have a  feeling "they" are trying to push naturists out ....   
 

I understand your sentiments, but must point out that the folks at the Paligremnos do not run the sun beds at the far end. The local authority sell licences to operate sun beds on a season by season basis. The reason Fredi stopped servicing the far end is that the price of a licence was increased and the man who employed Fredi decided not to renew and sold the beds to the next licensee. The new man told me that he could not make a return on his costs if he employed anyone, so did everything himself, leaving Fredi looking for opportunities as a waiter.

Mike

[Mike G]

It is sad to read that several Plakias regulars are thinking of not returning owing to the far end sunbed situation. It is clear from posts I have read (plus my own experience in May) that Plakias is having a quiet season anyway and could do with a boost.

There is a limit to the number of beds that the far end can cope with as those many visitors who don't want to use them have to be accommodated as well. However, a few more could easily be fitted in.

Let us hope common sense prevails before too many join the exodus.

Mike