Naturism in Greece: laws and customs

At a glance

What the law says

Law 1399 of 1983 allows "holiday centres for nudists": hotels, campsites and other places with a special licence from the national tourism organisation (EOT). The licence lasts two years and requires, among other things, that the place be secluded, with a fence or signs. Inside these centres and on the beach in front of them, being naked is not an offence (art. 5). The centres are mostly used by members of nudist associations, but also by other people who follow their rules (ΦΕΚ Α' 145/1983).

Outside them, article 353 of the Criminal Code applies, "offence against sexual decency". It punishes anyone who "seriously and knowingly" offends another person's decency with an act of a sexual nature performed in front of them: a monetary penalty or community service, and proceedings are brought only if someone files a complaint. In front of a minor under 15, the penalty goes up to 3 years in prison (ΦΕΚ Α' 215/2021).

So the text requires an act "of a sexual nature", but in practice nudity outside the centres is sometimes reported under this article. In 2025 the Anafi police even spoke of "up to two years in prison" for anyone naked outside the authorised places (ProtoThema): that figure does not match the law in force, which for adults provides only for a monetary penalty or community service.

Where you can be naked

• Licensed nudist centres and the beach in front of them: these are the only places where nudity is legal in the strict sense.
• Naturist stays: you can find them in the list of naturist places in Greece. Whether a place has an EOT licence is best asked directly.

Tolerated beaches and bans

No rule states which public beaches are for nudists. There are, however, many traditional nudist beaches, especially on the islands, and according to ProtoThema article 353 "is rarely applied on well-known nudist beaches" (ProtoThema, 2025). On Gavdos, for example, Agios Ioannis and Tripiti are known as nudist beaches.

Some municipalities, though, have responded:

• on Gavdos (Crete), since 2023 the municipal council has put up signs banning nudism on Sarakiniko beach, where there are houses and almost all of the island's shops (TheTOC, 2023). A Greek researcher working in Berlin, reported by the mayor for a naked swim there in 2023 while waiting for the bus to Agios Ioannis, is on trial in Chania; in October 2026 the hearing was postponed to 2027 (Patris, 2026);
• on Anafi, in 2025 the mayor complained of conflicts with clothed bathers and protests from families (ProtoThema).

On what legal basis a municipality can ban nudity on a beach is not clear.

Topless, towns and saunas

• Topless: according to the Kaouni law firm, topless on a beach that is not in front of a nudist centre can be treated as an offence under article 353, and it is sometimes reported to the police or the coast guard. The firm considers this reading unconstitutional, because it only targets women (Kaouni law firm, 2024).
• Towns and saunas: our research found no specific sources.

The local mood

Greece is an Orthodox and fairly traditional country: for one Greek in three, religion is "very important" (Pew Research Center). On the islands, though, a long tradition of naked bathing survives, tolerated on secluded, well-known beaches. When nudists come close to homes, shops and families, some municipalities respond with bans and complaints.

We found no surveys on nudity. Some Greeks describe nudist beaches as peaceful; on other secluded beaches, though, people now fear ending up on social media because of phones, and only undress when they are alone (r/AskGreece, 2026). In licensed places, no problem; elsewhere, discretion and traditional beaches.

Naturist associations

In the list of INF-FNI, the international federation, Greece appears only as a "correspondent".

LGBTQ+ travellers

No legal risk: same-sex relations have been legal since 1951, and since 2024 there has been marriage equality, with joint adoption (ILGA World).