Vigla Natura

Exclusive Naturist Holidays

Vassaliki opens for summer 2019

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Well that is it for our set up time, after 29 days, 7 staff, 5 amazing volunteers and a few work men we are now ready to open the gates to Vassaliki 2019.

It has taken a lot of love, sweat and cups of coffee & tea to get the resort ready this year (we have even gone through a few bottles of wine, a barrel of beer and three bottles of whisky!) but I hope you will think it was worth all the hard work.

Many new things this year, new thermostatic showers, new gazebos around the pool to replace the umbrellas (we had issues with the umbrellas when the wind picked up) and a few new members of staff joining the team for you to meet.

Well let the summer begin!!

Avithos Beach 2019

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Well the summer season is about to burst into action in the next few days so I have just taken a few hours away from Vassaliki to have a quick look at our local naturist beach.

Avithos has been a popular beach with both our guests and other naturists on the island. The beach has two taverna’s and a beach bar (not naturist) with a large number of sun loungers and umbrellas. My visit on 28th April one of the taverna’s looked like it was just about to open in the next few days for the summer and the beach bar is well on the way to opening in a few days time.

The naturist beaches at both ends of this long beach are both looking stunning. Both are easy to walk to along the sand and both have a good amount of sand with more just inside the water line which I expect will come up on the beach in time.

Both beaches had only a few people on when I had my short visit but I think once again this beach will be as popular as ever with our guests.

This beach is a short 10 minute drive from Vassaliki.

Vassaliki Reunion 2020

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Our bi-yearly reunion weekend has now been launched and will be held on 24th to 26th January 2020 at the Milford Hall Hotel and Spa in Salisbury.

Why not come and join us for a fabulous weekend away to meet up with your Vassaliki friends and catch up to reminisce memories from your holidays.

The weekend package includes two nights accommodation which includes breakfast, use of the thermal lounge with sauna, steam room and vitality pool which is naturist throughout Saturday exclusively for our Vassaliki guests.

Friday night meal with light entertainment and welcome drink with the Vassaliki team.

And the highlight of the weekend is the famous Saturday night black tie gala dinner with a full range of live entertainment – a great chance to dress to impress!

All this for a price of £249 per person.

This event is exclusively for guests who have been to Vassaliki or Vasnat only.

You need to book now as rooms are limited

 

How does naturism fit into a small island community!

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What makes a resort like Vassaliki work?

Well the answer is to surround yourself with a great group of local suppliers. These people work all the hours during the busy summer season making sure companies like ours have all the supplies and services we need. They are the unsung heroes of Vassaliki and this article is a small introduction to some of these people. 

First we need a resort and we are lucky to have been working with a fantastic Greek family for the last 12 years. Lambros and his wife Kiki make sure at the start of every summer that Vassaliki is set ready for us to operate.  This includes yearly repairs and maintenance. We have a great working relationship with these guys and we are always discussing how we continue to maintain and improve the resort for both them and us. 

When you arrive in Kefalonia you need to get from the airport to the resort. We have been working now for the last three summers with Evangelia our taxi driver who lives only a stones throw from Vassaliki and she is always ready to help collect and deliver our guests to anywhere around the island with a big smile. Alternatively our guests may need a car. We have been working with Mercury car hire since we opened the resort back in 2007. They have been amazing, stepping up to even resolve issues with other car hire firms. We really appreciate the fast and efficient service they offer us and their generosity. 

So now you are here, you want a clean room to move into and Sam (Tinkerbell) and her mum Sheila have been a major part of our team for two years now.  But they cannot do their job without two major suppliers. First is of course our laundry service, Ionio Laundry have been cleaning our sheets and towels now for about 10 years at their state of the art laundry factory. This really is an amazing place, run mainly by solar, the owners are always looking for new ways to make their facility more eco friendly. The quality of the work they do is amazing, making it easy for our staff to turn rooms around quickly. 

Our cleaning team also requires a lot of cleaning chemicals, cloths, mops etc and our suppliers in Argostoli offers a full range of equipment and chemicals as well as a continuous stock of good old fashioned toilet roll. This little family business also provides us with many of our kitchen supplies such as plates, glasses (we go through quite a few) and the all important coffee! 

We seem to have moved onto drinks which we notice is very important to our guests! Our drinks supplier has been working with us since we opened in 2007. This family run business supplies all our beer (very important), soft drinks and water. Yaya (grandma) is always there to meet you with her infectious smile, whilst her daughter manages the paperwork and orders at her desk, as well as keeping control of all the boys in the warehouse.

Our other main food and drink suppliers are great characters and this team of brothers provides all our spirits, wine and basic ingredients for the kitchen. Kostis and Yianni run a tight ship and have everything we need to keep our fridges full with all the dry stock, dairy and cold meats. They are also very enterprising ensuring they bring the latest fashionable and popular goods to the island for businesses like us.

You cannot visit a Greek island without eating fish. Our fish market has an amazing selection of fish on offer, always fresh, always beautifully presented. Our fish nights at Vassaliki have become a must try evening thanks to this company’s efforts to supply the best fresh fish on the island. 

Two suppliers who I seem to visit every day are our veg market & butcher, luckily they are both situated only a short way from Vassaliki.  We rely on the team at the fruit and veg market to give us fresh produce throughout the summer.  This is no mean feat as working in the heat trying to keep the produce fresh is a constant battle. We hand pick all our own ingredients to make sure we get the very best for our guests.

The team at the meat market here run a very clean and efficient business. The meat is some of the best, I as a chef, has ever had the pleasure working with. Those of you who have had a fillet steak at the resort will agree I am sure.

Those of you who have visited Vassaliki will know we have a very small kitchen so making all the desserts and cakes is not always possible so we work alongside a young pastry chef and his father who make all our desserts. We have even introduced some english classics to their range, working with them to increases the range of products they sell.

If you have ever been to Vassaliki you would have most likely been to Marina’s Market in the local village. Marina and her family are so supportive of our business and not only do they offer our guests a market to purchase food and drink from but they collect our post, supply us our bread, deliver our welcome hampers and translate documents for us!  All this as well as running a beautiful cafe and bar for us to drink at. They are our pillar of support.

Another regular to our resort is Christine our masseuse, she has been working with us now for several years and is a ray of sunshine when she arrives with her infectious laugh. She offers an amazing range of massage and beauty treatments to our guests

We do this business as a living, so we need to make money and Maria is our accountant in Kefalonia. Not only does she do all our books and submit all our accounts to the correct offices.  She also makes sure we have all our licences and paperwork in order so we can run the resort and trust me there’s a lot of paperwork and blue stamps to collect!

So how does having a naturist resort set up on a small island affect the local people? Of course we pay all our suppliers for their products and services, so this is how we support the local islanders. We have always tried to make sure we offer as much work to the locals and this summer our new team members Angeliki & Kerry are Kefalonia based. 

So having a naturist resort in the local area is always going to be a positive thing! 

Only Three rooms left on “Buy One get One free” May Deal

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We have three rooms left on our special discount deal for May

Bookings made before 28th February 2019.(Just extended for an extra month)

If you book for a stay with us between 30th April and 22nd May 2019 for minimum of 14 nights we will give you a massive 50% off our rates.

Hurry… this is a limited offer and we only have only three rooms available!

Call Samantha now to book this deal on 0044 (0) 20 81442166 or email viglanatura@gmail.com

Mark and Samantha look forward to welcoming you to Vassaliki in Greece

Vassaliki in the Latest UIT Magazine

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Thank you to our Guests Nick and Marian for your review of Vassaliki which has been published in the latest UIT magazine

 

English translation below –

“Dear editing,

We found our perfect dream spot on the isle of Kefalonia at the “Vassaliki Naturist Club“.

It is a small sized apartment complex when where you arrived are overwhelmed with hospitality.

The food taste great the wine is superb and the complex is maintained spotless!.

The room are simple , very tidy and clean.

On appointment you can book massage in open air under a great tent with mosquito net where you feel totally relaxed and happy.

When you want to escape from the “fast and stressed life” then is Vassaliki Naturist Club THE ultimate choice to make !!!

During our stay we enjoyed every minute from the relaxed ambiance en entourage the beautiful island and at last but not least the perfect care for from the team :

Mark, Samantha,Sheryl,Simon,Nicky and the “chef the cuisine” Nick

Kindly regards 

Nick and Marian”

End of Summer 2018

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Well that’s it for another season at Vassaliki and what a great summer we had. The resort once again was busy, an amazing 86% of our rooms were sold throughout the summer. Our target is 75% so we are very pleased with this achievement. Next years rooms are now on sale and we have been inundated with return bookings.  So at the time of writing this newsletter, just under 50% of our rooms are tentatively booked for next summer so if you are planning a trip to us in 2019 then you will need to get something pencilled in soon.

We sadly say good bye to Colin and Alex at the end of this summer after working for two consecutive seasons. We really loved having them both on board with their energy and enthusiasm to the resort and we thank them for their hard work.

All the flights for the forthcoming summer are now launched, we are waiting for Kefalonia airport to update the flight lists for 2019 and we will send you these details as soon as we have them. 

We have two articles in this newsletter for you. One by an amazing girl from Chicago, USA, who came to Vassaliki to do some voluntary work for us.

Secondly, as we get asked a lot at the resort about Simon and Sheryle and what they are up to, so we feature an update from them. 

We hope you enjoy the news and we look forward to seeing you soon.

New team members

We are now looking for new team members to join us in Kefalonia for the 2019 season. Details of all the jobs are available on our website at http://www.viglanatura.com/jobs So if you or someone you know is looking for a great way to spend next summer and are willing to work hard, get in touch.  

Early bird discounts

Well as the weather is now feeling very wet and cold we have decided to give you a special discount for bookings made before 31st January 2019. If you book for a stay with us between 1st May and 22nd May 2019 for minimum of 14 nights we will give you a massive 50% off our rates.

Hurry… this is a limited offer and we have only a limited number of rooms still available!

Check Availability

 

What happened to Simon and Sheryle?

Thanks to so many of you returning to Vassiliki and asking what we are doing now that we have retired. Samantha and Mark thought it would be nice if we told you ourselves. 

After two years hard labour we have now accomplished the major part of what we set out to do, although we still have a ”to do” list. Many of you will be aware that for four years we spent our winters in Spain, having bought a house 20 km west of Valencia City and then our summers at Vassiliki.

We then retired officially from Vassaliki and we have since spent two incredibly enjoyable summers in Spain. The Spanish certainly know how to party and we have joined in wholeheartedly, embracing early mornings, essential siestas and late nights.

Our house sits amid orange groves and is about 10 minutes by car from the metro line that takes you into the very heart of the vibrant, friendly, historical gem that is the city of Valencia. 

Before we started the project the house was a small, two bed casita with a garage space and workshop underneath. Simon could see my eyes shining with possibilities when we bought it. During our first year of retirement we created a spacious 2 bedroom self-contained apartment complete with large wood burner for cosy evenings in the winter and quirky object d’art that we have collected over the years. Even a bit of Kefalonian driftwood has been utilised to make a central, hanging lamp!

During our second year of rest and relaxation, our project was to create a private garden and covered terrace attached to the apartment. So, faced with a 15m x 30m patch of soil (and rock solid soil at that!), Simon designed his dream garden complete with 3 patios, upper terrace, fire pit and flowing water stream. However we had to employ a builder to build the pool and upper terrace. He is a Dutch biker which made for a lot of fun.

We started creating levels by digging a fire pit on the left side and raising the right-hand side with the soil we dug out by hand with the aid of a kango hammer, shovel and pick. We then created retaining walls… but straight walls would not do, ours had to be curved with rounded tops. At this stage Simon became very proficient at rendering and swearing! We added steps and seating around the fire pit as well as lighting and cabling for the outside cinema that he forgot to mention in his grand plan. 

Okay… now for the hard work. With the help of my trusty concrete mixer and barrow I made 33 tons of concrete which Simon laid with reinforcing. We were up at 6 in the morning because by 11am it was too hot to work. 

We returned for the final push. Painting, decorating, planting and cleaning, until, almost before the paint was dry, we welcomed our first naturist guests who we met at Vassiliki. So they became our first guinea pigs!

We collected them at the airport, wined and dined them for five days, the sun shone – always a plus – and when it didn’t they visited the stunning and diverse city of Valencia. At the end of their stay we drove with them to a naturist resort nearer to Alicante, where we left them to complete their holiday. 

And so to retirement – well, if we ever have time…..

Written by Sheryle 

If you would like to visit Simon and Sheryle in Valencia, they are welcoming past guests from Vassaliki to enjoy a stay in their beautiful apartment and pool. BOOK NOW, by emailing or calling Simon lasco@btinternet.com +34 642 134 620 .  Or drop Samantha an email and we will be happy to forward it on to them for you.

Maggie – the new naturist!

Back in January 2018, Samantha and I decided we needed some extra help for the month of May at our resort in Kefalonia. We fell upon a website workaway.com which connects hosts and volunteers together. We placed an opportunity on the website and to our surprise we were inundated with enquiries. We managed to get all the enquiries down to three possible candidates. After talking to all three, we decided that Maggie was the right person for the position.

We have never had volunteers before but the basic idea is the volunteers help around the resort with a variety of jobs in return for accommodation, food, drinks and most importantly, new experiences. 

We were very unsure how Maggie was going to fit into our very tight and efficient team, but our trepidation was unnecessary, Maggie was an absolute joy from the minute she arrived to the minute she left.  We laughed the whole time she was here, she has an infectious personality that both the guests and staff loved. She has a passion for people, animals and food and was open to trying anything new. 

So is this a good way to introduce new, young people to naturism? Well I think it worked for us and we really hope we get to see Maggie again. Here is what she thought of her time with us and also some of her other travels.

Naked truth -Baring it all

I have always struggled with self acceptance and self love. Growing up with ridicule by family members, class mates and strangers it was a perpetual cycle that formed how I created relationships and ultimately ended up in an abusive relationship.

After a few jobs of just being an employee who was replaceable, I took a deep look into what I was settling for and knew I wasn’t genuinely and whole heartedly happy.

Fast forward two and a half years later, 28 countries and a life filled with love, laughter, curiosity and happiness. I am now 28 years old and unapologetically myself.

On Christmas Day I went to the movie theatre and watched The Greatest Showman. It forever changed my life. I had a plan to move to New Zealand in 2018 but something was telling me to do something else. I went with my gut and didn’t move. Throughout the film there were happy and sad tears. Due to the movie plot itself and then my internal dilemmas of giving into pressure of a relationship and career. The movie struck a chord with me and that day I wrote down all my goals for 2018. Be my true, odd self, love those close to me and those who need it most, but also remember to give myself just as much love.

I’ve only worked with kids and decided it’s time for a change. With that said, I signed up for a site called Workaway which is a volunteer website that offers anything and everything. Whether it be farming, education, surf camp or something as daring as volunteering at a naturist resort.

I knew I wanted to be out of my comfort zone and learn as much as I can about the world. Less than two months later I was in the Arctic Circle in Finland. I got a position as a dog handler with Siberian huskies through a dog sledding business. I have had no experience with dogs except for my deep love for the animals, but luckily I was chosen as a volunteer.

Guests from all over the world would visit and get a lesson on how to brake and drive the sled. Some looked petrified as they were about to head off. But once done with the route, their faces said it all, full of energy, excitement and adrenaline.

Continuing on my path of new adventures was onto Greece. I had visited Greece before and realised how special this country was. Between the food, people, music and scenery, I wasn’t sure what was my favourite. I just knew I had to go back. 

I got the opportunity to volunteer at a naturist resort in Kefalonia. I’ve gone nude at a few beaches trying to learn to be more comfortable in my own skin. It was a freeing experience. But I never worked with guests in the setting. 

This was a massive step for me. Going from eating disorders, hating my body to now being vulnerable and free. This was the moment I’ve been looking forward to and it was finally here. 

I arrived before the season started which was really lucky. I got comfortable with being nude by myself, with co-workers and then lastly with guests. Before I knew it, I was gardening and cleaning the pool nude. Surprisingly enough, I preferred being nude. I was becoming more comfortable with myself.

I didn’t know what to expect when doing something so different. But with Mark, Samantha, Colin, Alex as well as guests, it was an extremely open, respectful and safe environment. Such a lovely group of people all shapes and sizes, leading different lives but all having something in common. This experience has changed my life and I never would have guessed that I’d not only come to terms with accepting my body but I’d grow to love it.

I wish everyone can experience this opportunity because we are all so much more than just our physical bodies.

Since writing this Maggie has travelled to Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus and even looked after goats in Montenegro.

So all that is left is to wish you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Keep warm as the weather turns cold and don’t forget to book a summer holiday to look forward to!

Nude Seasons Greetings xxx

Last chance for some summer sun!

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Beach from Boat Trip

We are now coming to the end of the summer 2018 here in Kefalonia. The resort is still fully booked until the 2nd of October when we then have a few rooms come available at our discounted period.

I have done some research and flights with EasyJet from Gatwick start at £29.00 per person on Saturday 6th of October with a return flight on Saturday 13th October for £159.00. We are offering our rooms from only 80 euro a night, That’s an amazing deal of just over £1000 for a weeks holiday for two people.

(Flights with EasyJet are similar priced from Manchester.)

Come and enjoy the last of the sun and book now.

Check Availability

To be or not to be…….Naked!

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This is a great blog from a regular blogger on Kefalonia. They run our naturist boat trips on board the Lady O for us. This blog has been taken down from other facebook pages for whatever reason so we hope you can read it and enjoy it here. Mark and Samantha 

To be or not to be…….Naked!

Even though there are no official naturist beaches in Kefalonia, it’s not unusual even in the peak of the summer season to see the odd naked person on various beaches on the island.

Now whether you are prepared to bare all or not, you have to admit there are some obvious advantages!

No tan lines, no having to wait for your soggy shorts to dry, no sand stuck up your bum or ladies having to squeeze out the water from their bikini tops!
And just think of all that Vitamin D you’d get!

But when asking the question ‘To be or not to be naked’ there is a mixed response.

Some people squirm at the idea and say ‘I couldn’t think of anything worse than bearing all!’

Some find it offensive.

Others are not bothered about seeing a naked person on the beach but have no desire to try it themselves.
Sadly, for many what is stopping them is their body image/self-perception. A fear of being looked at with a critical eye for the extra rolls of fat around their waste, or that scary scar or droopy boobs. And it’s not just women who have insecurities!

A few will admit they’ve secretly skinny dipped at some point in their lifetime.Even fewer will confess they have gone naked in some remote part of the world where there was ‘absolutely’ no chance they would bump into anyone they knew!

But then you speak to a naturist. 

They will say it’s the most wonderful feeling; to feel the sun and breeze all over your body, to feel free, to not have to worry about what to wear, to feel liberated.

They say once you’ve tried it you’ll never want to wear swimwear again!

Now although the Greeks practically invented nudism, it’s not really their cup of tea!
Even though Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands, it is still a small island with a very tight community, where everyone knows each other.

So with the exception of a few, it’s not what Kefalonian’s do!

Despite that……there happens to be a wonderful naturist paradise nestled amongst the splendour of traditional Kefalonia.

Vassaliki Naturist Resort

Samantha and Mark Taylor first opened their doors in 2007 in the village of Klismata. Shall we say at first the locals were concerned when they heard some naked people had moved into town, and they were met with some resistance! However they worked hard to make friends, spoke openly about naturism and slowly they were accepted into the community.

That was the early days. Now they are practically Greek! Not only have they been accepted into the community, they have become pillars of the community.

The resort itself is stunning, with beautiful rooms, spotlessly clean pool, jacuzzi and bar/restaurant area. Samantha and Mark have created a haven of tranquility, but they also provide their guests with a variety of excursions and activities.

We are very proud that they chose the Lady O to host their naturist cruises.

Kefalonia Cruise have been providing their guests with naturist cruises since 2014.

Samantha & Mark Taylor

Samantha & Mark and all their guests are always a pleasure to have on board.
Within minutes of them taking their clothes off to the song ‘You can leave your hat on’ by Joe Cocker (their official Lady O announcement that we have left the harbor!), any awkwardness of nakedness quickly disappears and is forgotten.

People of all ages, shapes, sizes and nationalities all enjoying a day out together……..naked!

But Samantha and Mark understand that some people may be nervous about being naked especially with other people and so they offer Trial Day Visits. It’s a great opportunity to visit the resort, have a spot of lunch, have a beer or a cocktail, talk to guests, absorb the atmosphere and alleviate any worries you may have.

So, ‘To be, or not to be naked?’ That is the question!

………Let’s Cruise Together Naked! 😉


Written by Eleni Nicolaou

Vigla Natura

Vigla Natura

Vigla Natura Ltd

5 Acacia Avenue
Verwood
BH31 6FX
UK

+44 (0) 20 8144 2166

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