We now have a new link on our website travel page with all the latest details of flights that now arrive direct to Kefalonia (EFL) airport.
Click here to view all the flights that now fly direct to Kefalonia.
To be or not to be…….Naked!
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
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!
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.
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.
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| 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
4 Reasons Why the Greek Islands Are Gross
I found this blog on Clickstay and just loved it. It is very cleverly written and I think it captures why we have our resort in Kefalonia. It is written by Nakita Mason
4 Reasons Why the Greek Islands Are Gross –
We know, we know, you’ve heard all this incredible stuff about Greece and just can’t wait to go there. Well, not to be the metaphorical fly in the soup, but there is categorically no reason to go to Greece, especially the so-called ‘amazing’ islands you’ve heard people gushing about.
Of course, we suppose you feel like we need to defend ourselves on this? Very well, let’s get this sorted so you can book your next holiday to somewhere much nicer.
Ready?
The Food Is Deceiving
In life, there are just some natural laws that we can all agree on, like the fact buttered bread will always fall face down or that a cat meowing at a door will inevitably refuse to leave after you’ve gone to all the effort to stand up and let it out. These things are just a given, an irritating and weird alchemy that us humans can’t explain.
Well, another one that’s in a similar vein is this: food that tastes good is guaranteed to be bad for you. We know this, we’ve come to terms with it and have all secretly wept about what this means for our chocolate lust.
That said, it’s great to eat something bad and feel like a bit of a rebel, isn’t it? Play the maverick every once in a while? Throw off the shackles of goodie-two-shoes and snaffle up an extra square of Dairy Milk?
Well, Greece robs you of this.
Oh yes, in Greece the rules don’t apply, the food tastes amazing, we’re talking sinfully good, and then you find out it’s predominantly healthy! There’s the fresh fish and olives, sweet tomatoes and crisp greenery as well as the delicious Moussaka, delightful Calamari and t
he hearty Kleftiko. You can’t move for all the wonderful dining opportunities and you’re just going to have to accept that here, you can’t be the bad-food rebel you want to be.
In Greece, the sad reality is you’ll love the food and be better for it whether you like it or not! You’ll be coerced into a healthy way of life and frankly, it takes the biscuit.
Sorry, we wish things were different, but they just aren’t.
It’s Too Instagramable
So, there you are, notionally on holiday, and what do you find? Well, that the crystal-clear sea and blindingly blue sky, as well as everything in between, is all but crying out for you to start taking snaps. Oh yes, but where to start? And for how long? The choice is apparently endless whilst your phone battery is not. Before you know it the panic sets in that you might not capture it all and you’re reduced to a weeping mess against a staggeringly beautiful backdrop.
We don’t wish to cause alarm but the danger of visiting any of the Greek islands is that you are in real danger of catching a lethal case of the repetitive-camera-snapping lurgy. In really severe cases this can lead to obsessive scrap-booking and eventual social-shunning.
Just don’t bother ok? No good can possibly come of it.
Myrtos Beach
Myrtos Beach
If you head to Kefalonia (a particularly tricky island that’s full of the aforementioned issues) you’ll likely as not be directed towards Myrtos Beach, frequently held aloft as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and perfect for soaking up the sun.
Which is all very well but when we went there we discovered several real problems. For example, you get sand between your toes. Yep, real sand, right between your toes. Which had us asking what bright spark dreamt that up.
That’s just the start though, if you stand in the sea and don’t keep your wits about you, seaweed can tangle around your leg and make you scream like an 8-year-old because of course, your first assumption is that Nessie is on her holidays too and has chosen you as a snack. All of which can lead to awkward drinks with your friends afterward.
And then there’s the quest to get the perfect selfie while lounging on your towel. Well, let us tell you, even the likes of Margot Robbie and Benedict Cumberbatch would pale beside the backdrop of Myrtos, its just a natural looker and us mere mortals are always going to feel outshined in its presence.
Turns out life truly can be a real beach.
The Natural Attractions Are Dangerous
Oh yes sir, we know we sound like we’re being sticks in the mud, but we’ve lost more members of staff than we can count to Greek nature. You see, there’s this endless stream of things to do and see, from touring the many stunning caves (like the cave of Melissani with the ‘skylight’) to the diverse diving opportunities. Heck, you can just be sat having a perfectly pleasant meal outside and find a Turtle has had the audacity to swim past only a yard away!
Which is very well until you get a taste for it, before you know it every waking moment is in pursuit of another natural wonder! And if our staff are anything to go by it means handing in your notice and declaring you’re going to become a wildlife photographer!
Trust us, it’s all very well having your head turned by the sultry glance of a gecko but get too involved and you’ll find yourself pining for it all hours of the day.
And to think people encourage this level of curiosity…
So what have we learned? Well, that the Greek Islands are a gross waste of your time and a potential minefield of problems. All that health and beauty and fun (a greatly overestimated commodity in our mind) will one way or another be the ruin of you.
Please see sense and book somewhere nice.
Photo Gallery
Just a few images of the resort now we are all set up for the summer and open. Well done team Vassaliki!!
Vassaliki is on the Greek News
We are famous! On the 4th of May while Samantha and I were in the UK for a short trip we got a call from Star TV. This is a big TV station in Greece and they were doing an article about a new website https://www.naturistbnb.com.
This website lists a large number of naturist accommodation from resorts to spare rooms in peoples houses but all are naturist friendly. 
To view our minute of fame you can view by clicking the image below. Sorry for the adverts, and it is of course in Greek but worth a look.
Our sailing hostess ties a knot!!
We all at Vassaliki would like to congratulate our hostess Leanne from our naturist sailing trips on her marriage to her husband Lee.
Samantha and I were able to fly back to the UK for a beautiful sunny weekend to witness and be part of this amazing day.
Well done to you both and I must say its the best knot you have tied in all the time I have sailed with you Leanne!!
Summer 2018 officially starts
As of 10am this morning (10th May) Vassaliki is open for the summer 2018. We are really looking forward to a busy summer and meeting loads of our fellow naturists.
The resort is stunning thanks to loads of hard work from our resort team and our amazing volunteers.
Hold on to your hats and here we go!!
2019 prices launched
Well it may be a little early for most people to be thinking about 2019 holidays but we have already had several inquiries and confirmed bookings for next year. So we have now launched our prices and online booking is now open for 2019.
Start of the summer 2018
Well here we are back in Kefalonia getting ready for the 2018 summer season at Vassaliki. Samantha and I have had a crazy winter and the time has flown past so fast that it only feels like we have been away from Kefalonia for a few weeks. Thanks to all our volunteer helpers we are rattling through all the work, photos can been seen on our facebook page or group.
We have put together a little newsletter to keep everyone updated about all the things that have happened over the winter and news of new things for the coming summer.
Reunion
The big event this winter was the 4th sell out Vassaliki Reunion Weekend held in January at the Moorhill House Hotel in Burley, New Forest.
The weekend started on the Friday afternoon as guests slowly arrived at the hotel which we had exclusively hired for the weekend. Samantha and I were greeting everyone as they arrived and as this is the biggest reunion we have ever held we were soon busy chatting and welcoming everyone.
Guests spent the first afternoon meeting up with friends new and old chatting and drinking in the lounge or in one of the two hot tubs that had been installed in the hotel garden especially for the weekend.
7pm and our first meal was served in the function hall, a Mediterranean style buffet with the sounds of a local guitar player/ singer. This was supposed to be a quiet first evening but being a Vassaliki Reunion, tables where soon being moved out the way and impromptu dancing took their place.
Saturday was time to explore the local forest and village, many guests seemed to find their way to the New Forest cider press which was a convenient short walk down the road as was the witchcraft village of Burley. While others relaxed in the hot tubs, pool and sauna which were of course naturist for the weekend. Lucy dog was at the event this year and was taken (we think…) for four walks, so spent the rest of the evening in our hotel room asleep.
The highlight for the weekend has always been the Gala dinner. Everyone was dressed in their finest clothes and descended on the lounge bar for pre dinner drinks and amazing close hand tricks from the magician. Dinner service was perfect with an amazing four course meal served by the hotel chefs. During the meal the entertainment started with a surprise visit from the ‘little man with the big voice: Rusty’s Songbook’. This is the new act from my brother Jason. Rusty was making his debut appearance at our Reunion and what a welcome he got. Have a look at the short film that was shot at our reunion: https://youtu.be/wvwL9tNgCU0
This year we ran a raffle in aid of Motor Neurone Disease in memory of one of our beautiful guests Dawn who died in August 2017 from the disease. We were so pleased to present £520 to her husband Mark who we were honoured to have join us at our Gala meal.
Once all the food had been consumed it was time for our favourite band The Unusual Suspects to play us through to the end of the evening with their superb mix of popular songs, finishing with the traditional ‘Hey Jude’ huddle!
Sunday came around too fast and everyone made their way home. Thank you to all of you who joined us this winter and keep your eyes peeled for the our next reunion in 2020.
Secret piece of Kefalonia Magic!
Samantha and I (along with Nick the chef) feel ashamed of ourselves as we have been keeping a small secret from you all. During last summer we heard about a traditional village taverna not far from Vassaliki that is very popular with the locals. It is hidden away amongst the many small villages.
Samantha, Nick and I went off on a recognisance mission to check it out and found a garden restaurant that has been left back in time. The setting is idilic Greek and the food, well that was amazing, simple but tasty. A small simple menu, slow service, local wine, and basic beautifully cooked old style Greek food. Well we loved it so much we decided not to tell anyone about it as it was already busy and as we wanted to go the following week again we were worried we may not get a seat😂!
Anna’s opens late in June through to early September, so if you want to know where it is…well I’ll think about telling you when you get here…!
Save Our Seas
The news lately seems to be constantly about environmental issues and most of all about the massive amount of plastic in our seas. This came to light after the amazing Blue Planet 2 series on BBC1 when the program showed viewers huge fields of plastic waste floating on and below the surface of the sea.
We at Vassaliki, are big fans of the sea and spend most of our free time swimming, snorkelling, sailing, waterskiing and boating on the waters around Kefalonia.
Blue Planet has prompted us at Vassaliki to try and reduce the amount of plastic we use at the resort, so we will be only giving out card straws with drinks and reusable stirrers with the cocktails.
We also want to reduce the large number of plastic bottles we use. So we will now be selling Vassaliki reusable drinking bottles from our resort shop. All guests who purchase a bottle will have free access to use our new water coolers which will be situated around the resort.
The water is dispensed from 20L bottles that are returned and refilled when empty. The water is offered cold or room temperature.
We hope that with your help we can reduce the number of water bottles used at Vassaliki by over 600 bottles. THAT’S approximately 1/4 ton of plastic that won’t end up in our seas!
We will continue to recycle all our cans, glass and non reusable plastic bottles as well as cardboard and paper from the resort.
Last few rooms
The resort is now looking like it will be as busy as last summer. We have reached all our booking targets but have a few rooms we would love to sell.
We have just sadly had a cancellation for the fully booked June period so we have just got a 20 night period from 23rd June to 13th of July in a One Bedroom Apartment become available for €130 per night. You can book all or part of this period.
We still have some nice rooms available for July and August. This period is the best for the weather and the island is a buzz with events.
September is now fully booked from 26th of August until September 26th when we still have rooms available at discounted rate until we close on 10th October.
All bookings up to now have been for a minimum of seven nights, but we have just launched on our online site, the ability to book for four or more nights for those of you who only have a short break or maybe want to travel on to other parts of the island. This will hopefully allow us to fill some of the holes we have between bookings.
So if you are traveling through Kefalonia and would like a short stay with us book now online at http://www.viglanatura.com/book
Vassaliki Art Sessions
Throughout the summer season in 2017 I hosted twice-weekly art sessions at the Vassaliki Naturist Resort. These were an opportunity for guests to spend some time drawing or painting in the tranquil resort setting in Kefalonia in the warm fresh air, in small friendly groups. The sessions were very informal, catering for a full range of ability and all age groups.
Most people joining the sessions had little or no experience or artistic background. Many showed some reluctance to try their hand – typical comments were “I haven’t picked up a pencil since I was at school” or “I’m rubbish and will only make a mess”. However it seemed to me that once people engaged and got stuck in to producing a sketch or a simple painting they really enjoyed the experience and were genuinely surprised that they had the ability to produce an original picture with their own hands. Lots of people came along to 2 or 3 sessions and found the results improved each time. I was delighted that several people went away at the end of their holidays inspired to join some lessons back at home, or just to buy some basic materials and get going themselves.
The Vassaliki sessions give guests a chance to try out pencil, charcoal, pastels or watercolour paints. The subjects include still life, landscape and life studies (there is a ready supply of nude models!) or anything that take the fancy of the session members. Participants are encouraged to develop their own style, and it is always fascinating to compare how different people interpret a given subject – ranging from the realistic to the quite abstract.
Doing some art is a great way to relax, but is also stimulating to the mind and allows the brain to see and respond in a way which is different to our normal everyday experiences. I will be facilitating more art sessions at Vassaliki in 2018 and I hope to see some new faces and perhaps some old friends coming back for more! Here are some examples of the 2017 sessions produced by guests, with a few contributions from me.
Colin Eversden
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