The town of Kissamos in the west of Crete claims a place among our worth visiting ideas: that is a reason to mention another treasure in the municipality of Kissamos—the beach of Kedrodasos (cedar forest), just a few kilometers from the famous island and beach of Elafonissi.

Strictly speaking, it is not a forest but a grove and not a cedar one but a juniper …, a large-fruited Juniperus phoenicea, incredibly resilient and often settled along coasts in the sand, as it can grow with a minimum of moisture. Dried by the sun and bent by winds, their trunks and branches take on bizarre shapes. Add to this their exposed roots due to movements of the dunes, and you will get an amazing picture … Some colors are added to it by the shades of sea water, which is not inferior of that in Elafonissi.

And shadow … Junipers give a blessed shade to those who did get to this uncrowded beach from Elafonissi. To get there, you need a 40 minutes-walk along the sea following the E4 trekking path to the south of the island, or a few minutes by car along the dirt road and then a few hundred meters walk along the descent to the sea. The beach has both rocky areas and sandy coves. There is almost no infrastructure, so stock up in advance on everything you need. Locals love to come here on weekends, while tourists are better off choosing weekdays. Be prepared for meetings with nudists or “free campers”: it is allowed to set up tents here.

Information about the best nudist beeches in Crete is here:

https://thenewgreece.com/advise/the-best-nudist-beach..

In the evenings, bonfires are lit on Kedrodasos; and there are gathering with guitars to sing songs in a variety of languages. Reminder signs on trees around are warning: “The beach is not an ashtray!” or “Cigarette butts harm fish!”

Try to be as merciful as possible to the nature here. There is no one to clean the beach every day, so do not litter and be careful with fire: juniper wood is highly flammable. You should not use it as firewood: junipers grow slowly, and a severed part will be regenerated for several decades.

Google maps GPS coordinates: 35.268591120000565, 23.563084125347615

The most convenient way to visit the beach of Kedrodasos, the town of Kissamos and the sights around is by car. Professionals, the inhabitants of the island, will help you decide what to see, plan the best route and help you choose a car for traveling. Contact The New Crete: www.thenewrentcar.com/thenewrent/ru/.