Martsalo is a secluded beach in the west Asterousia Mountains, which you can access just on foot or by boat. At the beginning of the route, you will find the church of Panagia Martsaliani, dedicated to the Annunciation.
From here you start the trip down to the beach through the small forest of palm trees and bushes and wild herbs until you reach the beach. It is a short way, it will take you about 20 minutes and even in high seaons you will not meet many and maybe even so people here, because of the secluded location of the Martsalo Beach. The water is almost always very calm, which justifies its name (Martsalo means Fair Harbor in Latin).
The pebble beach has crystal clear water and offers a refreshing bath with a stunning view up to the monastery. In the middle of the beach there is a primitive pier for the boats that come here from Kali Limenes or Matala. The beach is surrounded by several tamarisk trees which provide natural shade.
Martsalo is ideal for isolation and is completely secluded. However, it is considered a religious site, and activities such as nudism are offensive to the hermits of the gorge.
