Mariza Beach

Mariza, the beach of jumping into the void

Mariza is not a beach in the usual sense. Forget fine sand and sunloungers. There are no umbrellas here. There is no beach bar. What there is, is rock. A lot of rock. And an emerald green sea so deep it makes you slightly dizzy.

We got to Mariza on a stiflingly hot afternoon. The bus dropped us at Limenaria and we walked ten minutes along a path that follows the south coast. The beach appears all at once: a flat rock platform, like a natural sun deck carved by the sea over centuries.

The fun part of Mariza is getting into the water. There are metal ladders fixed into the rock that go straight down into the sea. There are also a couple of spots where the locals jump in from three or four metres up. We watched a Greek lad do a somersault that left us open-mouthed.

The water is deep green, almost dark, but crystal clear. The depth increases fast. A few metres out from the platform you are already out of your depth. The bottom is full of rock formations, cracks and small underwater caves. The snorkelling here is on another level. We saw octopus camouflaged among the rocks, purple sea urchins and shoals of colourful fish that surrounded us without any fear.

Mariza is not for everyone. If you want sand and comforts, stay in Skala. But if you like the feeling of adventure, of getting into the sea off a rock with your heart going, you will feel at home here.

Bring water shoes. The rocks can be slippery. Bring water and something to eat. And if you can, come early in the morning. The sun hits full on in the afternoon and the rock turns into a griddle.

Mariza was our favourite surprise on Agistri. We were not expecting much. And we found one of those beaches that, years later, you still remember with a smile.