The small village of Loutro, nestled in a small cove and protected from the weather by the Phoenix peninsula probably became popular with tourists because it had no road access. This kept it from developing in a haphazard way even though it grew a lot from the tiny settlement it was 30 years ago.
Location of Loutro
The access to the village is only on foot or by ferry boat from Chora Sfakion and other villages on the South coast.
As it is favoured by people wanting a quiet holiday Loutro is a very peaceful place but can feel a little cramped in the high season. The peace can also be disturbed by numerous speedboats zapping in and out of the bay at weekends in the summer.
The village of Loutro consists almost entirely of hotels, rooms for rent as well as a few studios and apartments. In spring and autumn you will find accommodation without any problems if you just turn up but beware of the high season (July and especially August) as well as weekends which can get really crowded and where rooms might be impossible to find.
There is a number of very good restaurants directly on the sea front.
A couple of shops and a kiosk provide you with the essentials but not a lot more.
Loutro goes to sleep very early apart from a couple of bars that stay open a little longer but there is no nightlife as such.
The sea is very clear and very beautiful in the sheltered bay but the beach is not great: a cramped narrow stretch of coarse pebbles in the middle of the village (so topless sunbathing is not allowed there) almost entirely covered with umbrellas and beach beds.. There are far better beaches within walking distance (one hour each way): Sweet Water beach to the East and Marmara to the West.. In the summer there are also some boat services to these better beaches (once in the morning and returning in the afternoon).