Mens' Journal
Long before the invention of the swimming costume, men and women stripped to bathe, without a second thought. Many continue to do so today. Nothing could be more natural than facing the elements while naked, and there are plenty of wonderful beaches open to anyone ready to throw caution – and everything else – to the wind.
Apart from the lack of swimsuits, genuine nude beaches are no different from ordinary beaches in terms of what happens there. The experience hinges on the idea of being unencumbered by the trappings of the everyday, rather than on anything so tawdry as peeping at other bathers. In fact, the whole thing begins to feel normal extremely quickly – 15 minutes is adequate to adjust – leaving first-time nude bathers to wonder what the big deal was all along. The big deal, it turns out, is the joy of being comfortable with your humanity in the face of public exposure. That universal appeal is probably why publicly accessible nude beaches are common throughout the world, with the exception of Asia, where laws forbidding public nudity have kept beach naturism largely at bay (though plenty of private resort beaches in Thailand allow it and a new initiative in South Korea, for example, is showing local officials’ naked ambitions). Still, it may be a while until the East has a strand worthy of this list.
Whether you prefer the solitude of the wild and rugged California coastline or the camaraderie of a busy European resort beach, you only need your birthday suit to go to Mother Nature’s party. Here are 18 beaches that stand out in the naked crowd.
Little Beach, Hawaii
Little Beach is one of the world’s surprisingly few tropical nude beaches. But the quality of experience here helps make up for the lack of other overgrown destinations. A popular place with beach visitors of every age and nationality, this gem of a bay, located on the southwest coast of Maui, attracts a cheerful and alternative crowd of sun seekers and fun lovers. A local tradition of drumming and dancing in the evening makes sunset a particularly great time to hang out, and the climate enables naked bathing year-round. Thankfully, an active group of local naturists helps safeguard the beach’s continued use.
Haulover Beach, Florida
Half a mile of soft white sand and thousands of bare bodies make Haulover the beach of choice for many nude bathers in the aptly named Sunshine State. This famous nude sanctuary on the north side of Miami is presided over by lifeguards and regular beach patrols. With all the facilities of a regular beach, Haulover is popular with tourists and has a loyal following of local beachgoers who work hard to preserve its natural charms. Unquestionably one of the world’s best urban nude beaches, this is America’s most popular place to bare it all.
Baker Beach, California
With the Golden Gate Bridge serving as a backdrop to crowds of frolicking free-love types, bearded hippies among them, this beach is unmistakably Californian. Baker Beach faces the open ocean and its chilly waters can be too rough for bathing, but when the sun is out this is San Francisco’s most popular place for naturists. It is also extremely easy to reach – a mixed blessing for urban nudists since non-nudists can come to take a peek. But its long-standing legal status also ensures a loyal following, particularly with the city’s welcoming gay crowd. The northern section of the beach, nearest the bridge, is the place to strip.
Secret Cove, Nevada
The only inland beach on this list, Secret Cove is pretty enough to bear comparison to any of the world’s finest skinny-dipping spots. A back-to-nature setting of rocky shore, sparkling clear waters, and unspoiled pine forest with tanned bodies decorating the sand and smooth boulders, the cove is getting less and less secret these days thanks to its accessibility by car or boat. Situated on Lake Tahoe’s northeast shoreline, this nudist haven is within reach of a number of other little bays, including Secret Creek Beach and Whale Beach, that are also suitable for bathing in the altogether.
Wreck Beach, Canada
This five-mile stretch of nude beach to the west of Vancouver is enjoyed by many a grateful citizen on warm days. The sea was once considered too polluted for bathing, but under more sensitive management, it is now clean enough for bare bathers. The shore mostly consists of rocks with patches of sand, the largest of which is located at the bottom of the Trail 6 footpath. This is where Wreck Beach’s eclectic community of free spirits, sun worshippers, skinny-dippers, and food vendors gather in large numbers on a sunny day. With more than 10,000 visitors at peak times, Wreck Beach is undoubtedly the most popular of North America’s many nude bathing sites.
Orient Bay, St. Martin
On an island shared equally between the French and the Dutch, it is not surprising to find locals with European attitudes towards nudity. In times gone by, the entire mile-long sweep of Caribbean white sand was totally nude, but as mass tourism encroached, bare bathers were forced to gather at the southern end of the bay around Club Orient, a fabulous naturist resort where you can live, shop, and eat without bothering to get dressed. The gorgeous colors of the tropical sea and views of the uninhabited islands offshore have been drawing nude beach aficionados for decades.
Abricó Beach, Brazil
A secluded white sand beach backed by lush forest, Abricó is actively managed on sunny summer weekends to ensure the beach is safe and welcoming to all who want to strip and dip. Drinks and sandwiches are available on the beach at peak times. Though close to Rio’s southwestern outskirts, the setting is surprisingly rural, which means visitors need to rent a car or a taxi to get there. Designated as officially naturist in 2004, the beach’s nudist credentials are supported by a local group, the Abricó Naturista Association, which carries out patrols and provides information to visitors on weekends and public holidays. Nudity is strictly enforced: Even beach vendors are expected to vend in the altogether.
Studland Bay, England
England’s most popular naturist beach is a sandy half-mile stretch in the middle of the appropriately named Studland Bay, looking out over the English Channel. Thousands of bare bathers gather here in a corner of England that feels forever European – at least when the sun is shining – during summer weekends and bank holidays. The gently shelving waters offer an invigorating place for nude bathing, while the soft sand is ideal for taking a peaceful stroll in your birthday suit. The National Trust, custodian of the U.K.’s unspoiled landscapes, owns this section of coast and works hard to keep the setting and the beach atmosphere as natural as possible.
Cofete Beach, Canary Islands
Big, bare, and beautiful are the best words to describe this remarkable beach. That’s the landscape, not the people, who are actually nowhere to be found. This dramatic stretch of wild coastline is often completely deserted. The 9 miles of golden sand are hemmed in on either side by black mountain peaks and notoriously dangerous surf. An exhilarating place to get in touch with the elements, the haunting beauty of Cofete Beach is magnified by the lonely ruins of a beachside house, the Winter Villa, built here by one of Hitler’s friends in the 1930s. Apart from a small scattering of houses below it, that is the start and end of attempts to develop this wild shore.
El Torn, Spain
The rocky headlands and sweep of golden sand at El Torn are a dream come true for those who like an all-over suntan and cherish the opportunity to bask in the sublime Mediterranean sunshine. Though it is within easy reach of the city of Tarragona, this sandy bay is surrounded by unspoiled rural landscape and sheltered by rocky headlands and a backdrop of pine-covered hills. A simple snack bar on the beach is the modern world’s only real outpost in the vicinity, though a low-key but popular naturist campsite and mobile home park, El Templo del Sol, lies at the back of the beach.
Cala Varques, Spanish Balearic Islands
Once a secret cove known only to a few intrepid nudists, Cala Varques’s natural charms are drawing increasing numbers of beach lovers and tourists as well as rock climbers attracted by cliffs and sea caves. Thankfully, the 20-minute hike along a rocky path to get here keeps the crowds at bay and ensures that back-to-nature bathing remains part of this sublime landscape. Just to the north, a natural rock arch hides among the cliffs. To the south is a second sandy bay that emerges and disappears based on tides and storms. From either beach, the view of calm blue sea will tempt you into the water. A nearby naturist resort, Skinnydippers Mallorca, doubled in size in 2013 to cater to lovers of Mallorca’s many nude beaches.
Playa Migjorn, Spanish Balearic Islands
Swimwear is optional on most of the beaches that fringe the Spanish island that takes its hippy credentials seriously. A laid-back combination of clad and unclad sunbathers happily share the sweeping five miles of sand bay at Playa Migjorn. A short ferry ride from its bustling neighbor, Ibiza, the beaches of Formentera are legendary among nude beach connoisseurs and Migjorn is the grandfather of them all. Pick your own spot on this stretch of undeveloped shore, or head to the far eastern end to find the Calo des Mort, a picturesque rocky cove, and go skinny-dipping and snorkeling in a crystal sea.
Le Sérignan Plage, France
A bay of soft golden sand lapped by the warm Mediterranean, Le Sérignan Plage is the epitome of the easygoing European beach – just a bit more easygoing on the wardrobe. Popular with families from across Europe and beyond, it has a snack bar on the sands and lifeguards in season to make for a stress-free day au naturel. Like so many of the best French nude beaches, this one has a naturist resort, Sérignan Plage Nature, which offers camping pitches and holiday cottages for hire. Every morning, a stunning water park alongside the campsite is open for luxurious nude bathing in a series of pools and spas, before turning clothes-only in the afternoons.
Arnaoutchot Beach and Resort, France
In the country that made the birthday suit de rigueur, it is no surprise to find stylish nude beach resorts adorning a long, sunny coastline. Arnaoutchot’s Beach and the nearby naturist resort on France’s Atlantic coast offer elegant golden sands and back-to-nature living. Lifeguards keep an eye on swimmers and surfers in the invigorating waves during the summer months. Camp nude under the scented pine trees, plunge into the rolling surf with hundreds of bare bathers, then take a stroll for miles in splendid isolation along the undeveloped coastline to the north.
Plakias Beach, Greece
A fabulous setting of cliffs, mountains, and a huge swath of golden sand make this accessible beach a striking spot for back-to-nature bathing. The sea shelves gently, making it suitable for families, and there are showers available at the back. Refreshments are brought to the nude section of beach in season, and parasols with sunbeds are available to rent. The 400-yard nude area is at the end of the beach sheltered by cliffs – to the left as you face the sea. A gentle 15-minute walk from the peaceful resort town of Plakias, the nudist section is, more often than not, the busiest part of the large, sweeping bay.
Sandy Bay, South Africa
Set beneath the slopes of a bush-clad nature reserve in Cape Town, Sandy Bay is known by regulars as a rare haven for nude bathing in South Africa. As the name implies, it offers sand as well as rocky coves to explore, though there is little protection here when southeasterly winds are blowing. It has been used for decades by both locals and tourists alike and is quite popular with gay visitors. You need to walk a mile and a half to get here from the nearest parking lot, itself a beautiful and secluded setting for enjoying the African sunshine. Some locals advise against visiting alone on a quiet weekday due to concerns about crime – a reminder that this is essentially an urban beach.
Swanbourne Beach, Australia
A 20-minute drive from Perth city center, Swanbourne offers more than a mile of sandy beach that attracts hundreds of naked souls on the busiest weekends. The shore is owned by the military – placing it outside city jurisdiction – so local nudists have worked hard to preserve it as a haven of hassle-free naturism. You’ll find refreshments at the nearby surf club, then strip away your worldly trappings and enjoy the sun. Locals organize an annual sports day each February, known as the Swanbourne Olympics, a family event with beach volleyball, tug-of-war, races, and even “best bum” competitions for men and women – surely something missing from those other Games.
Waitata Bay, New Zealand
This gorgeous little cove nestles amid native bush in the subtropical north of New Zealand. The beach faces an archipelago of unspoiled islands, pretty historic villages, and a vast blue inlet of calm waters – which is to say you won’t be tempted to spend your time checking out other beachgoers. In late 2007, Waitata Bay, which had been used informally for decades by nude bathers, gained the rare distinction of being officially signposted as a naturist beach following an agreement with a local landowner. It is easy to reach from the little town of Russell and its golden sands and great snorkeling make it a perfect setting for getting back to nature. Hidden out of sight, the bay can be reached from a footpath at the northwest end of Long Beach, where you can park.
