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Nude beaches, also known as clothing-optional, free, or naturist beaches, are places where you can strip off your bathing suit and enjoy the sun, sand, and water with the freedom of a bare bum. Nude beaches are few and far between, but we’ve rounded up a list of the best and barest in the world. Just don’t forget the sunblock.
Red Beach, Crête, Greece
Natural Feature
Red Beach is an intimate, secluded nude beach with rusty red, coarse sand and clear cerulean water. The area is accessible via a 20-minute walk from Matala, and around the beach visitors will find caves, ancient ruins, and red sandstone cliffs. The picturesque Red Beach became a tourist hotspot in the 1960s when hippies from all around Europe came to experience a nude beach. Enjoy the tranquility and rustic charm of this 300-meter-long Grecian beauty.
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Dale Crosby-Close / © Culture Trip
Plakias Beach, Crête, Greece
Natural Feature
At 0.8 miles (1.3 kilometers) long, Plakias Beach is one of Crête’s largest and most picturesque beaches. The popular destination has panoramic views of rocky cliffs, cool turquoise waters, and soft, sandy beaches. The nude bathers tend to stick to the eastern edge of the beach. Plakias Beach also offers excellent scuba diving and windsurfing in the relatively shallow, calm sea.
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Valalta, Rovinj, Croatia
Natural Feature
Valalta is a much-loved naturist beach and nudist campsite that opened in the late 1960s. Located in an area lined by olive trees and idyllic vineyards, you’ll have an excellent view no matter where you look. The beach is two miles (3.2 km) long with both sandy and rocky areas as well as intimate coves for exploring, and the brilliant blue water sparkles in the sunshine. Valalta is the only naturist harbor in the Adriatic Sea.
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Wreck Beach, Vancouver, Canada
Natural Feature
Named after the wrecked vessel that used to lie on its sands, Wreck Beach was Canada’s first ever government-sanctioned, clothing-optional beach. The three miles (4.8 km) of gorgeous beach are located just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, but the remote area is accessible only by foot. Wreck Beach is quite popular with the students of the nearby University of British Columbia, and it is North America’s largest nude beach.
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Cap d’Agde is a world-famous naturist resort. Located in the south of France, the small town grows to a population of around 40,000 in the summer months, and the nudity carries into life off of the beach too. In this little French town, you can do much more than just sunbathe or skinny dip in your birthday suit, you can shop, dine, and sightsee all in the nude. As a word of advice, the locals tend to keep things very trim and neat down below.
Just north of Miami is Florida’s best spot for nude bathing. Haulover Beach sees more than one million visitors every year, and the busy beach manages to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere. The South Florida Free Beach Association has helped Haulover receive certified lifeguards and organized group activities like volleyball. The 0.4-mile (0.7-km) strip of white-sand beach has great weather nearly all year round.
Dale Crosby-Close / © Culture Trip
Located just 6 miles (10 km) from downtown Copenhagen, this resort was designed in the 1930s, when the right to vacation became mandatory in Denmark. Around half a million visitors flock to the 0.4-mile (0.7-km) slice of paradise every year, making it one of Denmark’s most popular attractions.
Hidden Beach Resort, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Resort
This luxurious seaside resort is a secluded naturist haven. At Hidden Beach Resort there are 45 beachfront suites where visitors will eat, drink, relax, and bathe in the nude. Designed entirely for nudists, this resort is adults-only and the staff recommends carrying around a towel to sit on at all times. Dances, spa visits, and explorations along Mexico’s Mayan Riviera are all offered in the all-inclusive package. Plus, you get access to some of the best beaches in the area.
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Little Beach is a calm, clear beach located next to Maui’s Big Beach. The intimate stretch of white-sand beaches and turquoise water is one of Hawaii’s most beautiful spots to lounge by the water. Although nudity is not technically legal, it is tolerated in this secluded, relaxed area. Some tourists prefer to wear clothes, but most take advantage of the lack of enforcement of nudity laws here.
Praia do Pinho is probably Brazil’s best-known nudist beach, but if you’re looking for something more secluded you should check out the lesser-known Massarandupió. This beach is only accessible by a single road followed by a 0.9-mile (1.5-km) walk. The beach is a staggering 7.5 miles (12 km) long, but just 1.2 miles (2 km) are reserved for naturists. This beach is a charming spot for those who shudder at the thought of visiting a beach overrun with tourists.
Dale Crosby-Close / © Culture Trip
Grande Saline, St. Barts
Natural Feature
St. Barts is a French overseas territory located in the sunny, bright Caribbean. A very popular tourist destination for the rich and famous, Grande Saline is a peaceful and isolated beach where the sand is soft and white and the water is pristine. Although nudity is not officially allowed here, the law is not enforced. The beach is located a 10-minute walk across a rocky dune trail.
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Le Centre Hélio Marin, Montalivet, France
Resort
Le Centre Hélio Marin, or CHM, is widely considered the birthplace of the nudist movement. Dating back to 1950, CHM was the world’s first naturist holiday resort, and the International Naturist Federation was founded there in 1953. The family-friendly resort consists of a mix of privately owned bungalows and caravans as well as public camping sites. Although there are pools and other activities, the fantastic nude beaches are still the highlight of CHM.
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