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Nudity is getting more creative. Not in an artistic sense — the naked human form has been a favorite subject of painters and sculptors for more than 2,000 years — but in the imaginative and sometimes offbeat ways that people are using to shed their clothes in public.
In January, the Norwegian Pearl completed an 11-day Caribbean cruise with 2,300 naturists onboard. Dubbed the “Big Nude Boat,” it was hailed as the first-ever clothing optional cruise on a large passenger ship. Bare Necessities, the Texas-based travel company that organized the voyage, is already booking two future nude cruises.
On the other side of the Atlantic, you can play a round of golf completely unclothed on the six-hole course at La Jenny Naturist Village in France (which also offers naked tennis, ping pong, volleyball, archery, chess, and bocce).
In places like Jamaica, Indonesia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, where public nudity is illegal, a growing number of private naturist resorts are the best way to get naked.
Despite all this clothing-optional innovation, nude beaches remain the primary means to achieve an overall tan.
Nudist explains what you should definitely not do at a nude beach
From rocky coastlines to talcum-powder fine sands and big city bays to secluded shores, there are now hundreds of beaches where it’s perfectly legal (or at least de facto legal) to frolic beside the sea in nothing more than your birthday suit.
“Soft, smooth sand, warm ocean breeze, gentle ocean waves and lots of other naturists makes for a great clothing-optional beach,” says Nicky Hoffman of The Naturist Society, who’s also the managing editor of Nude & Natural magazine and co-author of “The World’s Best Nude Beaches & Resorts.”
While clothing-optional beach destinations may seem like a modern invention, it’s actually quite an old idea, a product of the otherwise prudish Victorian era.
During the 1880s, American poet Walt Whitman extolled the virtues of the “Adamic air bath” — his nude walkabouts and swims along Timber Creek in New Jersey, writing of “the free exhilarating ecstasy of nakedness in Nature.”
Channeling that same vibe, the naturist movement took off in Europe and North America during the first half of the 20th century, with city parks, camp grounds and eventually beaches established for those who wanted to experience nature in their most natural state.
One of the spin-offs of the socially and sexually liberal 1960s was a “free beach” movement that saw a proliferation of nude beaches around the world.
And their popularity continues today, with more and more popping up each year. Here are 25 of the best nude beaches you can visit around the world:
A 20-minute drive from Punta del Este, Uruguay’s best-known nude beach overlooks Portezuelo Bay on the Atlantic coast.
Photogenic dunes and water temperatures that reach 25 Celsius (77 F) and higher even in the Southern Hemisphere winter add to the strand’s allure.
After decades as an unofficial naked getaway, Chihuahua finally achieved legal status in 2000.
Since then, amenities have expanded to include the Hotel El Refugio Nudista Naturista clothing-optional resort.
Playa Naturista Chihuahua, Avenida Las Amarras, 20003 Chihuahua, Uruguay
The chilly Baltic Sea may not seem like the most obvious place to skinny dip. But this gorgeous strand on the long, sandy Curonian Spit offers one of Europe’s most picturesque spots to take it all off.
With its wildflower-covered dunes (among the highest in Europe) and shoreline forest, the beach was the focus of a 19th-century artists’ colony that attracted many of the leading painters, poets and writers of the time.
Walk far enough south along the strand and you eventually come to a fence that marks the Lithuania-Russia border.
Nida Nude Beach, Nidos-Smiltynės pl., Nida, Lithuania
Oriental Beach Village, Phang Nga province, Thailand
Like much of Asia, public nudity is frowned upon in Thailand. The one exception is Oriental Beach Village resort on the west coast Kho Kho Khao island.
Thailand’s only legal clothing-optional beach, this naturist getaway offers a rare opportunity to relax au naturel along a talcum-powder-fine shore and skinny dip in the warm Andaman Sea.
The resort offers bikes and kayaks for exploring other parts of Kho Kho Khao, but you will need to wear clothing for those adventures. Non-guests can pay a 1,000-Baht day fee (about $30) to use the resort facilities and beach.
Oriental Beach Village, Phang Nga province, Thailand
Sweden may be home to many beaches where nudity is accepted, but Ågesta Beach, located roughly 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Stockholm, is its only official nude beach.
Based in the southern end of the lake Magelungen, Ågesta Beach’s sandy shores are popular with locals as well as visitors looking for an escape from the bustling capital city.
Open from May to September, this beach is very well looked after, with picnic tables, BBQ areas, public bathrooms and play areas for children available.
Ågesta Beach, Huddinge, Sweden
Little Palm Beach, Waiheke, New Zealand
Although it’s technically legal to go naked on any beach in personal-liberty-loving New Zealand, the nation’s naturists tend to congregate at well-known clothing-optional spots like Little Palm Beach on Waiheke Island.
Reaching the secluded strand entails a 40-to-60-minute ferry ride from Auckland, a taxi or rideshare to the island’s north shore, and then a short downhill hike.
You can top or tail your beach adventure at Waiheke’s many wineries, restaurants, and art galleries.
Little Palm Beach, Miro Road, Waiheke Island 1081, New Zealand
Flanked by sheer cliffs and shades by pine trees, this remote beach on the mainland opposite Brač island is reached via a narrow path that seems ready made for goats rather than people seeking an apparel-free escape on the Adriatic.
Be sure to bring a thick towel or even a beach chair — like many Croatian beaches the surface is pebbles rather than sand.
Nugal is about a half-an-hour walk from the nearest town, although it can also be reached by boat or sea kayak from Makarska or Tučepi.
Nugal Beach, 21300 Makarska, Croatia
Perched at the island’s western extreme, Moshup is a long curving strand that wraps around a headline crowned by the historic Gay Head Lighthouse (built in 1799).
Located right below the ancient light, the clothing-optional portion lies beneath rust-colored sandstone cliffs that were declared a National Natural Monument in 1966.
Moshup is open free of charge to anyone who wants to take their clothes off, as opposed to Lucy Vincent, the island’s other nude beach, which requires a town permit to visit.
Moshup Beach, 71 Moshup Trail, Aquinnah, MA 02535
Although it sometimes seems like just about any beach in Australia is clothing-optional, there are a number of official nude beaches including Lady Bay.
Also called Lady Jane Beach, the little pocket of sand lies just inside the South Head of Sydney Harbour. The beach is small and narrow, but incredibly secluded for such a big city location.
The rocky ledges around South Head are also used for nude sunbathing.
Lady Bay Beach, Watson’s Bay, Sydney, Australia
Studland Bay, Dorset, England
The Brits may have been prudish in the Victorian era, but by the 1920s they weren’t afraid to drop their drawers in public, especially along the shore of Studland Bay in Dorset.
A 900-meter strip of the white-sand strand is reserved for naturists — and prominently marked so that non-nudist beachgoers don’t accidentally cast their eyes on naked bodies.
Managed by the National Trust, the pristine beach is easily reached by road or passenger/vehicle Sandbanks Ferry from Bournemouth.
The naturist beach has no facilities. But just down the shore are the National Trust’s Knoll Beach Café, the Bankes Arms pub and upscale digs at The Pig on the Beach boutique hotel.
Studland Bay, Dorset, England
Billed as one of the world’s longest nude beaches at 7.8 kilometers (4.9 miles) long, Wreck Beach is actually a series of sandy strands, pebble flats and rocky outcrops wrapped around the end of Point Grey.
With the University of British Columbia just across the street, a steady stream of students and teachers have shed their clothes on this beach since the early 1970s, when it first became popular.
Evergreen trees along the shore and snowcapped peaks across the water complement the Canadian ambiance.
Wreck Beach, Vancouver, British Columbia; Canada
“Grin and bare it” might well be the motto for nudists on this North Sea island, where the average water temperature in summer is a chilly 17 C (63 F).
Technically all of the beaches on Sylt are clothing optional, but Buhne 16 was the first and is still the foremost location for nude sunbathing along the German shore.
Beachgoers can chill in the famous blue-and-white striped wicker beach chairs or let it all hang out at summer beach parties.
Buhne 16, Listlandstr 133b, 25980 Kampen (Sylt), Germany; +49 4651 4996
Set beneath the towering cliffs of Torrey Pines, Blacks has been the Golden State’s favorite place for all-over tans for more than 50 years and was once the only legal nude beach in the entire United States.
Long, wide and blessed with great surf, the beach is reached via the zig-zag Ho Chi Minh Trail from La Jolla Farms Road or the Citizens Trail from Torrey Pines Gliderport near the University of California, San Diego.
Black’s Beach, Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, San Diego, CA 92037
This secluded shore on the south side of Crete is a hotspot for nude sunbathing in Greece.
Named after its ocher-colored sand and cliffs, Red Beach (or Kokkini Ammos) is reached via a 20-minute hike from Matala or a very short boat ride from the village waterfront.
Pioneered by Euro hippies during the 1960s, the beach offers chair and umbrella rentals and is home to a funky little bar called Yianni’s that’s renowned for its mojitos.
Note: the mysterious rock carvings at the end of the beach are a modern creation and definitely not ancient Minoan relics.
Red Beach, Matala, Crete 702 00, Greece
Callantsoog Beach, Netherlands
Callantsoog is the oldest nudist beach in the Netherlands, having been officially recognized as a nudist beach since 1973.
Situated 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Amsterdam, near the coastal town of Callantsoog, this beautiful stretch of sand enjoys Blue Flag status and is a great place to spot seals.
Its designated nudist section is marked between two poles.
Those keen to get even closer to nature can pay a visit to the nearby Zwanenwater, a protected nature reserve and home to the largest natural dune lakes in Europe.
Callantsoog Beach, Strandslag Dorpsplein, 1759 Callantsoog, Netherlands
Anse de Grande Saline, St. Barts
While the Caribbean may be full of wonderful, chilled out beaches, this wild, white sand strand on the rear side of St. Barts is one of the few places on the islands where public nudity is tolerated (although sunbathing naked is technically prohibited in St. Barts.)
Anse de Grande Saline (or Saline Beach) is another self-catering beach. Visitors will need to bring along everything they need for a day at the shore, especially sunscreen, as there is no shade to speak of.
You’ll need to put your clothes back on, but L’Esprit by chef Jean Claude Dufour, an excellent French restaurant, is within walking distance of Grande Saline.
Anse de Grande Saline, St. Barthélemy
Set between the deep blue Mediterranean and multicolored salt pans near Ibiza’s southernmost point, official nudist beach Es Cavallet is separated into various different sections, including a beach club party section, a gay scene and a more secluded, middle section where the clothing-free crowd hang out.
However nude sunbathers aren’t the only beings who frequent this area. Those bright pink things you’ll see pacing in the background aren’t sunburned tourists, but flamingos that like to gather in the shallow salines saltwater ponds.
Platja des Cavallet, 07818, Balearic Islands, Spain
Sometimes called the “Naked City,” Cap d’Agde Naturist Village is the world’s largest clothing-optional beach resort, attracting as many as 40,000 guests on any given day during high season.
Visitors are free to be naked wherever they want — restaurants and stores, post office or banks, sailing their boat or lounging on the long public beach (where nudity is obligatory, even for those not staying at the resort).
Overnight options including a naturist hotel, campground and rental units.
Cap d’Agde Naturist Village, Rond-Point du Bagnas, 34300 Agde, France
Situated along Sardinia’s west coast close to the town of San Vero Milis, Spiaggia Naturista Is Benas is known for its remoteness and its pristine environment.
Designated as an official nude beach in 2022, the naturist zone lies at the super-secluded south end of the Is Arenas beach strip, which offers 4.3 miles (7 km) of uninterrupted sand and gentle waves along the Mediterranean.
Those craving a multi-day nude beach experience can overnight at campgrounds in the north, a golf resort tucked into the pine forest behind the shore, or modest hotels, short- term rentals and B&Bs in nearby S’Archittu and Sa Rocca Tunda villages.
Is Benas Beach, Oristano Province, Sardinia, Italy
This tiny stretch of sand on South Africa’s Indian Ocean coast was once the country’s only official nude beach. After local clergy and churchgoers complained, its official status was revoked. But that doesn’t keep people from going naked.
Located in the Mpenjati Nature Reserve South around a two-hour drive from Durban remains one of only a handful of places in South Africa where you can discard your clothes without local authorities freaking out.
Wiggle your toes in the slow-flowing Mpenjati River as it empties into the ocean. But locals advise against swimming in the sea — like much of the South African coast this is shark country.
Mpenjati Nature Reserve, Palm Beach, Port Edward, South Africa
Playa de Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
Located at the southern tip of Gran Canaria island, Maspalomas is a long, boomerang-shaped beach backed by sand dunes that make it feel more like the nearby Sahara (around 100 miles to the east) than a modern Spanish resort island.
The official naturist zones (gay and non-gay) lie between the towering Faro de Maspalomas lighthouse (built in the 1890s) and the sandy point. Kiosks along the shore offer cocktails, cold drinks, snacks, beach chairs and umbrellas.
Those who prefer more privacy can also steal away among the dunes, where nudity is also allowed.
Playa de Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Live your “Y Tu Mamá También” fantasies at the beach where so many of the scenes from the sensuous 2001 Mexican movie starring Gael García Bernal were shot on location.
Pioneered by Mexican and American hippies during the 1960s, the strand stretches about two kilometers with rocky bluffs at either end, and is famed as a clothing-optional beach (although it isn’t legal here.)
While the main beach here is backed by budget hotels and cafes, a tiny sliver of sand at the eastern end called Playa del Amor offers far more privacy.
Playa Zipolite, San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico
Float nude in the warm, ultra-buoyant salty water and smear your entire naked body with soothing, mineral-infused black mud at this rocky beach on the western shore of the Dead Sea.
Perhaps the only place in the Middle East where any kind of public nudity is tolerated, Metsoke Dragot is located about an hour’s drive from Jerusalem and requires a short but rough drive along an unpaved road to reach the shoreline.
Primitive camping is allowed along the shore while clifftop Metzoke Dragot Travelers Village and Tranquilo Glamping offer indoor accommodation near the shore.
Metsoke Dragot, Highway 90, Dead Sea, Israel
Praia Massarandupió, Bahia, Brazil
The string bikinis on Copacabana may expose an awful lot of Brazilian flesh, but not nearly as much as this naturist beach along the Bahia coast.
A two-hour drive north of Salvador, the nude beach is about a one-kilometer walk from the parking lot along the shoreline flanked by coconut palms, rolling dunes and very surfable waves.
Praia Massarandupió, Bahia, Brazil
Edged with pine trees, this Latvian beach is as calming as it is beautiful.
Based close to the capital city of Riga and a relatively short walk from Vecaki train station, it’s known for its shimmering waters, stunning sunsets and of course, its nudist section.
The clothing-optional zone (Nūdistu Pludmale) is a short distance north of the main beach with its waterfront cafes, public restroom and beach volleyball courts.
Vecaki Beach, Selgas iela 20, Riga 1030, Latvia
The most popular public nude beach in the United States, Haulover attracts more than 1.3 million bare-bottomed people to its white sands and warm water each year.
The clothing-optional portion, marked at either end by picket fences, offers rental beach chairs and umbrellas, as well as lifeguards.
Given the stellar weather in south Florida, there’s usually someone in the buff on any given day.
But the biggest crowds gather during National Nude Recreation Week in July and whenever Haulover is trying to set a new Guinness World Record for skinny dipping.
Haulover Beach Park, 10800 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33154
Editor’s note: This story was updated and republished in May 2025.
