The Best Bare Beaches in the World
The Best Places Around the World to Get Your Kit Off and Rock It In the Sunshine!
1. Leucate Plage, France
Mediterranean coast, north of Perpignan
This superb bare beach has 1 km of fine golden sand, the classic Mediterranean beach. The water is typically calm and the shore shelves gently into the sea making it popular with families. Three naturist resorts share the coastline but the beach is open to all and there’s plenty of space for first-time skinny-dippers and lifelong nudists alike.
2. Playa Es Pregons Gran, Balearic Islands
Majorca south coast
This wonderful little bare bay has a perfect crescent of fine yellow sand, washed by a sea so transparent it looks more like the Caribbean. There are no beach bars so bring your picnic and drinks. It’s the jewel in the crown of the popular Es Trenc beach area. Start at the Hotel Marques Del Palmer, and it’s the third bay along. The fourth bay, if you walk further, also happens to be a bare beach, part of the much larger Es Trenc beach.
3. Haulover Beach, Florida USA
Sunny Isles, North Miami
Situated in the south of the Sunshine State, this bare sandy beach has a huge following of visitors from across the globe. With glorious weather for most of the year and the vibrant city of Miami on the doorstep, it’s not difficult to see why. The bare area is more than 800 yards long and has its own lifeguards and unobtrusive police patrols.
4. Vera Playa, Spain
Costa Almeria
This is Spain’s capital of bare bathing. The long wide sandy beach is popular in summer and has a big choice of naturist accommodation. Beach bars, sun beds, pedalos and yes, if you really want to try the naturist cliché, beach volleyball is available. Almeria has the hottest and driest climate in the country, so the beach season is almost year-round. Most European nationalities fledge to the area, thus giving it a cosmopolitan and friendly atmosphere.
5. Banana Beach, Greece
Skiathos, near Koukounaries, on the south-west coast
Banana beach is the collective name for three lovely sandy bays well loved by nude bathers. Before you ask, the name actually refers to the fact the beaches are yellow and curved (I know what you were thinking). During peak season bare bathers mainly use Little Banana, one of the smaller coves, as clothed holidaymakers descend on the main beach. Little Banana is often called the best bare beach in Greece, although there is plenty of competition for the accolade.
6. Valalta, Croatia
Istria, near Rovinj
If you feel the need for a truly naked de-stress, Valalta is everything you could wish for. It’s so good the nudist campsite here was voted the best in Croatia last year - among all sites, not just bare ones. With two miles of sand and rock beaches, including secluded coves, lined by olive trees and vineyards, this nude beach and village are well loved by bare beach connoisseurs.
7. Playa de Maspalomas, Canary Islands
Near Playa del Ingles, southern Gran Canaria
Hundreds of acres of sand dunes, looking just like the Sahara, frame the beautiful beach between Maspalomas and the popular resort of Playa del Ingles. It’s 3 kms from one end to the other and over 1 km deep. The bare areas, like the swim suited ones, have sun beds and umbrellas for hire. For a quieter spot, walk into the vast expanse of dunes, but be careful not to get lost!
8. Euronat, France
Atlantic coast, north-west of Bordeaux
The south-west coast of France is almost one vast nude beach, stretching over 100 miles from Biarritz to the Gironde. Among stiff competition, the nude resort beach of Euronat stands out for its clean golden sand, supervised swimming and friendly atmosphere. Thousands of happy families gather here, and the beach is open to both nudist campers and day visitors alike. Other highly regarded resort beaches heading south are Montalivet CHM, La Jenny and Arnaoutchot.
9. Plakias Beach, Greece
Plakias town, south-west Crete
A fabulous setting of cliffs, mountains and a huge sweep of golden sand make this beach a wonderful place for all-over tanning and fine snorkelling. The sea shelves gently, making it suitable for families, and there are showers available. Refreshments are brought to the beach in season, and umbrellas are available. The nude area is the last section of the beach, to the left as you face the sea, and unsurprisingly it is often the most popular part of the whole bay.
10. Les Grottes Plage, France
Ile du Levant, Mediterranean
This gem of a beach on the magical island of Levant is reached by an easy coastal footpath 10 mins walk from the quayside. A small natural cove of white sand slides gently into the turquoise sea, providing excellent swimming and snorkelling. The easiest way to get here is by ferry from Le Lavandou, between St Tropez and Toulon. 70 years ago Ile du Levant was the birthplace of nude leisure in France. Today, there is a tiny resident community and lots of holiday accommodation. Minimal clothing is normally worn in the village of Heliopolis, but the rest can be enjoyed as nature intended.
All nude beaches courtesy of Bare Beaches