Naturism looks different everywhere. In some countries it means a signed stretch of beach; in others, a whole holiday village, a city park or a sauna where swimwear is the odd thing out. Here are the ten countries where naturism is biggest, and what to know before you go.
How we chose
There’s no official league table for naturism, so we weighed history, how many naturist places there are, and how relaxed the law and local attitudes are. Germany and France are clear leaders; after that it’s a matter of taste. Rules can change and differ from place to place, so always check locally. This is general information, not legal advice.
1. Germany
Where it all beganGermany gave the world organised naturism. Its free body culture, Freikörperkultur or FKK, grew out of the health and nature movements of the 1890s, and today it reaches well beyond the beach: lakes, city parks and saunas, where being nude is often expected. It’s such a big story that we’ve given it a page of its own.
2. France
The home of the naturist holidayFrance turned naturism into a holiday. Albert and Christiane Lecocq founded the French Naturist Federation in 1948, and in 1950 CHM Montalivet on the Atlantic coast opened as the world’s first naturist holiday centre. The International Naturist Federation was formed there soon after. In the late 1960s Cap d’Agde on the Mediterranean opened its naturist quarter, which grew into the biggest in Europe, and it was at Agde in 1974 that the federation defined naturism as “a way of life in harmony with nature”. Today France has more naturist centres and campsites than anywhere else.
3. Spain
Beaches without the fussNo Spanish law bans public nudity, so in practice you can go bare on almost any beach away from town centres. Some towns have their own by-laws, mostly about dress on the streets, but the coast is famously relaxed. The Canaries, the Balearics and Andalucía all have well-known naturist beaches, and the warm climate means the season runs most of the year.
4. Croatia
Europe’s first naturist resortsCroatia was the first country in Europe to build commercial naturist resorts, and naturism remains a real part of its tourism. The story goes back to 1936, when King Edward VIII was given special permission to swim naked off the island of Rab. Today the Istrian coast is lined with naturist campsites and beaches, including Koversada, one of the best known in Europe.
5. Netherlands
Plain-speaking and practicalThe Dutch approach naturism the way they approach most things: sensibly. The oldest Dutch naturist association, Zon en Leven, was founded in 1946, and the national federation now goes by the cheerful name Bloot Gewoon!, roughly “just naked”. There are naturist beaches along the North Sea coast, plus clubs, swims and parks inland.
6. Denmark
Bare on (almost) any beachDenmark has some of the most relaxed rules anywhere. Nudity is allowed on all Danish beaches except two in the far west of the country, so there is no need to hunt for an official naturist area. Locals simply pick a quiet spot.
7. Greece
Island coves, unofficiallyGreece has no official nude beaches, but plenty of unofficial ones, especially on islands such as Crete, Mykonos and Corfu. The authorities generally look the other way on remote beaches, and in 2015 a prosecutor in Thessaloniki dropped a complaint against two men who had walked naked through the city, reasoning that nudity without sexual behaviour is not lewd. Charges do still happen, though, usually after complaints.
8. Portugal
Official beaches on the AtlanticPortugal has a growing list of officially designated naturist beaches, from the Algarve to the coast near Lisbon. The Portuguese Naturist Federation was founded in Lisbon in 1977, and naturism is widely tolerated.
9. United States
Resorts, clubs and a few famous beachesAmerica’s first official nudist camp, Sky Farm in New Jersey, opened in 1932. Naturism in the US is mostly centred on clubs and resorts, many affiliated to the American Association for Nude Recreation. A few public beaches, such as Haulover Beach in Miami, are famous for being clothing-optional.
10. Australia
Sunshine and official beachesAustralia’s first naturist club was founded in Sydney in 1931. In 1975 the southern half of Maslin Beach, south of Adelaide, became the country’s first official nude beach, and several states have followed with their own. Naturist clubs and resorts are dotted across the country.
And the UK?
Britain doesn’t make the top ten for weather, but it’s catching up on numbers. An Ipsos poll found that nearly 7 million people in the UK call themselves naturists, and there are naturist beaches from Cornwall to the Scottish islands. Find one on our UK beach map, read the first-timer’s guide, and meet like-minded people through British Naturism.
Also worth knowing: Canada, where the Van Tan Club in Vancouver has run since 1939, and New Zealand, where you can go bare on any beach where nudity is known to happen.