NO BUTTS on the beach!

We’ve been writing a lot here about all those wonderful beaches and other places to hang out naked, but there is one thing that often bothers us: garbage, especially cigarette butts!

Isn’t it strange, that so many people are able to bring food and beverages to the beach but are not able to take empty plastic bags and bottles with them?
And it is really annoying to lie down in the sand/on the rocks after a refreshing swimming session and smell tobacco instead of the clear sea air. As if inhaling the smoke from neighboring smokers is not enough, some of them seem to find it totally normal to throw cigarette butts just around them.
Or they think that the holes in the rocks are perfect natural ashtrays.
Please, if you do so, try to think again, whether it’s ok for environment and your neighbors!
All butts are welcome at the beach, but not those of cigarettes 😉

Secluded beach in Saronida, near Athens

I wrote about flat rocks of Limanakia, about 1-1.5 hours from Athens city centre, but if they seem too busy, you can follow further from the city and find some small secluded beaches like this one shown on the map.

You can go there by the same bus as to Limanakia – E22 – but further, till the last stop actually. Then walk along the sea-shore, passing through an urban beach first, until you reach a place of your choice.

It is simply amazing to find such a nice hidden spot 2 hours away from the buzzing centre of Athens;

perfect for a romantic beach day.

The water is crystal clear, so the place is great for snorkeling.

Of course, we swam naked.

But we wouldn’t be active naturists, if we just swam there.

We also played frisbee

and beach bats. As the beach itself was quite small, we decided to play in water. It made it more challenging and fun at the same time.

PS Given that this place is not a municipal beach, its cleanliness depends on you! Unfortunately we found some garbage on this beautiful beach. We took away what we could, but it’d be easier if everyone just took everything with themselves…

Mykonos (Party islands, part II)


Mykonos is a small island of the Mediterranean with a world fame of a party destination that can be rivaled only by Ibiza. Comparing to the latter, Mykonos attracts somewhat younger crowd, perhaps because it is slightly cheaper.

As elsewhere in Greece, Mykonos is full of clothes-optional beaches, and with the names like Paradise or Super Paradise you would certainly expect visitors wearing suits à la Adam and Eve or, given its reputation of one of the hottest gay destinations, Adam and Steve.

But in July-August it is all about partying there, with banging tunes from the early afternoon till late night, when the the crowd, by that time almost certainly drunk already, moves to the clubs. So in most cases this is probably as close to nudism as it gets at the mainstream beaches of Mykonos in high season. In fact at Paradise beach, I did not see any nudists neither in April a couple of years ago nor this July, there were only two topless girls. So apparently this Paradise follows the story of the place which gave its name.

Luckily there is also Super Paradise beach nearby, and in some respects it is certainly ‘super’ over the Paradise one: people sunbathe and swim au naturel there 🙂 You can come from Paradise to Super Paradise by boat-taxi. Then nudists mostly reside in the left side end (when you face it from the sea).

Or you can walk up through dry fields and rocks, quite picturesque though, for about half-hour. Just be prepared to jump over some stone fences between them. And beware of the cattle and sheep!-)

On the way you will find some nice coves with flat rocks. In fact this is only place where you can find rest from the loud music in the vicinity of Paradise in case you’re a little tired from partying. In spring some rocks are literally covered with flowers, the combination of colors is just fantastic!


For cheap and convenient accommodation, I’d recommend Paradise Resort. The cheapest options are these wooden cabins or camping (luckily they provide shade), but they also have deluxe apartments.Then you have the Paradise beach and Paradise club at your feet. And they even have a bird house with my favorite zebra finches! Though I preferred to go to Super Paradise beach or the coves for swimming and Cavo Paradiso for dancing. BTW watch out for flyers, there may be tips for free entry. Cavo Paradiso is an amazing club built on the rocks over the sea next to the Paradise beach. So you can dance under the stars till the sunrise. They also feature famous full moon parties, and the line up always includes top world DJs. And there is a pool in the shape of the island where you can dance as well, like on this video from a party with Mark Knight on the decks.

Not sure how they’ll react if you dance naked, but it’s almost as good as it gets =)


See also our report from another clubbing mecca of the Mediterranean with some naturist options, Ibiza!

Ibiza (Party islands, part I)

Ibiza… the clubbing capital of the world, but it has even more to offer. First it became notorious for its hippy gatherings in 1960-70’s, which provided its fame for liberal atmosphere and were a starting point for the clubbing scene, developed by the likes of Pete Tong. So when I dreamt of going to Ibiza, I of course wanted to see the legendary clubs of the White Isle, such as Pacha and Space, but also had images of some tranquil beaches with hippies like this.

This year the dream has come true and I went there with a friend from Madrid. We stayed at campsite Cala Nova, which is quite far from so called “super clubs” in Ibiza Town and San Antonio, but as I thought it would not be a problem, as there is a direct night bus, “Discobus“, to Ibiza Town. This campsite is certainly a well-kept place with all necessary facilities including supermarket, so if you want to save on accommodation, it could be a good option. The only reminder of the glorious hippy times there is a hippy market in neighboring Es Cana. Unfortunately it is not clothing-optional campsite, which would be beneficial in the summer heat, and I do not know if there are any in Ibiza,

but it is just 5min away from the beach.

The beach is beautiful, quite crowded but with enough private space for such a popular tourist destination. It was probably my first experience at a beach where only small fraction of people were naked. At different times there were just 5-20 nudists, and what was unusual is that the nudist part was in the centre of the beach (where you see sand cliffs on this photo).

There were a couple of surprised faces among passerby, but overall none seemed to care. This made me think that even textile people do not have anything against public nudity when they see that it is not intended to shock anyone. Maybe some of them wonder “why?”, and some, “why don’t I try?”…

Finally there was our first night out. We headed to Pacha to the party of Swedish House Mafia, represented by Axwell and Steve Angello on that night, with warm-up set provided by French duo Arno Cost and Norman Doray. Pacha was the first super club in Ibiza. Now, barely has it any sign of its hippy past and has become a renowned brand with a chain of clubs throughout the globe… The party featured some of my favorite producers, so I was looking forward to hearing them and dancing to the music till sunrise… Although local government tries to diminish predominance of young clubbers among tourists visiting Ibiza and pressures clubs to close by 6am. Unfortunately the Discobus stops working at approximately this time, and then there is no direct bus to Cala Nova. But the Swedes went on well beyond that time and promised they would play till the crowd would stay, and the music and atmosphere was so great, that we could not stop… We had to pay for this joy by an hour trip in a bus and taxi and not being able to sleep normally in the tent because of the heat and noise from awaking neighbors. I had to admit that combination of clubbing and camping wasn’t such a great idea :-/

But we continued sleeping at the beach. Luckily the sand cliff at the naturist section of the beach provides shade in the afternoon.

Nevertheless we went out again on the following night, as we had booked the tickets in advance and I really wanted to hear the mighty Carl Cox, which has been in the top DJ list since it was first compiled 25 years ago. Despite the event was held at one of Ibiza’s hugest venues, Space, the dance-floor was packed. This has nothing to do with naturism (except that maybe it helps me to maintain good stamina necessary for such long nights), but I thought I should put a video from that night…

Surreal!  So if you are into dance music this is the place to be.

… and then again sleeping on the beach and very late lunch at the restaurant next to it…
From that day the waves were quite strong and there was even a bunch of surfers, mostly in the right side of the beach (if you face the sea). Again I was amazed – so many things one could do on this small island. I did not even know that wave-surfing was possible in Mediterranean. Too bad I don’t have a board and the time was too short for taking a course.
But at least I couldn’t resist from buying beach bats with “Ibiza” written with geckos on them, as beach bats seem very popular on Ibiza beaches.

On the last day we went to the biggest official nudist beach of Ibiza – Es Cavallet. The area at the entrance is mostly textile though, but further to the south (right), more and more naturists (and more and more gays among them) appear until it becomes fully clothes-free.

There were some of the best-trained guys I have ever seen (obviously, I did not dare to take pictures). So if it was believed that Greek gods spent winter time in Cyprus, they must have spent their summer vacations in Ibiza =)

But almost at the end of the beach on the right side, there is a bar featuring huge rainbow flags, around which most people were clothed again.

The water was of two contrasting colors – from very intense dark blue in the deep parts, to light turquoise at the shallow shore,

where the bottom is naturally very flat and smooth, somewhat a cemented sand.

So we were totally astonished by visiting just few of Ibiza’s sites.

Unfortunately we did not have time to visit another famous nudist beach, Aguas Blancas, that is recommended by one of my favorite DJs Judge Jules in Ministry of Sound’s guide to Ibiza. And there is certainly much more to explore.

Or is it the time to check out also our report from another clubbing mecca of the Mediterranean with some naturist options, Mykonos!

Nudi di fronte agli yachts dei milionari: Benvenuti a Capri!)

English

Sembra che questa sia l’unica parte di questa isola chic dove alle persone non importa davvero quale tipo di vestito viene indossato…perché qui loro non vestono nulla 😉 Bisogna andare verso via Krupp da Marina Piccola, e poi verso il mare passando attraverso i pini arricciati e ristoranti, sono mostrati sulla mappa esattamente! Non c’è sabbia, e l’entrata nell’acqua non è comoda, ma alcune rocce sono perfette per distendersi. E non dimenticatevi di fare una fotografia di fronte allo yacht di qualche celebrità o multimilionario, come Abramovich. Potete essere nudi, ma siete comunque a Capri!
Italian text by Matteo

beach near Rio de Janeiro

Português

Abrico beach (Praia de Abricó) is one of surprisingly few official naturist beaches in South America. Located in a protected area of Rio de Janeiro, it is one of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches of the city. The crowd is very diverse, especially on weekends, when local families come too. Proximity to Rio de Janeiro makes it quite packed on weekends, with some nude sport activities organized by Associação naturista da Praia de Abricó.

Is is really nice you can keep yourself active outside water, because often the waves are too strong 26552321306_7d7cdd567b_z_d

and the water is unexpectedly cold for long swimming. On weekdays, there are fewer people, but more freedom to roam around in the buff!

naturist 0000 praia Abrico, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Among few other nudists you are likely to be accompanied just by these giant birds 8D

view 0001 praia Abrico, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Well, they are just white egrets 🙂

But in any case, you are guaranteed with a magnificent view of the bright blue ocean and two tropical islands!

view 0000 praia Abrico, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

 

The plants vary from cacti of all forms and sizes, bromelias and agaves, growing on the rocks,

view 0003 praia Abrico, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

to palm trees, hibiscuses and many other tropical trees.

view 0004 praia Abrico, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

If you stay till dark, the air might be filled with sparkling bugs, a fabulous view.
The cheapest way to go to Abrico Beach from Copacabana (or in any location near sea on South Zone) is to take bus 175 (Barra da Tijuca or Recreio) or S-20 (Recreio) on Atlantica Avenue (except sundays), in Copacabana, (on sundays you can get the buses on Barata Ribeiro street) (from Ipanema you must take the bus on Vieira Souto Avenue or in Leblon, in Delfim Moreira Avenue) and get off in front of Barra Shopping (center), in Barra da Tijuca. Then take the bus 702 or 703 (Recreio) and take off in front of Condomonio MARAMAR. Go to the way up side the sea, through Prainha. When go down in Grumari, look to the ocean and go to the left. Abrico beach is behind big stones. Instead of getting off the bus in front of MARAMAR residences you can do it in front of RECREIO SHOPPING CENTER (bus 175 also goes there, but keep your eye on which color line it belongs to (yellow or red) when you go back, better ask the driver if it goes to Ipanema!), and then take a taxi to Abrico Beach for approximately 10 reais, but also keep in mind that the taxi is not so numerous in that area, especially for the return, but locals may give you a lift.

naturist 0000 praia do Abrico, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

beach near Lisbon (Praia do Meco)

See full size image Português

Praia do Meco is an amazingly huge
and beautiful beach, perfect for naturism and camping, with pine forests around, high cliffs and springs with fresh water. Apparently you can also do paragliding there,  maybe also naked?
Although one of the best on the Lisbon coast, this beach is a little challenging to reach by public transportation. You have to take the bus to Sesimbra from Lisbon’s Praça de Espanha bus terminal, and get off at Santana. From there, around 8 buses daily run to Meco village. Be sure to ask for a timetable for your return trip.

Nude in front of millionaires’ yachts: Welcome to Capri!)

italiano

It seems this is the only spot on this chic island where people don’t really care what kind of clothes they wear… because they wear nothing here 😉 Just go to via Krupp from Marina Piccola and then to the sea passing through the twisted pines and restaurants, it is shown on the map exactly! There is no sand, and the entrance to the water is not convenient, but it is nice to lie on some of the rocks. Don’t be shy and take a picture in front of a yacht of some celebrity or multimillionaire, like Abramovich. You may be naked, but you are still on Capri!

Kalogria beach in Western Peloponnese, Greece

ελληνικά

Nudist part of the beach of Kalogria (παραλίες γυμνιστών Καλόγρια) is to the right (if you look at the sea) from the main beach, through some rocks and woods. But you will get a very lovely bay with sandy beach, some rocks to climb, and clear water to swim; and don’t forget to enjoy the romantic sunset view, as it faces the sunset point.

on a coral reef beach at the Red Sea (Egypt)

عَرَبيْ

Coral Beach Resort in Hurghada, Egypt, is an ideal place where naturists can enjoy one of the richest marine ecosystems – coral reefs of the Red Sea – without having to wear swimsuits. It is the right place to feel unity with the nature: fishes there are not only immensely diverse but are also quite tame! And since life in the coral reef is concentrated in 2-5 upper meters of the sea, it is easy to observe it without much of equipment: snorkeling is perfect.  Just dip into the water, and you will see a world utterly different from the surrounding desert, and quite like nowhere else!

naturist 0003 Rotana Resort Coral Beach, Hurghada, Egypt

I wish I had my underwater camera that time…

It is also a unique place in the entire North Africa and Near East region, besides Israel, where nudists are officially tolerated, including the Egyptian staff of the hotel. However, the web site of the hotel does not include information about the beach, probably to avoid problems with authorities who might not like it. The nudist part of the beach is about several hundreds meters long,

naturist 0000 Rotana Resort Coral Beach, Hurghada, Egypt

but only the first 50 or so are equipped (this area is exactly shown on the map).naturist 0001 Rotana Resort Coral Beach, Hurghada, Egypt

There are wind- and sun-protecting shields and huts at your disposal.

view 0001 Rotana Resort, Hurghada, Egypt

You could of course hang out naked in your bungalow too, but it’s not why you would go there, right?

The best thing about this resort, is that you can swim as you like all along the vast coral reefs.

naturist 0004 Rotana Resort Coral Beach, Hurghada, Egypt

I think we are pretty clear on this website that swimsuits are a nuisance 😉 Given the warmth of the Red Sea waters, you won’t need a wetsuit for snorkeling either!

naturist 0005 Rotana Resort Coral Beach, Hurghada, Egypt

Besides hours of swimming (the water is so warm that you can really stay for a few hours in the sea), other water activities are available at the resort as well.

osprey 0000 Rotana Resort, Hurghada, Egypt

I saw several ospreys there; it was quite a show when they went on fishing spree!

But even without all this, just looking at those crystal clear waters can be mesmarizing. naturist 0002 Rotana Resort Coral Beach, Hurghada, Egypt

You can also observe the sunrise over the sea

view 0000 Rotana Resort, Hurghada, Egypt

and sunset over the desert.

view 0002 Rotana Resort, Hurghada, Egypt

There won’t be a shortage of sun in Hurghada, you needn’t worry about the weather to get your all-over tan!)

naturist 0006 Rotana Resort Coral Beach, Hurghada, Egypt