The Best Nude Beaches around the World

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Our selection of the very best beaches to bare it all on and get that all-over tan. If taking all your clothes of at the seaside and letting the sand go where the sand naturally goes, then you will be pleased to know there are an ever growing number of naturist beaches around the globe.

The exact definitions and laws on nude beaches vary from country to country. In much of Europe no one bats an eye at topless sunbathing and complete nudity may be tolerated even if not strictly legal. The most common setup around the world though is having designated nude beaches. This way nobody gets offended when you take a skinny dip and there is less gawking!

So without further ado here are the world's best beaches for nudists.

  • Šunj (Lopud Island) // Croatia

    Šunj (Lopud Island)
    ©dronepicr

    Located on the island of Lopud, one of the Elaphite Islands close to Dubrovnik, Šunj Beach offers an enticing tranquillity amid rich blue waters, Mediterranean forest, and appealing sands with a shallow draft into the sea. Famously, visitors to Šunj can have to walk up to 100 metres to reach a depth where it is possible to swim, making the beach a tip-top destination for families with younger children, as well as adults looking for a paddle without getting soaked.

    Close to one kilometre in length, much of Šunj's solitude comes… read more »

  • Playa Paraiso // The Caribbean

    Playa Paraiso
    ©sergey02

    Playa Paraiso is a fabulous stretch of beach where soft, powdery white sand runs parallel to a turquoise sea, all under an almost eternally clear blue sky. It is sandwiched between Playa Blanca and Playa Sirena beaches to the east and west respectively. These and a number of other top-rated beaches are dotted around the resort island of Cayo Largo, just off the Cuban southwest coast. Access to the island is easiest by light aircraft using Cayo Largo Del Sur Airport.

    The folk in charge of heaven must have been… read more »

  • Freedom Beach // Thailand

    Freedom Beach
    ©BlueEyeTea

    Freedom Beach is one of the most beautiful with a 300m crescent of soft white sand and clear blue water backed by lush green mountains. Located on the west coast of Phuket, you can reach this private beach by longtail boat from Patong which lies just to the south. You can also take a strenuous hike down the cliffs path from the beach parking lot at the top of Patong Hill.

    Freedom Beach offers some of the best snorkelling in the area with spectacularly colourful fish close to the shore… read more »

  • Playa Zipolite // Mexico

    Playa Zipolite
    ©Ana Escobar

    Located on the southern coast of Oaxaca state, Playa Zipolite is Mexico's first and only legal nudist beach. It is very popular as a clothing-optional resort and is pretty laid back, with the use of marijuana largely ignored. On the first week in February the beach hosts the annual Festival Nudista Zipolite. For a little more seclusion head to Playa del Amor just over the bluff to the east.

    On a slightly macabre note, the name Zipolite means "beach of the dead" which may refer to the dangerous currents just… read more »

  • Cayo Santa Maria // The Caribbean

    Cayo Santa Maria
    ©Eric Marshall

    Connected to Cuba's main island at Caibarien by a long causeway, Cayo Santa Maria is one of a series of small islands lining the country's northern shores from Matanzas in the west to Camalote in the east.

    Little more than a sand bank which rises just four metres above the waves of the Caribbean, Cayo Santa Maria has exquisite white sand beaches totalling 13 kilometres in length, alongside warm turquoise shallows which make even the most reticent beachgoer strip off and enjoy them.

    Only really welcoming international visitors since the year 2000,… read more »

  • Aguas Blancas Beach // Spain

    Aguas Blancas Beach
    ©lunamarina / CanStockPhoto

    The often quiet, secluded Aguas Blancas beach is a far cry from the resort towns on the south of the island. This long beach of fine sand gets its name (meaning "white water") from the white horse's that frequently crest the waves on choppy days. However, these prevailing winds that blow throughout the year become a welcome breeze in the summer months when this beach comes into its own.

    Aguas Blancas has an unspoiled feel about it with high cliffs and various stone stacks running the length of the beach. The… read more »

  • Yyteri Beach // Finland

    Yyteri Beach

    Yyteri Beach is a magnificent 6-kilometre stretch of golden sands on Finland's west coast. It looks out over the chilly waters of the Gulf of Bothnia, which merges with the Baltic Sea at its southern end. Backed by extensive sand dunes, and woodland beyond, the beach at Yyteri has a wild feel.

    This beach resort is one of the most popular summer destinations with Nordic residents, thanks to its position between Yyteri Nature Trail and the Bothnian Sea National Park. The trail follows the seashore and takes you past some… read more »

  • Psarou Beach // Greece

    Psarou Beach
    © hansche

    Golden sands and family-friendly shallows of clear blue waters have made Psarou Beach a Mykonos favourite for decades. Just ten minutes' drive time south from Mykonos International Airport, its large protected bay often plays host to the yachts of the rich and famous anchoring immediately offshore.

    Although Psarou Beach is a good size at 150 metres in length, this means it still gets crowded during the peak summer season. There can even be a waiting list for people wanting to experience the hot sand occupied by rows of neatly placed sun… read more »

  • Anthony Quinn Bay // Greece

    Anthony Quinn Bay
    ©Michael Mayer

    Anthony Quinn Bay beach lies at the end of the narrow fjord-like bay of the same name. It comprises pockets of golden sand tucked between natural biscuit-coloured rock formations. These provide protection from even the strongest waves. Pines and other native flora offer some natural shade, alongside umbrellas and sun loungers which are available to rent.

    Well known for the clarity and turquoise colour of its waters, Anthony Quinn Bay is best appreciated by saltwater lovers, who have the option of swimming and snorkelling amid underwater rocks, or drifting slightly further… read more »

  • Santa Rosa Beach // USA

    Santa Rosa Beach
    ©Barbara Reddoch

    Powdery white sand and the clear waters of the Gulf are all par for the course along Florida's Emerald Coast and Santa Rosa beach is no exception. Situated less than ten miles away from the ever popular beaches of Destin, what you get at Santa Rosa is a more laid back, and dare I say, upmarket experience. You can instantly tell there is money here from the fine beachfront properties and high end restaurants that line sections of the beach.

    Whilst there are plenty of facilities at hand, much of the… read more »

  • Porthcurno Cove // UK

    Porthcurno Cove

    Porthcurno is one of the most westerly beaches in mainland Britain, just a few miles around the coast from Land's End. This cove is stunning in so many respects; the near white sand which is made from ground up sea shells, the clear turquoise water and the rugged granite cliffs that form a natural amphitheatre. The cove is not only a natural gem but is overlooked by the Minack, an open air theatre which is pretty spectacular in its own right.

    Pedn Vounder at the eastern end of the beach is… read more »

  • Cable Beach // Australia

    Cable Beach
    ©Christopher Roe / 123rf

    Cable Beach in Broome is a long, flat, sandy beach, and by long we mean 22 kilometres (15 miles) long. It isn't just quantity over quality either; the beach here is beautiful white sand lapped by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Much Cable beach backs on to gently sloping sand dunes, and in other places there are low cliffs of deep red sandstone.

    Given this vast expanse of sand it seems donkey rides weren't quite enough. Instead, at Cable beach there are the now famous camel rides which are… read more »

  • Crystal Crescent Beach // Canada

    Crystal Crescent Beach
    ©Ben MacLeod

    Roughly 30 kilometres south of Halifax, Crystal Crescent Beach sits at the mouth of the provincial capital's harbour within a provincial park. But this does nothing to take away from the natural beauty of this area of coastline.

    Crystal Crescent Beach is actually formed of three white sand beaches dotted with oversized pebbles, each of which are backed by low shrubs. This gives them a sense of privacy and seclusion. Boardwalks link the first two beaches to the parking area, which also acts as the trailhead for the 10 kilometre hike… read more »

  • Bolonia // Spain

    Bolonia

    In the province of Cadiz in Andalucia are the white sands of Bolonia beach which stretch out far along the coastline. Untouched and secluded, the soft sandy beach is backed by the remains of the Roman city of Baelo Claudia, which are worth exploring.

    There is also a nudist section of the beach at the southern end of the bay.

    read more »
  • Mohegan Bluffs Beach // USA

    Mohegan Bluffs Beach
    ©JJBers

    Mohegan Bluffs Beach is situated on the southeastern coast of Block Island. The beach takes its name from the towering cliffs which reach up to 200 feet above the coast. From atop the cliffs, visitors can admire some stunning views out over the Atlantic Ocean.

    The beach itself is fairly sandy but littered with large rocks close to the cliffs - which are in a constant state of erosion, so don't put your towel down too close.

    Mohegan Bluffs Beach takes a little effort to get to and for this reason remains… read more »