In last week’s blog post, we talked about a lot of new online tools that are helpful for booking and organising vacations, and about how they are often limiting to us, who like to go to places where clothes are not part of the dress code. We received a lot of responses to this post, confirming how it can be hard to find naturist, nudist, or clothing-optional destinations.

Especially for first-timers, finding your way in the evergrowing maze of different types of clothes-free resorts can be daunting. Which one will best serve your needs? Do you want a large resort or a small club? Is Spain better than France and what about Saint Martin, Thailand, or New Zealand? We’ll give you a lot of tips to make the search for your perfect clothes-free vacation a bit easier.

The first question you want to ask yourself is whether you want an “outside vacation”, an “inside vacation”, or a combination. An outside vacation is where you spend a lot of time outside of the resort, visiting places, exploring nature, go hiking or climbing or chilling on the beach. The resort is mostly used to spend the night and hang around in the mornings or evenings. If you’re an outside vacation person, it’s best to think first about which countries or regions appeal to you, and then look at the clothes-free options.

Of course, clothes-free vacations aren’t possible in every country. They are non-existent in any country in Asia except for Thailand and Bali, or in any country in Africa except for South Africa. In Latin America, the options are rather few too. To get an indication of the possibilities, have a look at our Destinations Page. We haven’t been to every country with clothes-free vacation options, but this overview should give you a broad idea. If you also want to spend some “outside” time without clothes, it’s best to look for areas with nude beaches or naked hiking options.

Inside vacations are the opposite, here is the goal to spend as much time as possible inside the resort. In this case, you want to focus on countries that have large clothes-free resorts or so-called naturist villages where you can easily keep yourself busy for days in a row. Places like this can often be found in Croatia, Spain, and France, as well as in South Africa, Australia, and the United States.

Most people will choose a combination of both. They like to see what’s happening around the resort but also like to spend a significant amount of time inside, aka without clothes. This will also give the most variety of options because any type of resort will fit.

Other than clothes-free time and what to do in the area, there are some other elements you want to take into account. An important one is the distance, as you don’t want to spend half your vacation time in a car or on a plane. The weather should not be neglected either. It’s obviously not the best idea to plan a clothes-free vacation in a place where it’s winter but also rain seasons in for example Southeast Asia or the Caribbean can ruin a vacation (we speak from experience).

Most people who have been on a clothes-free vacation loved it. For those who didn’t, the number one reason is that they didn’t go to the right place. Choosing the right destination also depends a lot on your company. If you’re travelling with the family, you obviously want a place where the kids can also enjoy themselves. On the other hand, if you’re going as a couple you may want to avoid places that are full with children.

In the case of the latter, adult-only resorts may be a good fit for you. When it comes to clothes-free places (or hospitality in general), the term “adult-only” doesn’t mean the same as it does on the internet. It literally means that it’s only for adults. Nothing more, nothing less. By the way, if you do want it to mean the same as on the internet, those resorts exist as well and are probably a better fit for you.

If you’re travelling with friends, it’s again a different choice because you will have to keep the needs of your friends into account. If they like to socialize, you may want to pick a resort with lots of activities or a good bar. If they prefer to relax and soak up nature, you want to find a resort that offers this. If your friends like to be pampered, Riva Bella with its many spa options is definitely a place you want to consider.

It can also be that you want to travel solo and this too requires picking the right resort. Smaller places tend to be much more social and even though you arrive by yourself, you may never feel alone. Larger places are more anonymous and make it easier to disappear in the masses. Don’t we all want this sometimes? Also important to keep into account is that not every resort accepts solo travellers, so you may want to double-check this.

For the next step, you’ll need to open up your wallet. Or maybe better your bank app. Is this going to be a budget vacation or rather a splash-the-cash occasion? Or somewhere in the middle?

Luckily, clothes-free vacations are possible for every type of budget, ranging from small campgrounds in Europe where you’re unlikely to pay more than a handful of euros per night, to all-inclusive clothes-free hotels in the Caribbean where one night costs half a fortune. It’s all about how much you’re willing to spend.

Many resorts offer different types of accommodation, even if you don’t like camping, you can still find budget rooms or basic caravans to stay at. Just like there may be luxury seafront villas or chalets. Unless you’re staying in an all-inclusive resort, it’s also important to keep the cost of living of your destination in mind. A clothes-free resort in Thailand will cost more than a campsite in France, but if you look at the price of food, drinks, and activities, in the end it might be cheaper to go to Thailand after all.

If you’re new to clothes-free vacations, the terms “naturist”, “nudist”, and “clothing-optional” may be a bit confusing. And they are, in a way. So let us briefly explain. Naturists and nudists like to have endless discussions about which one is better and which one is more of a philosophy than the other. It’s a bit silly, and it’s important to know that this is just about people. When it comes to places, both terms mean the exact same thing.

The general rule at naturist or nudist places is that you go there to spend time without clothes. Yet, how much time differs from place to place. Smaller clubs will often have a nude-obligatory policy, meaning that you’re supposed to be naked as long as the weather allows it. Commercial resorts have a much more relaxed approach towards when and where you have to be naked. Generally speaking, whenever you would be wearing a bathing suit in a “textile” resort, you’re expected to be naked in these resorts, so in the swimming pool, the sauna, and on the beach. But it’s perfectly fine to cover up when walking around, doing yoga, or having dinner.

Clothing-optional resorts are exactly what the name suggests: clothes are an option. These are ideal places if you travel with family members or friends who are unsure about going naked. You will find that most clothed guests either come with the intention to get naked eventually or are accompanying someone who likes to be naked. These resorts are also popular among women who like to sunbathe topless but don’t feel much for going full monty.

By now, you have figured out where you want to go, who you want to go with, which type of accommodation you want, what your budget is, and how much time you want to spend in the nude. That’s more than enough to actually pick a resort.

Once again, our Destinations page is an excellent place to start because it’s full of reviews of the places we have visited. Including answers to several of the above questions. But we haven’t been everywhere and maybe what you’re looking for is not on our list. Some of the websites we like to use to find naturist destinations are:

We often use the GetNakedGermany map or Naturist Directory to start with. When we made a selection of nice looking places, we go over to Blootkompas for more info and to read the user reviews. Then we also have a look at the Tripadvisor and Google reviews and after that, we’re pretty certain whether a place fits our needs or not.

From there, we head over to Booking.com to see if they are listed, because here we often get discounts. If not, we’ll use the booking engine on the resort website. If resorts don’t have direct booking but only phone or e-mail, that’s often a no-no for us. Unless we really, really, really want to go there. Come on, this is the 21st century.

This is also the right time to get your transportation arranged. There is a variety of options to book flights, airport transfers, buses, and car rentals online. Have a look at our Resources page for the websites we use.

Now that the resort is booked, flights are booked, transportation is booked, and your travel companions are informed (well, we hope so, a first-time clothes-free vacation is not something many people appreciate as a surprise, trust us), it’s time for the most important step of all: Start dreaming.

You only get a limited number of vacation days, but many more to dream about it. Imagine yourself with that cocktail next to that swimming pool, hiking that hill and standing naked on the top, getting that massage, eating that seafood platter. Reading blog posts or watching videos about your destination also helps a lot to get your imagination going.

What’s also good is to make a packing list. This way you make sure that you won’t forget anything during departure stress when your plane is set to leave in a couple of hours and your kitchen still needs to be cleaned and you still need to explain to your neighbour how to water the plants and the cat is missing and so is your youngest child.

If you’re still unsure of whether you should try a clothes-free vacation or not, it means that you should try it. The fact that you’re thinking about it, means that it’s just uncertainty that is stopping you. This is the worst guide in life. We believe in things like “you only regret the things you didn’t do”, “life is supposed to be an adventure”, and “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Going on a clothes-free vacation is not like getting a tattoo on your face. If it appears to be nothing for you, you just put your clothes back on and off you go. But at least you’ll know. So head out to that paradise and take off your clothes! You can thank us later.