We just love nudist resorts. They’ve practically been our home for more than a year and a half now and even before our big journey, they were our favorite getaways. Personally, if we get the choice between a nudist place or a textile one, we’ll always pick the nudist resort. For the obvious reason that we can be naked without someone complaining (or having the police chase our naked behinds) but also because we like the atmosphere, the comfort and the great people that often come as an added bonus to visiting a nudist campground, bed and breakfast or hotel.
The other day we were reading a review of some campground which has a textile and a nudist part. The family who wrote the piece was telling about what an amazing time they had at the nude beach, but yet they were staying at the textile part. The first thing we thought was “Great! Another family discovered the nudist world!”. After reading a bit further, we noticed that they weren’t such newbies at all. They had been visiting nude beaches for many years, but yet they preferred to spend the night in the textile part. An extremely odd idea at first, until we started to think about it.
Why does a nudist go to a textile place?
The more we thought about this story and the more we tried to find similar ones on the internet, the more we noticed once again that there are different types of nudists. With different needs and different things they like. Unfortunately, the family in the review didn’t go into detail about why they chose the textile campground. So we tried to get into their minds. It wasn’t that difficult at all. Although we currently try to spend as much time in the nude as possible, we do remember the days when we were living in Belgium with jobs and friends and family and a busy agenda. More often than not we decided to keep our clothes on just for convenience. Getting home at 7 pm from work, clothes off, leaving at 7.30 pm to the supermarket, clothes on, back at 8, clothes off, someone rings the bell at 8:30, clothes on. That was not our kind of lifestyle. Only when we knew that we didn’t have to leave the house for several hours and that nobody was going to pass by, we had nude time at home.
At this specific campground, convenience could exactly be the same reason. We’ve been to mixed campgrounds where the shops or the bars or the activities are on the textile part. Because you’re often required to be nude on the nudist part, we could understand that some people rather spend some quiet hours naked at the beach and then just keep their clothes on.
Convenience is not the only reason we can think of though. What if only one partner is a nudist or if the kids don’t like nudism? Maybe their only goal in the nude lifestyle is to get a great tan and nothing else? Or they feel uncomfortable walking naked around a campground? What if they had a bad experience once? What if… We can probably think of several other reasons. But we’ll probably never know. Unless you recognize yourself in this description, then please do tell us about it!
Convenience is not the only reason we can think of though. What if only one partner is a nudist or if the kids don’t like nudism? Maybe their only goal in the nude lifestyle is to get a great tan and nothing else? Or they feel uncomfortable walking naked around a campground? What if they had a bad experience once? What if… We can probably think of several other reasons. But we’ll probably never know. Unless you recognize yourself in this description, then please do tell us about it!
Give nudist resorts another try
Another very important reason could be that you just don’t like nudist resorts. Or you didn’t like the first one you’ve ever visited. During our travels around the world, we’ve been to so many different kinds of nudist resorts, you can’t imagine if you haven’t tried it yourself. Seeing the many differences is one of the best things we get from this trip, but that also means that sometimes we end up at a place we don’t really like. Or worse, we have been to places of which we thought “If this had been our first experience with nudism, we would probably never have become nudists…”
We’ve said it before, different nudists like different things. Some like the quietness that comes with nature and no wifi or music. Others like a good bar that stays open until early in the morning, or petanque tournaments or more active sports. Some like to hang around people their own age while others feel more comfortable with other generations. The good thing about nudism today is that there’s pretty much something for everybody. The bad thing is that if you pick a place that doesn’t suit your expectations, you might end up somewhere you completely don’t enjoy.
If your first visit to a nudist resort was not exactly what you expected, don’t give up. Do some research on the internet, read a couple of our reviews and who knows you find a place that’s exactly what you were looking for.
If your first visit to a nudist resort was not exactly what you expected, don’t give up. Do some research on the internet, read a couple of our reviews and who knows you find a place that’s exactly what you were looking for.
Stick to public places
This doesn’t mean that you have to start streaking the neighborhood. Some people don’t enjoy nudist resorts because they feel restricted by the huge rulesets they are often presented with. It interferes with the feeling of freedom that comes with nudism. For many those rules feel comfortable and secure, for others, they feel suffocating and they get the idea that Big Brother is always watching. In such cases, a public place like a nude beach or a designated park might be a better option. The rules are basically the same though, but here they are rather presented as “etiquette”. Which does take some pressure away.
Also when you enjoy sunbathing without clothes but you don’t feel much like walking, talking, eating, drinking or singing karaoke in the nude, a public place might be a good option for you. This might sound strange for the full-time nudists, but during our searches on the internet we found several stories of “beach nudists” who prefer to stay at a textile hotel after the sun goes down.
Home nudism, also on holiday
For some nudists, the social thing is not really… ehm… their thing. Again, for us, this was difficult to imagine at first because we’ve had so many wonderful times hanging out with a bunch of naked people. But when we started thinking about this, it doesn’t sound that crazy at all. Some are just not feeling comfortable being naked among others. We’ve met nudists who prefer to get dressed for dinner and who don’t like to see naked bodies while they’re enjoying their seafood platter. And for some, their nude time is designated time for themselves, on their own, as a couple, or as a family. They don’t appreciate the friendly and social nudist scene as much as we do. And of course, that’s their full right.
The number of home nudists, people who only like to spend time naked in their own house is huge. We even dare to say that it might be even larger than social nudists but we don’t have any statistics about that. Anyway, home nudists also like to go on holiday. On nude holidays. Luckily, there are several options for them as well. Some nudist resorts provide a huge load of privacy but maybe the best solution, in this case, is to hire a vacation home. Have a look at Airbnb for some amazing options or just search the internet and we’re sure you’ll find some place where you can be comfortably naked without having to face anyone else.
Nudist events
For some, nudist resorts can be extremely boring. Many nudist resorts around the world are focused on sunbathing and relaxing. On rest and on quietness. Something great if that’s what you’re looking for, but if you like to have an active vacation your options certainly become a bit limited. In places like France, Spain, and Croatia there are huge nudist resorts, the so-called nudist villages, which have possibilities to keep you busy for at least several weeks. If not more. But what if those countries are not your holiday destination? Have a look for nudist events. These are regularly organized in many countries and provide a great alternative for spending days in a row next to a swimming pool.
Nudist events in general seem to attract more younger people than the average nudist resort, that’s mainly because it’s something active.
Nudist events in general seem to attract more younger people than the average nudist resort, that’s mainly because it’s something active.
The perfect place to get naked
The search for the perfect nudist place has somehow become our goal in life. It’s what we do. And before you get big expectations about how this paragraph will end, we can already tell you that we haven’t found it yet. Or maybe we’ve already found many? It’s hard to say. What we can tell you is that there are places for every type of nudist, you just have to find them. Personally, we hope we’ll never find the perfect place because our search has been so amazing and has brought us to so many great places that we just want it to go on forever.
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There are many “Free Range” nudists who prefer to live naked wherever we are without having to “go to” a commercial resort to be naked. That means washing our car or mowing our lawn naked, not “streaking the neighborhood.” It means being naked on public paths, public beaches, and public roads in addition to private spaces.
I’ve heard people say that they don’t like naturist clubs/resorts. But that probably means that they don’t like the one nearest to them. To me it’s like saying that you don’t like restaurants. There are so many variations of clubs/resorts that it is ridiculous to judge them all after only visiting one. (or even several) But unfortunately, there is rarely a lot of choice locally. Some of my favourite resorts of very far away from where I live.
The wife and bbn I were home nudists, and where we live (on a mountain in the woods) this ment we could go grab outside nude. When my son and family decided to move up and build their cabin on our land, walking around nude became a problem. There is a nudist resort nearby, so we gave them a try. Loved it, and are planning a weekend trip there this coming summer.
I can understand why some people can’t be nude as often as they like now that our situation has changed, but there are ways around it.
Glad I followed you folks!
There may be another, connected, point which is that, despite the apparent freedom of nudism (which is why lots of people love nude swimming and sunbathing) there is an element of ‘joining the political party’ by staying at an all-nude resort. That may be something that youngish (particularly youngish working) people may not be happy about; there are so many to social pressures to conform – social media, political correctness, required work mission statements and attitudes, expected likes, dislikes, interests, clothes, even opinions – that another set of ‘rules’ (albeit designed to protect freedom), particularly when one is on a holiday one has paid for oneself, is just ‘too much’
There’s no question that “joining” is not cool for many people. But then that’s an old-fashioned concept. At Bare Oaks nobody is required to join. If you come a lot, it makes sense. But we’re happy to keep collecting day fees forever!
We’ve spent a lot of time at nudist resorts the past few years because we live fulltime in an RV and prefer to live fulltime naked, so the resorts work for us. However, they can be expensive unless we stay for long term. We love socializing with other nudists, but sometimes we get burned out on all the partying and socializing that happens at resorts. And if we hang back, we often get guilt trips, such as: “Why didn’t you guys come to the dance?” “What have you guys been doing, hiding out?” LOL. Not complaining: We have made a lot of great naturist friends at the resorts because of that.
There’s no question that in some clubs, there’s pressure to participate in all activities. But I find that’s mostly true of small clubs. When you have several hundred members, there’s never any one activity that includes all.
As I said in my earlier comment, you may not like a specific club. But there is a lot of variety in clubs. Unfortunately, the type you like may not be near you.
At Bare Oaks, we sometimes took the gravel road back from the Bare Bistro to our spot because we knew that if we took the more scenic path via the lake it could take hours to get back. Just because of all the people we would meet along the way and all the times we would stop for a chat. The social aspect one of the things we like a lot about naturist resorts. But we completely understand what Nomadic Nudists say as well.
That sounds like a dream to me to live in an RV, tho som like that depends alots on ones age, if ur working or are an oldie, if u can do work from the RV it self …
But is sure sounds like a dream to me.
I don’t mind clubs, but there’s something about being limited to walls, fences, gates, and rules that detracts from the overall “free” feeling of nudity. It’s a constant mental reminder that there is something “wrong” or taboo about what we’re doing, and also a visual reminder that we are physically confined. I’d much rather be at a beach or in the woods, or any wide open outdoor space, really.
Also, the long lists of rules that come with some resorts are often outdated, and a bummer for younger nudists that just want to come have a good time on the weekends. Eventually, I hope that all resorts will modernize and only have four rules: treat everyone respectfully, no public sexual activity, no photos of others without consent, and always sit your own towel. Just my two cents.
Thanks for your comment Felix, we also find the walls suffocating. Luckily there are several naturist resorts which have natural boundaries like a forest or which are that big that you’ll only find the fence if you actually start searching for it. In Europe there are quite a lot of those and also in California and Canada we found several.
The rules are tricky. We’ve met people who very much dislike them and others who find them very comforting. In the end, most of the time they make complete sense. Like “no bathing suits in the pool” for example. It makes you think “really? this is a nudist resort, why do they need this rule?”. Until people start wearing bathing suits and ruin the atmosphere for others.
But we agree that some resorts do take this to the extreme.
Its not that clubs are inherently bad, but they are not the same as living naked at home. Promoting nudity only at clubs is similar to agreeing to ban nudity everywhere else. Having to GO TO a club on weekends to be naked is another way of accepting that being naked at home is wrong or forbidden. And then there are the rules.
When I see photos or video of home nudists posted on social media they hardly ever are sitting on towels at home. Even pictures from clubs often show nudists without towels. Treating everyone with respect sounds good, but often ends up as enforcement of “PC” agenda demands. Watch what you say or they kick you out. So even the 4 rules Felix suggests do significantly restrict freedom that home or Free Range nudity allows.
We think that there’s a huge difference between home nudism and visiting nudist clubs. One just can’t be compared to the other. It all depends on what you prefer.
We know that there are clubs that promote a “strictly follow our rules or we’ll kick you out” atmosphere. Which we dislike very much because it also creates a “I’m a better nudist than you are” scene.
We’ve noticed that the rules at most resorts are nothing more than common sense written on paper. The Terra Cotta in Palm Springs recently summarised their rule list to “Don’t do anything here that you wouldn’t do at the Marriott”. We love that because it makes so much sense. Of course you wouldn’t walk around naked at the Marriott but that’s probably the only exception.
Unfortunately, as long as there is misbehaviour, there have to be rules. The “don’t take pictures of other nudists” rule doesn’t exist because nudist don’t know that this is not done. It exists because consequences can be taken if someone would start photographing everyone. If you follow your common sense, you’re very unlikely to be kicked out.
I wasn’t arguing that nudist resort promotion implies that there is something wrong with being nude at home. I enjoy both when I am able. I was staying that walled and gated resorts inhibit the free feeling that comes with nudity, and can be a visual reminder that you are doing something taboo.
And as far as the rules, you’d have to do something pretty blatant to get kicked out. My only time being reprimanded (an older couple pulled us to the side and then glared at us the rest of the night) was for consensually bumping and grinding on the dancefloor (NO erection) with a female to a typical bump and grind club song. Apparently, nudists have an unspoken rule that you can’t dance too closely to each other (*rolls eyes). That is one aspect that I don’t like about certain resort rules-anything that is acceptable clothed should be acceptable nude. If they’re going to allow a DJ and alcohol and create a danceclub atmosphere, I shouldn’t have to adjust how I would normally dance in a regular club. Some resorts will let you be as dressed or undressed as you please in certain areas if you choose, but you can’t wear just a bikini or your boxers because they are apparently sexier than being nude (what?). Also, the rules seem to be more inherently geared toward single men (understandably so), so that is always in the back of my mind when I visit places.
Sometimes the resorts seem to follow an “it’s better to avoid than to cure” idea. Which we don’t approve although we can understand it. The question is always where to drag the line. There’s nothing wrong with “bumping and grinding” dances until one person goes too far.
What if someone dances closely to your partner and the man, whether it’s your partner or the other one, gets an erection. Are we able to know at that point that a similar thing could have happened when they were clothed but that we just wouldn’t have known? How do we handle such a situation?
On the other hand, just plainly avoiding such situations is completely agains the idea “we’re just like everyone else, except that we like to do some things naked”.
When it comes to the “no bathing suits allowed” rule, we completely stand behind that. We have been to clothing optional places where we’ve seen men in G-strings and women in bikinis that cover almost nothing. We can’t but wonder what’s the purpose of those except sexual attraction. Either you decide to be naked or to be clothed, but not something in between. It’s again about drawing the line… There’s not really something sexy about board shorts or about a full bathing suit, but some people will always try to push the limits.
In a perfect world, a nudist/textile couple should be able to be nude/in bathing suit. But unfortunately this is not a perfect world, so we do believe that those rules do have their purpose.
All good points, N&L. There are always those that push the limits. I’ve been to some beaches where men wear g-strings, and while I find it odd, I don’t see anything wrong with it, and I definitely don’t find it sexy. As for women in g-strings, I don’t find that sexier than actually seeing a naked woman either. I assume that they either want attention or want to be almost nude without exposing their actual genitalia. Either way, I’m not at these places to gawk at people, and I can easily look the other way if I don’t like what I see. I’m more of a “live and let live” kind of guy, so as long as they aren’t being overtly sexual or disrespectful, which completely ruins the nudist atmosphere, then I could care less. I just find it silly that some clothing optional places praise nudity, but frown upon thongs/g-strings/underwear.
That being said, I personally prefer places that aren’t clothing optional because it just feels strange being nude around clothed people. I’ve art modeled and it feels like there’s some sort of a power differential when you’re nude amongst a bunch of clothed people. You actually feel “naked”, if that makes sense. You get used to it and the initial awkwardness lessens, but you’re always aware that you’re nude and they’re not.
I don’t think you have to be an “at home” nudist or a “resort” nudist. I think you can be both/neither. Sometimes l like being at home, on my own, on my own terms where I can do exactly as I please and have to consider no one else. Other times I like to get out and socialise with other people at a resort or more likely swim. That implies rules, whether written or just good social etiquette. That’s not unique to nudist situations. The same is true whether clothes or nude.
That’s an excellent point. It’s not because you enjoy home nudism that you can’t enjoy a resort. Just like it’s not because you have a big screen tv that you can’t enjoy going to the cinema.
Great point, Stephen. I enjoy being nude whenever comfortably possible, whether it’s in my living room watching cartoons with my kids, having coffee on my deck with my wife, at a busy resort, hiking alone in the woods, or with a small group of friends at a lake. It’s possible to enjoy all nude scenarios, or just a few. The only one I’m not into is the “home nudist” (always single males) that just wants to video chat nude. Even on the rare occasion that they don’t have voyeuristic or exhibitionist intentions, it’s just not my cup of tea. I’m an active person in general, so sitting around chatting on a screen just isn’t for me.
I will be honest I never thought about nudism at what sounds like enlightened state of feeling “free, which is exhilarating”. I have came into a relationship that has being into the lifestyle being nude with other couples be approached in conversation. I will be honest that I’m not fond of my body though that’s not the point of being a nudist. We are still researching this lifestyle. Well I hope what I commented doesn’t sound rude.
Nudism means different things to different people. So it’s absolutely normal if you’re not feeling what others do. We met people along the way who conquered severe body issues and depressions and who claim that nudism has literally saved their lives. And we met others who just enjoy 2 weeks per year in the nude when they are on holiday and that’s it.
It doesn’t really matter what you get from it as long as you feel good about it.
That’s the cool part, Micheal. Every nudist has their own reasons for enjoying nudism, and they don’t always match. I personally like the “freedom”, although it is very hard to describe to others that don’t understand or experience it (my wife). I also like feeling the sun and breeze on my entire body, which can be easier for some to understand, as it’s a more physical feeling that people can relate to.
My favorite aspect is how it takes down walls and perceptions that come with clothes. We never truly realize how judgmentally quick to stereotype we are regarding what a person is wearing until we are all wearing nothing. The kid in the baggie pants, the suit and tie guy, the lady in the athletic wear, the guy in the Hawaiian shirt; all of those clothing preconceptions come down and you start from scratch-the naked body. It really makes for a great unbiased way of meeting people, as it removes one of the largest means of initial judgment. You actually have to observe and speak to people before forming an opinion about who they are and what social status they may hold. Hairstyles and piercings/tattoos can still lead to pre-judgements, but without clothing, we’re still more equal.
This topic definitely connects with me. I grew up in the US and tried many nudist resorts. Never really fell in love with the atmosphere at any of them. I mean they are better than nothing of course, but somehow not quite what I was looking for and couldn’t get all that excited about visiting… then I moved to Europe and discovered all of the incredible German/Dutch/Flemish/Austrian/Czech mixed sauna/spas that are not per se advertised as “nudist” but are completely clothing-free and THIS is what I realized I’d been looking for. Felt right at home and exactly the kind of setting where I feel most relaxed, comfortable and free… not to mention that many of the bigger places offer a luxury resort atmosphere at a very reasonable entrance price 🙂
How can one not like a nudist resort ?
Easily, you can be treated like sh!t at one for being a single male. Lifetime bad taste in the mouth. You compare the cost of a nude beach (free) to the cost of a resort (often $30 per person per day)
Our biggest problem is that most here required nudity and the ones that don’t, are mostly swinger friendly. I still haven’t found one here that is a clothing optional and doesn’t promote a sexual lifestyle.
There is a textile/nudist resort in the Caribbean that some nudist stay at the textile part because it’s cheaper and has better amenities , but equal access to the nude beach and hot tubs.
Hi! Which one is that?
I am a naturist but my partner isn’t and the problem I’ve found is that there doesn’t seem to be any clothing optional resorts.
The resorts that advertise as clothing optional expect you to be naked when it’s warm enough and allow you to cover up if colder or to save getting sunburnt.
It really depends from place to place. Most resorts in the Caribbean have a 100% clothing optional approach. In the USA, resorts tend to be more traditional and will often ask their guests to be naked when the weather is right.
In Europe, you will find a mix. At most European resorts bathing suits are a big NO, but it’s perfectly fine to wrap yourself in a sarong if you don’t feel comfortable naked. Only the water facilities are really nude obligatory.
I may have mentioned it on other posts, but my wife and I have been only “occasional nudists” for decades. Just this past year we “rediscovered” it and have gone all-in and we want to make up for lost time and to experience all that we can. Problem is that we’re very late to the party and we don’t know WHERE to go! People have secret spots that they enjoy and they guard the location so that other people don’t overwhelm it or ruin it. There are a lot of resorts/campgrounds/clothing optional beaches/clothing optional B&Bs/clothing optional beaches, etc. but I can’t seem to locate “the list” of them anywhere. Just scraps of information here & there with vague directions to public areas (like clothing optional/nude beaches), and the big associations seem to want to promote only the resorts that pay dues to the organization in exchange for that mention/advertising and it seems that they rarely mention the public areas like clothing optional/nude beaches or hot springs. HOW do you find places to go??? None of our friends (at this age) will admit to being a nudist/naturist (they’re too prim and proper, and set in their ways) so we can’t even ask them!
Hi John, there are several good lists of resorts online, for example on https://www.nudexplorer.com
beaches are indeed a bit different. First of all, because it would take a lot of time to create a comprehensive list, but also because there are many differences between official and unofficial nude beaches. Some nude beaches are for example great for nudists in spring and autumn but get overrun by textiles in the summer making them textile beaches.
You can find a lot of information online, but you’ll need to look around. The website of the Spanish naturist federation (https://naturismo.org) has a good list of the Spanish nude beaches. For nude beaches in Greece, the Captain Barefoot website (http://www.capnbarefoot.info/) is great. Naturist Directory (http://www.naturistdirectory.com/) has quite a lot of info about nude beaches around the world, but some info has become obsolete.