This article is a travel topic.

Naturism – also known as Nudism or a Clothes-Free lifestyle – has a small but enthusiastic following in a number of countries around the world. However, as nudity is often considered socially unacceptable, naturists often have difficulties finding travel destinations where they can practice their lifestyle and have their state of undress considered socially acceptable.

The commonest naturist activities are communal bathing and sunbathing, which the naturist finds more fulfilling and comfortable in the nude than wearing a bathing suit. Dedicated naturists claim that the step away from the skimpy bathing wear or "topless" exposure that is socially accepted in "mainstream" locations, to abandonment of non-functional textiles is an important philosophic expression and mental liberation.

Understand

Many countries have laws that make nudity in a public place either a crime or at least a misdemeanor offense. Also, many societies associate nudity with erotic entertainments, which are often strictly controlled or forbidden. As a result, naturist destinations are often in remote, out of the way places, and discretely advertised, to avoid attracting the undesirable attention of those would would interfere with this lifestyle, either by trying to put a stop to it or by using it as a source of personal amusement.

Some naturist resorts (often called "nudist camps" by the public) are "clothing optional", leaving it up to the individual whether to wear clothing and/or how much. Others require nudity, to discourage visits by voyeurs who just want to look at naked people, and to maintain an egalitarian "we're all nude here" atmosphere. Many locations maintain fairly strict codes of public conduct, intended to keep them suitable for families with minor children and/or to avoid running afoul of laws against "lewd conduct" in public. It is strongly recommended that you make yourself familiar with the expectations of any specific naturist destination before traveling there.

The most common naturist destinations are 'beaches' where nude bathing and sunbathing are either tolerated in practice or formally permitted. Whether naturism is tolerated at a particular beach is usually judged from local information, the relative remoteness of the location and whether the naturist feels reasonably inconspicuous.

On a 'mixed beach' without signs to demarcate an area allocated for naturism, a tension can arise between naturists and textile users over territory: adherents of each group feel presence of the other group spoils their enjoyment of the beach. This gives rise to dynamic situations where the suitability of a beach for naturism changes from time to time, shifting according to which group arrived first, and invisible demarcation lines seem to arise that tend to concentrate a naturist minority into "ghetto" areas.

Destinations

Europe

Croatia

Croatia was the first country in Europe to start with the concept of commercial naturist resorts. According to some estimates about 15% of all tourists that visit the country are naturists or nudists (more than one million each year). There are more than 20 official naturist resorts as well as a number of the so-called free beaches which are unofficial naturist beaches, sometimes controlled and maintained by local tourist authorities. Naturist beaches in Croatia are marked as "FKK".

France

The largest naturist resort in Europe is Héliopolis/Port Nature at Cap d'Agde on the south coast. Part of the Île du Levant in the Mediterranean is established as Héliopolis a naturist village. Corsicana is one of several naturist beach resorts on the east coast of the island Corsica.

• Euronat in the Aquitaine region of France.

Greece

Greece has only a few explicitly naturist resorts on the island Crete, and tourist information offices have said that naturism is not permitted elsewhere. There are however many beaches on the islands where naturism is tolerated and it is advisable to check current information such as http://www.barefoot.info/greekgde.html

United Kingdom

There are about a dozen official naturist beaches. The popularity of the beaches ranges from Studland with about 2,500 users on a good day to Cleat's Shore where you are unlikely to see anyone else at all. Even the remote Holkham Bay on the North Norfolk Coast had about 500 users one Sunday in September 2005.

There are well over a hundren clubs ranging from little more than a patch of grass to residential resorts.

Well over a hundred swimming pools and leisure centres offer naturist sessions.

• Cleat's Shore on the Isle of Arran in Scotland.
• The national association - http://www.british-naturism.org.uk
• Comprehensive information http://www.armage.demon.co.uk/nuff/index.html

North America

Laws about nudity differ throughout the United States. Places like Fire Island are operated by the U.S. Park Service, that doesn't always cite offenders. They only seemed bothered if you are in a family area like Ocean Beach. They might ask you to move further up the beach if someone complains. On beaches controlled by New York state, however, nudity is illegal. Topless is legal anywhere in NY except for "lewd" displays, as in strip clubs.

• Sandy Hook in New Jersey
• Fire Island in New York

Naturist resorts in the U.S. are rapidly growing in popularity. There are more than 280 naturist resorts, clubs, and campgrounds in America. Year round upscale resorts are found in Palm Springs, California. Palm Springs is very popular with naturists as it is the sunniest city in the U.S. Being a desert, it averages less then 3 inches of rain a year and has no mosquitoes. Naturist resorts in Florida are also very popular. They are the largest naturist resorts in the U.S. in size.

• The Terra Cotta Inn Nudist Resort and Spa [1] Called the most mainstream nudist resort in the U.S., they are perfect for couples trying nude sunbathing for the first time.

• The Morningside Inn [2] A charming bed and breakfast.

• Cypress Cove Nudist Resort and Spa [3] Located in central Florida, just minutes away from all the Orlando attractions.

New Zealand

• Aoraki Naturally in the Lake Tekapo area of the South Island of New Zealand. A naturists homestay and nudism is compulsory.