Most of us have felt the freedom and delight that comes with stripping down to a swimsuit on a sunny day and wading into a cool sea, the horizon twinkling in the distance.
But what of shedding those final strips of fabric and going nude? The birthday suit is, after all, the world鈥檚 oldest costume and one that never goes out of style.
The naturist movement emerged in Europe at the end of the 19th century and is now popular around the world. Globally, there are hundreds of where it鈥檚 perfectly legal to drop your shorts and your inhibitions, and the number is growing.
Fans of naturism can now take around the Caribbean or plan a on an Italian island.
If you鈥檙e a newbie to nudity but are interested in knowing more, we have some tips on beach and resort etiquette from naturism experts with decades of unclothed experience. Here鈥檚 their dos and don鈥檛s and what you should know before you go.
鈥淣aturism means different things to different people and the term is sometimes misused,鈥 says St茅phane Desch锚nes, president of the International Naturist Federation (INF-FNI), the world鈥檚 only global naturism organization. 鈥淪o you have to understand what you鈥檙e looking for.鈥
There鈥檚 no single naturist ideology, but typically the lifestyle is about non-sexual social nudity in a family-friendly environment.
鈥淔ortunately, naturism has always been very well organized,鈥 says Desch锚nes. The INF-FNI aims to help people find consistency and reliability when choosing naturist resorts and has been doing so for more than 70 years.
So you鈥檝e arrived at your chosen beach or resort and you feel like everyone鈥檚 looking at you. They鈥檙e not.
鈥淣obody knows this is your first time,鈥 says Ronna Krozy, a retired professor in her 80s whose been a nudist for more than 30 years. In 2023, she showed CNN the ropes at Solair Recreation League, a family nudist resort and campground in Woodstock, Connecticut.
鈥淚n fact, it might be easier to go to somewhere with tons of people and just get on with it, or better yet, get everything off,鈥 she says.
Like going into the water itself, sometimes it鈥檚 better just to dive straight in.
Behave like you鈥檙e at a 鈥渃hurch picnic,鈥 says Krozy, who is also public relations chair at the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), the leading naturist organization in the United States.
鈥淒on鈥檛 park your chair or your blanket too close to anybody,鈥 she adds. 鈥淎nything that appears like sexual activity, like plastering your body against somebody else, is not allowed.鈥
And while nudists are known for packing light, there鈥檚 one item you should never be without.
鈥淎lways bring a towel with you to sit on, because that is for everybody鈥檚 hygiene.鈥
Making eye contact? Starting up a friendly conversation? All this is more than welcome says Krozy. 鈥淟ook people in the eye, because that might help you to figure out where to put your attention, and don鈥檛 gawk or stare because that is considered rude and impolite.鈥
Sunglasses are, of course, a common beach accessory 鈥 but don鈥檛 try hiding behind them to sneak a peek at your neighbors.
Taking pictures or videos without people鈥檚 permission is also a huge no-no. Just because you lose your clothes doesn鈥檛 mean you should lose your manners.
It鈥檚 simply decent human conduct to not be 鈥渢oo aggressive鈥 or 鈥渕ake people uncomfortable by not giving them enough space,鈥 says Desch锚nes. 鈥淭hese are all sensible things to do in all situations.鈥
鈥淵ou shouldn鈥檛 talk about anybody鈥檚 body, even if you think it鈥檚 a compliment,鈥 says Krozy.
While we live in an increasingly open-minded society when it comes to displaying flesh, it鈥檚 a double-edged sword, says Desch锚nes. 鈥淚n some ways, people are less shocked by the idea of nudity, but in another, that nudity has generally been hypersexualized and objectified.鈥
A common misperception, he says, is that 鈥減eople often think naturism is about not wearing clothes. But that鈥檚 not the objective. That鈥檚 simply the tool that we use to achieve body acceptance.鈥
The happy upshot of this, he says, is that 鈥渋t creates better relationships between people because they are more open and honest and true about who they are in themselves.鈥 Clothing isn鈥檛 just about protection, Desch锚nes says. 鈥淢ostly clothing is about rank and status and hiding who we are and trying to make ourselves look in a way that society tells us you鈥檙e supposed to be.鈥
Both Krozy and Desch锚nes say that one of the questions they鈥檙e most often asked is what happens if a man gets physically excited. The truth is, it doesn鈥檛 happen that often.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great fear,鈥 since Desch锚nes, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 understandable since most men have spent their entire life connecting nudity and sex.鈥
However, the non-sexual nature of the environment in general means it鈥檚 a rare occurence, he says, and also, 鈥渨hen you鈥檙e very nervous as a man, it doesn鈥檛 work very well.鈥
Krozy has this advice, however, for any guy who finds himself caught out: 鈥淭ake your towel and cover yourself. Turn over in the sand. Run into the cold water.鈥 If all else fails, focus on dull thoughts like 鈥渢aking out your garbage.鈥
Likewise, a common question from women is what they should do if they鈥檙e on their period. The answer is that they should do whatever makes them feel feel most comfortable.
They can wear underwear if they prefer pads, they can use menstrual cups if that鈥檚 their style, or if they like tampons, they can use those too. 鈥淵ou know, if somebody sees the string, that鈥檚 okay,鈥 says Desch锚nes. 鈥淗aving a period is a normal part of life.鈥
In our globalized, hyperconnected world, communities of like-minded people can find each other with greater ease than ever before, making it a golden age for alternative lifestyles. But don鈥檛 be tempted to think of discrete communities of naturists, nudists, polyamorists, ethical non-monogamists and fetish enthusiasts as one big bundle.
鈥淲e always get lumped in with the sexually liberated people and that鈥檚 never been who we are and still isn鈥檛,鈥 says Desch锚nes. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing wrong with all those other communities 鈥 my only problem is when you mix them up. A friend of mine gave a really good analogy. He said, 鈥榊ou can play tennis, and you can play baseball, but you don鈥檛 try to play baseball on a tennis court.鈥欌
So you鈥檝e explored your local options and now you want to go further afield. 鈥淚n terms of scale. France is by far the No.1 destination for naturism and has been for many years,鈥 says Desch锚nes. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e always had the advantage of having lots of nice beaches, the ocean and the sea.鈥
Germany has lots of great naturist opportunities too, and because of the long-standing cultural acceptance of nudity, you can sometimes shed your garments in less formal settings, such as parks. It鈥檚 also very common in spas - he recommends the Taunus Thermae, just outside of Frankfurt.
鈥淵ou might not think of Thailand, for example, as a naturist destination, but there are some lovely resorts there,鈥 says Desch锚nes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very limited to those resorts, because the culture generally is not favorable to naturism. But there are some beautiful resorts and the country is very accepting of them. Then of course, there are lots of opportunities in the Caribbean, and even South America.鈥
This advice in hand, all you need to do is start packing. Don鈥檛 forget the sunscreen.
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