Planning Your Next Naturist Holiday

fter a sizzling hot summer for many, and with the nights now drawing in, thoughts are turning to next year.

Planning a naturist holiday can be uplifting. Yet that same euphoria can be short-lived when discovering your favoured destination has limited or no availability, or – in some cases – is no longer operating.

Sadly, within our circle in recent years, we can name several naturist places that have turned textile, shut their doors as the original owners retire, or have become rather run down as the owners have aged or lost interest. Nor, seemingly, is there a ready supply of new venues coming into the market to replace them.

If you own a motorhome, camper van or caravan, and are happy to camp, there are still a good number of sites available. But if you want a proper bed and ensuite bathroom, the easiest option, if you can’t find what you desire, is to consider a 'hybrid' holiday instead.

Practice

What do we mean by a hybrid option? In essence: stay in a ’normal’ (i.e. textile) hotel, B&B, self-catering or even an Airbnb within striking distance of some naturist facilities. That could simply mean a nearby naturist beach: ideally an officially recognised one, but if not, one that is widely used by naturists and where naturism is accepted practice.

Taking the idea a little further, other accessible naturist facilities might include a swimming pool, bar or restaurant within a naturist complex, such as at places like Cap D’Agde or Vera Playa, or some of the amazing spa complexes in northern Europe where nudity is the norm.

Using standard accommodation such as this not only adds choice, convenience and more flight options, but avoids having to pay what we call the ’naturist tax’ – the mark-up many naturist venues feel they are able to charge in comparison to like-for-like accommodation simply on the supply-and-demand principle. Namely, that there aren’t enough naturist venues to go around, so prices can be hiked accordingly.

Scenario

Of course, you might argue that it is very difficult to compare ‘like-for-like’ in this scenario. Purely financially, it usually makes sense not to stay in a naturist establishment, as they are not always the best value for money. You are going to have far more choice over the type of accommodation you want by exploring the ‘normal' market. But you will be sacrificing some of the advantages of a naturist establishment by having to be dressed more.

Whilst there are some primarily ‘textile’ hotels that have a naturist section within the pool and spa areas, or resort complexes that offer a mix of naturist and textile accommodation, much of the time hybrid invariably means accommodation near a beach.

Only you, and your budget, can decide what is best for you.

However, let’s be honest. Very few of us live an entirely naked life. We have to be dressed for the office, to shop, to eat out and even to exercise. Much as we may strip off as often as we can, we are all used to having to wear clothes for some of the time.

It’s great when you can go on holiday and finally be free of clothes, but even in many fully naturist hotels and spas, the restaurants tend to require you to be dressed (in some form). And if you want to go sight-seeing or into town, you can’t leave the naturist compound without dressing. So unless you are prepared to sit by the pool or beach the whole holiday (and not eat dinner!), we all need clothes on vacation at times.

Therefore, the hybrid option need not be that different from booking a naturist establishment.

Pressure

Another factor to consider about a hybrid holiday was brought up by some naturist friends of ours. They said they prefer a hybrid holiday because it gives them better quality and/or more bedroom space than the often old-fashioned or confined fully naturist places. Plus there is not the pressure to socialise that naturist establishments often encourage/expect. Our friends aren’t anti-social: they just prefer to holiday at their own pace and in their own style, rather than conforming to expected norms.

It is quieter and more relaxing, they argue. Surely the things many people want from a break? Even friends with a camper van reflected that feeling. Effectively they have been doing hybrid holidays all along: while they aim to stay in naturist facilities where possible, some stopovers are at textile campgrounds, often due to availability, distance, or simply places they want to see. The flexibility and choice offered by travelling around in their own space also allows them to relax and enjoy their holidays more.

Inspired

So, what if you feel inspired to try this option? Obviously, it’s going to require a bit more effort than just hitting the package holiday button. But start with the destination (the country, region or city that you want to visit), rather than the venue (the naturist resort or other accommodation option that you are looking at simply because it is naturist).

If you’re considering Europe, it almost goes without saying that you are more likely to choose a country that has great weather and a naturist tradition, such as France, Spain or Portugal for instance, and might be veering away from those – Greece and Croatia sadly spring to mind – where there seems to have been a recent crackdown on tolerance levels when it comes to naturist beaches.

Also, as the summers seem to be getting hotter, you may want to consider more northern options, as all day on a beach at 40c is not for everyone’s skin tone. The Netherlands has beautiful long sandy beaches, many of which tolerate naturism, and where you can also spend time at one of their fabulous spas, which tend to be naturist-friendly as well. Germany and Scandinavia are also fairly relaxed about nudity in general, so maybe widen your horizons and take the effort to piece together your own hybrid break.

Either way, do some research on how accepted naturism is in your chosen destination, and which beaches or facilities you might wish or be able to visit. And beware of outdated websites or lazily compiled ‘lists’ in the media, many of which are ill-informed or incorrect.

In the end, it is your choice. There are many reasons to choose a fully naturist location, and there are some great ones out there. But there are not enough to satisfy the demand. So book early to avoid disappointment – or take your time to put together your own hybrid holiday.

©H&E Naturist 2025

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