Lifestyle Press

The French Holiday Tower in the village of St Mayme, near the market town of Vergt, mid-way between Perigueux and Bergerac, dates from the 16th century. The historic accommodation sleeps 2 or 3 guests and is set in attractive gardens with a sparkling pool. According to the Scottish owners, “the grounds are completely private and those wishing to sunbathe without clothing may do so without fear of intrusion.”

Carlos and Maria have opened a new naturist B&B in Tavira, near Barril Beach, beyond the Ria Formosa – VILAPURA. Ideal for enjoying the naturist beaches of the Algarve, with five double bedrooms, a restaurant, pool and jacuzzi.

The adult-only naturist retreat Finca Xanadu, situated high on a hillside surrounded by almond and olive groves and pines, overlooks the town of Velez Rubio below. It has few neighbours and is not overlooked, although there are far-reaching views from the terrace. Owners, Gina and Richard, offer four en-suite rooms for guests and all-inclusive board.

Unusually, a former textile campsite has turned naturist this year! Serre-Ponçon Naturiste is 700 meters from attractive lake Serre-Ponçon, in the heart of the Hautes-Alpes region, between Gap and Embrun. There are 40 pitches on a site of several hectares, together with rental accommodation also. 

Overlooking the river Rhone and the Ardeche region, La Boissiere, Savasse is situated on 4 acres of private property at the end of a no-through road. A holiday apartment is available for sympathetic people who would like to pass their time as naturists in and around the pool and the house, as the owners do. Total privacy is guaranteed by the way the house is situated in the forest and by way of the vegetation around the pool and the house.

The studio apartment has a simple kitchen area, but there is also a good local restaurant – two minutes’ away – that has a “menu du jour”, which can be enjoyed in the shadow under the trees.

Palac Saturna Hotel near Katowice in Poland has the Termy Rzymskie spa. The facilities are extensive with 5 different saunas, steam rooms, thermal pool, laconium and other relaxation areas, small swimming pools as well as the option to pay for additional treatments and massage. Outside there are hot tubs, an unheated pool and in the summer a sunbathing area. Swimming costumes are not allowed, but you are asked to wear a towel or robe in the corridors and bar area. Easily reached by bus from Katowice, 911 passes the door and the more frequent 11 and 61 stop at ‘Raymondo’ nearby.

Zuiver Spa Hotel, located next to the Bosbaan lake within the Amsterdam forest, is 20 minutes from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport by taxi, and is handy for Amsterdam city centre and the canals.

Free entry to the naked spa is included for overnight guests; and additionally access to the gym, fitness classes and yoga. The spa has 6 saunas, 3 steam rooms, a large swimming pool that is both indoors and outdoors, several hot tubs indoors and out, plunge pools, a warm stone bed area, a jacuzzi style bath area with separated individual lying spaces, a large relaxing area and bar upstairs, and a downstairs restaurant with outside terrace.  There is a large garden with sun loungers. NB: Tuesday and Thursday are swimwear days.

The Hotel Albatros, at Ulcinj, in Montenegro, indicates on its website that it has access to three beaches,: a public beach, a nudist beach, and a womens’ beach.

The Dobrá Lúka naturist campsite is at an old farm in a rural area in the hills of southern Slovakia. The farmhouse is partially restored but many ancient details have been preserved.  There is a heated pool, sauna, terrace and living room. Often seen at the back-to-nature location are: deer, wild boar, foxes and dozens of different species of birds. There is a choice of accommodation, in addition to camping pitches.

The pretty seaside town or Porto Petro has a simple 2-star adults-only pension in the centre – Hotel  Varadero. There are two buildings, the main hotel and a separate annex. According to the management, there is a nudist terrace on the roof of the 3-storey annex.

FKK Sportpark, Sonnensee, Hannover, in Lower Saxony, claims to be one of the largest naturist sites in Europe with 700 pitches! Situated beside a large and attractive lake with a family-friendly sandy beach, the club offers a choice of holiday accommodation, as well as plenty of pitches for visiting campers and caravanners. Recommended by Alan Rogers Camping Guides

A recently refurbished budget hotel with a rooftop nudist solarium, including a bar and hot tub, is now available in Malaga, in Andalucia, southern Spain. Hostal Ciudad Jardín is 3km from the city centre but has a bus station and taxi rank directly opposite.

Described by many as a festival within a festival, Lost Horizon provides healing recovery space and sacred time to unwind and rejuvenate away from the bustle and mayhem. Melt in a hammock, recharge in the sunshine or lounge by the fire in the lodge. Some of the best musicians on the festival circuit have played often promoting and joining in with the naturist theme.

Naturism Mercantour offers all year accommodation in gypsy-style caravans, in the Alpes Maritimes region of southern France. Less than an hours’ drive from the Riviera, and twenty minutes’ to the nearest downhill and cross-country ski resorts. Also 5 minutes’ from the spa Berthemont les Bains.

Opportunities for naturist campers are limited in the Czech Republic, so a recommendation from the Alan Rogers Camping Guide is welcome. MléčnáDráha is a 12-hectare, Dutch-owned, site with 80 pitches in southern Bohemia providing extensive facilities amidst pleasant scenery and near a number of local attractions. It is popular with families, especially the river-fed natural swimming pool. Previously a farm, the open and sloping site has a number of mini-terraces creating fine views. Catering is available on site, with breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.

GF Hoteles, a local company which already operates four and five-star hotels with naturists terraces in Costa Adeje, has announced it’s newest luxury venture, the five-star Victoria Suite Hotel, will open for business on 20 December 2017. Currently still under construction, the latest development will include designated facilities for relaxing au natural. According to the website, “Naturists – exclusive area for adults on the top floor, with pool and jacuzzi, for those who wish to practice naturism in complete privacy”.

The Alpes Maritimes is home to the new L’Belia naturist retreat near the town of Roquebilliere. Around an hour north of the Mediterranean coast of the Cote d’Azure and twenty minutes from the nearest skiing, the property is in the foothills of the Mercantour Mountains. Accommodation is provided in timber-clad chalets in the style of gypsy caravans. The pool can be covered during the shoulder seasons and there is also a jacuzzi for guests to enjoy.

FKK Haldenmühle and the Family Sports Community Allgäu eV in Bavaria, southern Germany, comes highly recommended by the Alan Rogers Camping Guide. The family friendly not-for-profit members’ club welcomes visitors, who can stay in the on-site guest house, where there is a restaurant and bar. A traditional bathing lake is available and the site is surrounded by forests and mountains. (Original link in German)

New owners Sandrine and Sébastien have spent 2 years renovating Domaine du Coq Rouge in the Midi Corrézien region, at the gateway to the Dordogne. There are six completely different types of unusual naturist accommodation to rent, including a wooden tipi and a maori tent. There are also plenty of pitches for campers with their own equipment. A large pool and fine views complement the landscaped park.

Bnatural naturism & Glamping is the first resort of its type on the Etruscan Coast in Tuscany, 3 km from the naturist beach of Rimigliano, also called FKK Nido dell’aquila (World’s Best Nude Beaches page 228) and the Gulf of Baratti. Accommodation is offered in elegant ready-erected maxi-lounge lodge tents. There are also pitches for self-caterers with their own tents, caravans or campers.