Lifestyle Press

Casa Cruz consists of a cortijo and a casita which – according to the owners – offer naturist bliss. The larger cortijo can accommodate six people; and the casita has a double bedroom for two. Set in private grounds with a swimming pool, the two units are each self-contained and can be rented separately or together. The inland location is 15-minutes from the motorway, 40 from Granada and 90-minutes’ drive from Seville.

Le Dorier – home of the St Etienne naturist club – is located in the Rhone Alps region of France, overlooking the Loire. Set in 8 acres of wooded pine and oak trees on a hillside, with a unique view of the lake and Grangent Mont du Velay. With plenty of space for tents, caravans and motorhomes; the swimming pool has an impressive vista across the gorge.

The family naturist resort – Jewel Lake Wilderness – in the north of Ontario, is situated on 640 secluded acres, far from the city. The adjacent 100-acre lake has a gently sloping natural sand beach shoreline for sunning and swimming. Use of a rowing boat, canoes, a peddleboat, the sauna and hot baths are freely available to visitors staying at the rustic resort.

A comfortable studio set in the secluded grounds of the naturist owners’ house on the pretty Greek island of Skiathos. The very reasonably-priced rental includes free transfers from the airport. And the website has excellent bare beach information with details of where to strip-off and skinny-dip around the island.

This intimate Dutch-owned rural naturist centre offers a small campsite – with caravans available for rent – together with a fully equipped holiday chalet for 4 people. The sloping 3.5-hectare grounds, complete with swimming pool, are terraced and enjoy fine countryside views. Quinta das Oliveiras is on the edge of the park and mountains of Serra da Estrela, and the nearest town is Oliveira do Hospital. (original website in Dutch)

Naturist-friendly La Huerta Villa is built on a hill between the El Borge and Almáchar rivers in the Axarquía region of southern Andalucia. With comfortable accommodation for up to six people, it is only 15 km from the sea and Almanat nude beach at Torre del Mar (World’s Best Nude Beaches p 120). The accommodation is set in attractive grounds with a large pool and fine views.

The young owners of Quinta do Maral offer family-friendly naturist holidays at their rural 10-ha campsite in Marvão, at the heart of the Natural Park of Serra de São Mamede, central Portugal. A well-furnished and comfortable apartment is also available to rent. Discounts available for INF members and wi-fi is free.

Bed & Breakfast and Rustic Camping are available at Freedom Fields Naturist Ranch, outside Tamworth, Ontario. The 100-acre ranch is a working hobby farm which currently stalls five mares. The property is equally divided between hay fields and open bush for those that love to hike and be at one with nature. Focusing on back-to-nature camping, there are currently minimal on-site facilities. B&B in the farmhouse should be booked in advance.

With 56 apartments, the Gran Hotel Natura claims to be the largest naturist holiday centre in the Canary Islands. Situated at the sea shore on the outskirts of Corralejo, adjacent to Flag beach. Apparently, it’s an existing property that has undergone refurbishment and now welcomes folk who prefer to leave their swimsuits at home.

This link provides a Google Streetview image of the development in its previous incarnation (Caleta del Mar).

A new Dutch development – Naturix – provides a holiday residence for naturists in south-west France, 80km from Toulouse. The estate offers peace and quiet in a natural environment: luxury apartments are equipped for 2 or 4 people, but no children. In addition to the pool, there is a sauna and jacuzzi. Abundant wildlife is another attraction, including: badgers, roe deer, foxes, barn owls and hoopoes.

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the luxury naturist accommodation at Skinnydippers, it’s doubling in size. The existing property was oversubscribed and completely booked up for 2013; so owners Grant and Jordi secured a lease on a superb holiday complex next door, providing an additional seven bedrooms and a second swimming pool – all surrounded by open fields in the peaceful Mallorcan countryside. And of course very handy for the stunning clothes-optional Es Trenc beach too.

Manuel Calvo has been in touch to tell us about his two holiday apartments in the ‘Torremar Natura’ naturist complex, at Vera Playa. One is on the ground floor, and the other is above it on the first floor. Apparently, according to Manuel, the ground-floor apartment is suitable for wheelchair users and is close to the swimming pool.

We have heard from Barry that he’s just returned from an enjoyable ‘alternative’ holiday at Cortijo Romero, at Orgiva, in southern Spain. A range of activities and experiences were on offer including: Yoga, Tai Chi, Expressive Dance, Chanting, Creative Writing workshops, local walks and excursions. Apparently, the pool is a curved, natural shape in a picturesque walled enclosure with palm trees, flowers and the scent of jasmine. The area is completely private, so swimming costumes are optional. According to Barry, a number of guests took advantage of sunbathing au naturel and swimming in the buff.

A new exclusively nudist resort has opened on the north coast of the island of Rhodes. Naturist Angel Club Hotel is close to the airport (free transfers offered) and reasonably handy for Rhodes Old and New towns, which are 18km distant. The family-friendly property is a member of the International Naturist Federation (INF) and operates in accordance with its principles. The facilities on offer reflect those expected of a good two-star hotel. The official naturist beach outside Faliraki, is just across the other side of the island (World’s Best Nude Beaches page 205).

With the demise of Camping Almanzora at Vera Playa a couple of years ago, it is very good to hear that naturist camping will be available once again, this time at the nearby Cuevas Mar – from the 2013 season onwards. The site is reasonably handy for the naturist beach, which is just a few hundred yards away.

Exciting news reaches us that an attractive aparthotel, adjacent to a remote bare beach in Mallorca, has just become exclusively available to naturists during summer! Originally called Sa Punta de s’Estanyol, it has been renamed – Naturplaya – on the north coast, lies between Colonia Sant Pere and Son Serra Nou. The prdoperty is right next to the shore and overlooks Playa Sa Canova (World’s Best Nude Beaches Page 145). Reservations from the UK can be made through Chalfont Holidays.

A handy website with lots of inside information about different opportunities for bare bathing can be found on the Gran Canaria Info website. And there’s also a Google map to identify the various naturist-friendly locations.

Sunnier Pines Nudist Club opened its doors for the first time a couple of years ago. Located at Jay, in the rolling hills of north-west Florida, in Santa Rosa county, a short drive from Pensacola. The well-developed and equipped site is family-friendly and affiliated to the two leading organisations in the country: The Naturist Society (TNS) and The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR).

Joël and Monique have a four-hectare rural naturist enterprise in the Quercy Périgord region of south-west France, 7km from Gourdon. They offer a cottage for up to six people, two B&B rooms, 3 mobile homes and camping spaces for just 10 units. There’s an attractive pool and home-cooked meals using their own and other local produce are available on request.