Text by Theresa O'Shea
http://easyjetinflight.com/features/2004/jun/nude.html


What do you mean, you don't want to bobble-around playing badminton or weigh your tomatoes looking like a life class? Where have you been for the last few years? Don't you know that nude is the new black? The tired old stereotypes don't work any more. Perhaps they only ever did in uptight Britain, where SAD weather, sadder laws and a holier- than-thou attitude to naturism have led to a preponderance of cliquey (they should be so lucky) sun-clubs. In places like France, Germany and Denmark, it's cool to strut your stuff and in Catholic countries such as Spain and Italy, the naturist side of the tourist industry is booming.

But how do you take the plunge? One summer, many years ago, when I lived near the Costa Brava, some Spanish friends invited me to a “special” beach not far from Llança. After a twenty-minute hike across desert scrub, we arrived at a sparkling necklace of coves. Everyone was starkers. It hadn't occurred to anyone to warn me. My architect- neighbour waved. A doctor-student of mine jumped up to greet me. My mouth dropped open, but I stripped off smartish. There was no time to be embarrassed. My conversion was instant and everyone seemed so relaxed. As for swimming and sunbathing nude, I could only rave, like all born-again naturists, about the extraordinary pleasures of it all.

Not convinced? Feel self-conscious about your body? Think about it… What is the point of a bikini? Most only last a season, finding one to fit takes an eternity and most of us look crap in them.

So save yourself the hassle and false modesty – leave your cossie at home and let your body breathe. When you shed your clothes, it's easy to shed your hang-ups. Look around you at the sheer variety of ages, colours, shapes, sizes and dangly bits and you soon forget about so- called perfect 10s.

Whether you're a hesitant first-timer or ready for something more full-on, there's something for everybody. You can relax on a secluded nudist beach, sunbathe naked in the middle of a city park or sail through the Med on a nude cruise. Go on! Dare to go bare.

R01. The Englischer Garten, Munich

The Germans are big on nudity, after all, they started the whole thing with the Free Body Culture movement (FKK) in the early 1900's. So-called because it was modelled on a London park in the 19th-century, the Englischer Garten has a very un-English nudist area. In the South-West corner of the 900-acre garten, you can break up your sightseeing by joining workers for a lunch time jog, skinny-dipping in the river or getting snapped at by Japanese tourists on a nudist safari. Men outnumber women heavily, so it's perhaps outside the comfort zone for lone bare-naked ladies. Alternatively, try the indoor and outdoor swimming complex built for the 1972 Olympics, where nude swims are held at weekends.

S02. Costa Natura, Malaga

For a Catholic, post-dictatorship country, Spain is a thriving naturist destination. Costa Natura, near Estepona and 45 minutes from Malaga airport, is the country's oldest naturist resort, opening in 1979. It all sounds rather Hi-Di-Hi with animators (no yellow uniform) organising games and activities, including nude flamenco and yoga classes. However, it’s definitely a superior kind of holiday camp, with whitewashed apartments in a lush setting of palm trees, bushes, and flowers. Besides its own private beach and Olympic-sized pool, there are Jacuzzis, saunas, a gym and tennis courts. People usually dress for dinner and that's about it, weather permitting. In July and August 40 per cent of visitors are Spanish, so book early. www.costanatura.com.

U03. Guvano Beach, Italy

Got a nice tattoo on your bum or a pierced appendage that few ever see? Then why not flaunt them this summer at Guvano beach, in Italy's Cinque Terre region on the Italian Riviera, less than two and a half hours drive from Bologna airport. Although the beach is popular with nudists, around half the visitors keep their clothes on, so it's also a good place for shyer sorts. The beach is located at the foot of the clifftop town of Corniglia and access is through a disused railway tunnel. You buzz the intercom, pray for the door to open, hike for twenty dimly-lit minutes, then emerge into daylight and a five-Euro entrance charge. If you're in Rome and need a break from naked statues, an alternative is to take a train to Capocotta beach, which has a section reserved for naturists.

R04. The Algarve

For those attracted to the nature in naturism, turn right at Faro airport and head for the Western Algarve. Don't expect much in the way of facilities, do expect a jumble of sheltered coves, gulleys, cliffs, blustery bays and waves that send you scuttling like a crab back upon the rocks. Base yourself at the fishing village of Salema (a 90-minute drive from Faro) and you can visit the nearby naturist beaches of Furnas and Zavial. Further afield, there’s the spectacular windsurfing beach of Carrapateira. Only a section of these beaches is naturist, so walk until you encounter naked flesh before baring yours.

S05. Danube Island, Vienna

The Austrians are hugely relaxed about nudity. A two-and-a-half- hour drive from Budapest brings you to Vienna and the recreation island of Donauinsel (Danube Island), originally built in the 1960's against flooding of the river. Measuring over 16 kilometres long and 200-450 metres wide, over a quarter of the island is set aside for naturists, with designated areas at both southern and northern ends. Observers note that in summer half of Vienna seems to be running around naked – bathing, boating, playing sports, sunbathing and all the other stuff you do in a park. The island also has restaurants and bars with terraces where you can stay naked, but don't forget your towel or sarong to sit on.

U06. Cap D'Agde

Cap D'Agde in the South of France, less than two hours' drive from Toulouse airport, is the Mecca of seasoned naturists everywhere. No danger of going over your 20 kilo baggage allowance when you're bound for this, the second-largest naturist town in the world. The Quartier Naturiste is like a regular neighbourhood, but whether you're buying groceries, having your hair done or trying on clothes (!) you need never get dressed. And with up to 40,000 visitors wandering around starkers at any one time, there’s no need to feel shy. You'll soon notice in the trendy Cap that there is “nude” and there is “nudist”. Should you feel over- dressed, drop into the beauty salon for an all-over body wax. Naked fun and games are available if that's your scene. At night, you’ll see some folks dressed up in bondage gear and plenty of adverts for private clubs and lingerie shows. You can organise your holiday with Peng Travel, an agency specialising in naturist holidays. www.pengtravel.co.uk.

R07. Cabo de Gata, Almeria

If you're a bit of a Groucho Marx when it comes to clubs and organised anythings, then an ideal spot to try “free-range” naturism is along the coast of the Cabo de Gato natural park in Almeria. To the east of the town of San Jose, 25 kilometres from Almeria airport, lies a stretch of spectacular coastline of sheltered coves and oasis caves, crystalline waters, weird volcanic cliffs and sandscapes of towering Tequila plants and giant aloes. The first and last beaches are textile but you can play castaway on all of those in between. As on many naturist beaches in Spain, you'll notice a laid-ack attitude with a mix of nudists, swimsuited and undecideds. Further up the coast there are apartments for rent and a four-star nudist hotel at Vera Playa, Spain's largest naturist resort. For more information log onto www.veraplaya.info.

S08. Mediterranean Nude Cruise

The place to be naked this summer is on the world premier nudist cruise, which sets sail from the port of Barcelona on June 14th. Dressing is only required for dinner, although crew members will be clothed. There are trips to naturist beaches in Ibiza and Sardinia and a bike ride across the island of naturist-friendly Formentera. Other excursions include a day at the Origan Naturist village in Provence. The cruise also stops in Rome and Corsica for the usual, clothed, visits. With passengers so far booked from France, Germany, the UK, Argentina, Mexico and, of course, Spain the party looks set to be one huge naked world party. For more information and booking, visit www.ene-naturismo.org/cruceronudista.

U09. Denmark

Perhaps not an obvious spot for nudeness, yet the country has hundreds of beaches (most fly the blue flag) and all but two are clothing-optional. There are no laws banning public nudity, and in parks and on beaches everywhere, you'll see a mixture of textiles, topless and in the buffs. Temperatures may not match the Med, but you're less likely to burn your delicates. Plus, there's the bonus of endless summer daylight. If you're on a short break to Copenhagen, a 10-minute metro ride away whisks you to the city's longest beach, Amager Strand, where you can sunbathe nude by the blue and green Helgoland bathing pier. Or try the northern part of the Bellevue beach 12 kilometres north of the city. For more details and information about where to go for nudist beaches in Denmark, check out the Scandinavian Naturist website by logging onto www.naturistnet.org/main.php.

S10.Agistri, Saronic Islands

With a population of a thousand, and a public transport system consisting of one bus, one taxi and one horse-drawn carriage, Mikonos this is not. It is, however, just one hour away by boat from the port of Piraeus in Athens, and it does boast one of the first naturist beaches in Greece. The beautiful pine-covered island is popular with locals at weekends, but relatively few make it down the steep cliff-side to the pristing white-pebble beach and clear waters of Halikiada, where naturism is the norm. To reach this idylic spot, walk from the harbour and turn left. When you get to the Agistri hotel, whose owner describes the beach as “the best that nature has to offer”, stop and ask for directions. For more information log onto www.hotelsofgreece.com/saronic/agistriclub.