Top places in world to ‘let it all hang out’
Top places in world to ‘let it all hang out’
From nude beaches to nude cruises and nude towns, we’re on the threshold of the New Nude Tourism
Amy Rosen , CanWest News Service
Those who frequent European beaches know that bare-bones bathing has been around since the time of the ancient Greeks, but in recent years things have been changing.
No longer the domain of wrinkly Europeans and over-the-hill hippies, clothing-optional activities account for $400 million of the U.S. economy.
Terra Cotta Resort is an upscale nudist retreat in Palm Springs, Calif. There’s also Shangri-La, a nudie ranch near Phoenix, and the 12-hectare Mira Vista Resort, a nudist dude ranch in Tucson, Ariz., which is done up like an 1800s Wild West town.
In Florida, Lake Como Family Nudist Resort has modest motel rooms, cottages and the Bare Buns Cafe, while a panty toss away the swish new Caliente Resort and Spa offers nudists everything from luxe facilities to a medical spa conveniently offering laser hair removal. Three of six nudist resorts in the Tampa Bay region are also attracting legions of the world’s clothing-optional set, a market that has tripled since 1992.
From nude beaches to nude cruises and nude towns, we’re on the threshold of the New Nude Tourism. Here are some of the world’s top places to let it all hang out:
- REVEALING RESORT
Located in the Mayan Riviera, Hidden Beach Resort is the only luxury all-inclusive nudist retreat in the Mexican Caribbean. The 42 secluded beachfront suites offer white sand and stunning vistas. Swim-up suites have direct access to the artificial river that winds through the property, connecting to the nude pools and nude swim-up bar. Nude breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the La Vista restaurant or the more casual nude grill, and at the disco there’s naked dancing till dawn. Favourite resort activities include hot-tub trivia, nude bingo, karaoke and, of course, merengue lessons.
Hidden Beach Resort Au Naturel Club, Tulum Kantenah, Mexico; 1-800-615-7543; hiddenbeachresort.com
- SAILING STARKERS
The American Association of Nude Recreation has teamed with Bare Necessities Travel for a tour through Thailand aboard the tall ship Star Flyer. The 14-day tour features ports of call in the Surin islands, Malacca, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere as you sail and hike through rocky sentinels and unspoiled beaches. Tour dates are March 10 to 24; 1-800-743-0405; 512-499-0405; www.bare-necessities.com
- A CITY EXPOSED
Cap d’Agde is a French coastal resort on the Mediterranean between Sete and Beziers. It has fine sand beaches and crystal waters, sun chairs and parasols, golf, canoeing, tennis and surfing. Terraced rental apartments, swimming pools and the greenest of gardens. Oh yeah, and 40,000 “naturists” in this so-called “Naked City,” where shopping malls, bistros, supermarkets, hair salons, even banks are all nude, all the time. cap-d-agde.com
- ALL ABOARD THE BUFF BOAT
The luxurious Holland America Maasdam is set to sail in February on a 10-day tour, said to be the first five-star nudie cruise ever offered. Think a three-tiered dining room serving sumptuous five-course meals, lido decks with freshwater pools and hot tubs, Vegas-style shows, the Exploration Cafe (the largest library at sea), a casino, spa — and naked shuffleboard! They’re calling this journey “Hidden Jewels of the Caribbean” because, they say, of its picture-perfect destinations. But we know a double entendre when we hear one.
Hidden Jewels of the Caribbean runs from Feb. 3 to 13, departing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; 1-800-743-0405; 512-499-0405.
