Clothes-Free Camping in Europe: From Basic to Boutique

The European naturist season is just around the corner. We can feel it in our toes. And in our inbox, where the yearly steady flow of messages asking for vacation advice is going strong again. We like that, though. As kids, we dreamt of being able to fly, become invisible or read people’s minds. Little did we know that one day we would actually get a real superpower: Helping people find great destinations for their clothes-free vacations. Little did we know that clothes-free vacations were a thing back then…

Although clothes-free vacations have taken on any possible form these days, in Europe, camping is definitely still the most popular. But even there, the market has adapted to the needs of the modern naturist. Campgrounds come in many different forms, and to find the perfect place for you, it’s important to determine what type of naked camper you really are.

There used to be a time when naturists camped in the woods with little to no facilities. If that horrifies you, don’t worry, you’ll find your thing later in this blog post. And you’re not alone, more and more people have started asking for more and better facilities. Yet, going back to basics can have something magical. Even outside the naturist world, there is a new need for less, for being closer to nature and more in the moment.

One of the first stops on our big Naked Wanderings journey was at Camp Full Monte in Montenegro, which is 100% eco-friendly, has a fresh vegetable garden, and only allows tents. Being sure that we wouldn’t be camping between big campers was something we considered a huge bonus back in the day. Another fun minimalist one is Club Soleil de Troyes in France.

When go: If you love going back to basics, away from crowds and noise, and enjoy the simple life.

When not go: If you like a bit of comfort or a busier atmosphere.

Most naturist campgrounds in Europe have stepped away from the “volunteer club concept” and moved on to become businesses. And businesses adapt to the needs of the majority. Although many naturists still value the beauty of nature and the strength of a community, they also like sleeping in their camper vans and drinking beer on the terrace of the campground’s restaurant. Preferably to the sound of a band bringing atmosphere to the warm summer evening.

Most European clothes-free campgrounds are in this category. They stick to the traditional “naturist ethos” but also provide services that add to the comfort of their guests like a nice swimming pool, a restaurant, some sports activities and entertainment. Good examples of these are Les Aillos, Le Couderc, and La Tuquette.

When go: If you like to be close to nature and love a good community feel, but also like your vacations to be a bit more comfortable.

When not go: If you prefer more solitude or a real back-to-nature feel, or if you want more luxury.

More and more people are finding joy in having clothes-free vacations at campgrounds, except for the actual camping part. We get it, we were those kids who spent two days packing the car, drove it all the way to the other end of Europe, to then spend half of our vacation setting up and breaking down our tent every other day. Meanwhile, we’ve long discovered the joys of rentals.

These aren’t new on naturist campgrounds either. For as long as we can remember, there was always a chalet, bungalow, or mobile home for rent. But when you’ve seen one of those, you’ve seen them all, right? Enter glamping, a whole new variety of comfortable, modern, and often luxurious camping options that create a unique experience time and time again. Meanwhile, we’ve stayed in safari tents, bell tents, yurts, domes, coco suites, pods, and nests. The only thing that’s still missing on our list is a tree house.

Although glamping resorts (campgrounds with only glamping options) are popping up everywhere in the clothed world, we still need to find the first clothes-free one. The only place that comes pretty close is Domaine du Coq Rouge. Many “classic” clothes-free campgrounds do offer a few glamping options as well, though.

When go: If you like to have the camping feel but also like a real bed, if you just can’t be bothered to load camping gear in the car, or if you’re not travelling by car (or camper).

When not go: If you like to sleep in your own bed, or if you think that bringing your own gear is part of the experience.

Some campground owners just didn’t want to choose and decided to take it all. Wanna go back to nature? Sure! We have some pitches in the back of the forest where few people ever come. More like the classic experience? How about our seaside pitches that are a short walk from the beach bar and where you can be certain to have friendly neighbours. Did you say glamping? Why not stay in one of our lodges… Oh, and by the way, we also have villas with air conditioning and a private garden if you want.

You may think that we’re making this up, but we’re actually writing about Bagheera Naturist Resort in Corsica. Except for the minimalist part, we’ve never been to the back of the forest, but we wouldn’t be surprised if there are actually some camping pitches there.

It’s often hard to consider places like this still a campground. These are holiday parks where you can spend days or even weeks without having to put on your clothes to get something from the outside world. They are almost like a world on themselves, or at least a small village.

When go: If you like to have your choice and everything right at your doorstep.

When not go: If camping in the back of the forest at a clothes-free holiday park is not enough back to basics for you.

For each type we gave a few examples, but there are obviously many more. We haven’t been to all of them, not even close after eight years of travelling, but we do have a pretty good idea of what’s out there. So feel free to keep sending your emails, we’re happy to help. And if you could already give an indication of which type you’re exactly looking for, our superpower will work even better!