Spain, France, or Croatia: Where to go naked this summer?

It’s that time of the year again! Sun’s out, Bums out… But where? If you’re a bit adventurous, the world truly is your oyster. Maybe a naked resort in Argentina? Or somewhere down in the Amazon rainforest? South Africa maybe? Naked in Italy? The choice really is yours.

But if the only thing you’re looking for after months of hard work is going somewhere you can be sure that it will be exactly what you expect, the holy trinity of clothes-free destinations is still Croatia, Spain, and France. So which of the three is yours?

The number one destination for nude beach vacations is definitely Spain. Thanks to its very nude-friendly laws (read: there are no laws against public nudity), you can literally be naked on any beach. And if you prefer to only be naked at beaches where nude is the default dress code, there are plenty of official nude beaches.

It’s very hard to beat Spain when it comes to nude beaches. They are long, wide, sandy, and many are at the calm Mediterranean Sea. France has its fair share as well, but they are much fewer and tend to be at remote locations (unless they are part of a resort).

The downside of Spanish beaches is that during the high season, the whole coastline gets so overrun by tourists that the bathing suits easily find their way to those beaches that are pretty much nude-only the rest of the year. Creating this weird imbalance that not everyone appreciates on a naked holiday. And it can be weird… After a late night in some Spanish town, we once took a nap on a nude beach. When we woke up later, literally everyone around us was covered in at least some fabric.

But what about Croatia? When you see those rocky coastlines, it can be hard to imagine that this is a nude beach destination. Yet, it is, and the reason why is pretty interesting. If you ask people what they find the most annoying about going into the sea, a very common answer is that they can’t see through the water because it’s murky. Well, you don’t have that problem in Croatia. Thanks to the rocks and pebbles, the water is always crystal clear, and at any time you can double-check whether your toes (or any other body part) are still there.

If you’re into camping, you’re pretty lucky because the vast majority of naturist resorts around the world are campgrounds. Or at least offer some camping options. Ever since naturism became a thing in Europe, France has been the undefeated queen of naked camping. The last time we counted, there were about 250 naturist campgrounds in the country, and we probably missed a few local clubs.

The cool thing about naturist campgrounds in France is that they come in all sizes. From the very small place that’s not more than a field and a shower block to huge resorts that are larger than most of the surrounding villages. And everything in between.

During the last decades, the number of naturist campgrounds in Croatia has seen a decline, and what’s left are the most commercial ones. The cool thing is that about all of them are at the coast. In other words, in France, only a handful of naturist campgrounds are at the coast, whereas Croatia only has a handful of naturist campgrounds, but they are all at the coast.

Spain leans more towards Croatia, as it has also seen a decline in campgrounds, but they also tend to be mostly at the coast. And as you learned just a few paragraphs ago, a very sandy coast that is.

While Spain has been seeing a decline in campgrounds, it has seen a huge uprise in naturist guesthouses. Around every major city on the Mediterranean coast, you can usually find a handful of bed and breakfasts where you can work on your full tan. These are typically places with not much more than five rooms and where the owners join you at the bar at night or for a swim in the afternoon. There are also naturist villages packed with rentals in Spain, like Vera Playa.

In Croatia and France, you will find much less of that. If any at all. Except for Cap d’Agde, of course, but as you probably know, that place falls in a whole other category altogether.

Does that mean that if you want to sleep in a real bed, you have no other choice than Spain? Absolutely not. French and Croatian campgrounds have long discovered the need for a bit more luxury and responded with glamping tents, chalets, mobile homes, cabins, lodges, domes, yurts, and we’re probably still forgetting a few. If you like to try something new, this really is your chance. If you don’t, Spain is waiting for you!

For many people, the ideal vacation does not happen in one place, but the goal is a round trip around naturist places. If that sounds like you, we have some very, very good news: All three countries are excellent for that.

In Spain, you could drive from the cosy bed and breakfasts of Alicante to Vera Playa and then further down to Costa Natura resort in less than a week, even if you take it slow. Discovering some amazing nude beaches along the way. Or you can go island hopping on the Canary Islands, literally travelling from one nude beach that will blow your mind to another that will blow your mind even more.

In Croatia, you can follow the Istrian coast, visiting the country’s most epic resorts like Koversada Uncovered, Valalta, and Ulika. You can island hop in the Kvarner Bay and combine nude beaches with lovely resorts. Or road trip along the Makarska Riviera, visiting one nude beach after the other.

And in France, well, if you just pick one direction and follow it for a few hours, you’ll be passing by more naturist resorts than you could ever visit.