Meet the world map of nudist beaches 1:16

(CNN) -- It has been an exceptional year for nudism worldwide.

Berlin recently announced that women can now go topless in public swimming pools in the German capital, while the island of Nantucket did the same last December, after its residents voted in favor of "gender equality on beaches."

After a hiatus of several years due to the covid pandemic, the "Free the Nipple" campaign returned with topless parades in New York, Vancouver, Paris and elsewhere. And the thinly veiled female figure was the du jour fashion statement at the Met Gala, Milan Fashion Week, the London BRIT Awards and other front-row events.

• Why I Love Going to Nudist Beaches

Meanwhile, there are more places than ever to sunbathe, swim or build "natural" sandcastles on beaches on every continent.

From rocky shores to fine sands like talc, and from big-city bays to lonely shores, there are now hundreds of beaches where it's perfectly legal (or at least de facto legal) to frolic by the sea with no more clothing than the suit you came into the world in.

"The soft, smooth sand, warm sea breeze, gentle waves and the presence of many nudists make a beach ideal for dressing," says Nicky Hoffman of The Naturist Society, editor-in-chief of Nude & Natural magazine and co-author of "The World's Best Nude Beaches & Resorts."

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Although beach destinations where it is optional to wear clothes seem like a modern invention, it is actually a rather old idea, a product of the prudish Victorian era.

In the 1880s, the American poet Walt Whitman extolled the virtues of the "Adamic air bath," his naked walks and baths through Timber Creek, New Jersey, and wrote about "the free and exhilarating ecstasy of nudity in nature."

The nudist movement developed in Europe and North America during the first half of the twentieth century, with the creation of urban parks, campsites and eventually beaches for those who wanted to enjoy nature in its most natural state.

One of the consequences of the socially and sexually liberal 1960s was the "free beaches" movement, which resulted in the proliferation of nudist beaches around the world.

Its popularity continues today, and every year more appear. Here are 20 of the best nudist beaches in the world:

1 of 12 | 12. Massarandupió Beach, Bahia, Brazil: The tiny bikinis at Copacabana can expose a lot of Brazilian meat, but not as much as this nudist beach along Bahia's coast. A two-hour drive from Salvador, you'll find the nudist beach a kilometer's walk from the parking lot. Browse the gallery to see the other beaches in this top. 2 of 12 | 11. Zipolite Beach, Oaxaca, Mexico: Live your own fantasies of the movie "Y tu mamá también" on the beach where so many scenes of the sensual production starring Gael García were filmed. The beach stretches about two kilometers with rocky cliffs at each end, and is famous for being a place of nudism (although it is not legal here). 3 of 12 | 10. Mpenjati Beach, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: South Africa's only official nudist beach – and perhaps the only legal one on the entire African continent – is located in the Mpenjati Nature Reserve, south of Durban. 4 of 12 | 9. Cap d'Agde Beach, France: is the largest nudist beach resort in the world, where 40,000 guests arrive per day during the high season. And visitors can be naked wherever they want. 5 of 12 | 8. Little Beach, Maui, Hawaii – Surrounded by ancient lava flows and with a cone of volcanic ash behind it, this beach would be amazing even if you couldn't take your clothes off. Part of Makena State Park, on the island's southeast coast, it overlooks a national marine sanctuary famous for its turtles, dolphins, whales and tropical fish. 6 of 12 | 7. Playa de Es Cavallet, Ibiza, Spain: The nudist beach is divided into several different sections, including a party club area, a gay section, and a more secluded middle part where nudist crowds hang out. 7 of 12 | 6. Anse de Grande Saline, St. Barts – This wild white-sand beach at the back of St. Barts is one of the few places on the islands where public nudism is tolerated (though sunbathing completely naked is technically forbidden here). 8 of 12 | 5. Red Beach, Crete, Greece: Named for the ochre color of its sand and cliffs, you can reach Red Beach (or Kokkini Ammos) by taking a 20-minute walk from Matala or by taking a very short boat ride that starts the town's promenade. 9 of 12 | 4. Wreck Beach, Vancouver, Canada: Considered one of the longest nudist beaches in the world – it is 7.8 kilometers long – this beach is actually a series of shores with sand, flat stones and rocky outcrops that surround the end of Point Grey. 10 of 12 | 3. Buhne 16, Sylt, Germany: Technically, all beaches on Sylt have the option of nudism, but Buhne 16 was the first and remains the main place for clothing-free sunbathing along the German coast. 11 of 12 | 2. Lady Bay Beach, Sydney, Australia – Located right on the South Head part of Sydney Harbour, this beach is small and narrow, but incredibly secluded for being in such a large city. The rocky edges around South Head are also used for bare sunbathing. 12 of 12 | 1. Black's Beach, La Jolla, California – For over 50 years, it has been a favorite place for nudists in California to tan. In fact, it was once the only legal nude beach in the entire United States.

Chihuahua Naturist Beach, Uruguay

Located about a 30-minute drive from Punta del Este, Uruguay's best-known nudist beach overlooks Portezuelo Bay on the Atlantic coast.

Photogenic dunes and water temperatures, which reach 25°C even in the austral winter, contribute to its appeal.

After decades as an unofficial nudist getaway, Chihuahua finally gained legal status in 2000.

Since then, services have expanded to include the clothing-optional complex Hotel El Refugio Nudista Naturista.

Playa Naturista Chihuahua, Avenida Las Amarras, 20003 Chihuahua, Uruguay

Nudist beach of Nida, Lithuania

The frigid Baltic Sea may not seem like the most suitable place to take a naked dip. However, this beautiful beach located on the long, sandy Curonian Spit is one of the most picturesque places in Europe to undress.

With its wildflower-covered dunes (among the highest in Europe) and coastal forest, the beach was the center of a nineteenth-century artists' colony that attracted many of the most important painters, poets and writers of the time.

If you walk far enough south, you will reach a fence marking the border between Lithuania and Russia.

Nida Nudist Beach, Nidos-Smiltynės pl., Nida, Lithuania

Little Palm Beach, Waiheke, New Zealand

Little Palm Beach, New Zealand.

Although it's technically legal to go naked on any beach in New Zealand, loving personal freedom, the country's nudists tend to congregate in well-known places where clothing is optional, such as Little Palm Beach, on Waiheke Island.

To reach this secluded place you have to take a 40- to 60-minute ferry ride from Auckland, take a taxi or carpool to the north coast of the island, and then a short walk downhill.

You can finish your beach adventure at Waiheke's many wineries, restaurants, and art galleries.

Little Palm Beach, Miro Road, Waiheke Island 1081, New Zealand

Nugal Beach, Croatia

Flanked by steep cliffs and shaded by pine trees, this remote mainland beach off the island of Brač is reached by a narrow path that seems made for goats rather than people looking for a stripeless Adriatic getaway.

Be sure to bring a thick towel or even a beach chair; As on many Croatian beaches, the surface is pebbles rather than sand.

Nugal is a half-hour walk from the nearest town, although it can also be reached by boat or sea kayak from Makarska or Tučepi.

Nugal Beach, 21300 Makarska, Croatia

Moshup Beach, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Moshup Beach, Massachusetts.

Located at the western end of the island, Moshup is a long curvilinear beach surrounding a headland topped by the historic Gay Head Lighthouse (built in 1799).

Located just below the old lighthouse, the nudist part is under rust-colored sandstone cliffs that were declared a National Natural Monument in 1966.

Moshup is open for free to anyone who wants to take off their clothes, unlike Lucy Vincent, the island's private nudist beach.

Moshup Beach, 71 Moshup Trail, Aquinnah, MA 02535

Black's Beach, La Jolla, California

Nestled beneath the 100-meter-high cliffs of Torrey Pines, the Blacks has been the Golden State's favorite place to tan for more than 50 years and was once the only legal nudist beach in the entire United States.

Long, wide and blessed with great waves, the beach is reached by the zigzagging Ho Chi Minh Trail from the clifftop Torrey Pines Gliderport near the University of California, San Diego.

Black's Beach, Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, San Diego, CA 92037

Lady Bay Beach, Sydney, Australia

Lady Bay Beach first gained its legal status in 1976. Credit: Evelyn Proimos/Flickr

Although it sometimes seems that almost all beaches in Australia are clothing optional, there are several official nudist beaches here, such as Lady Bay (also known as Lady Jane Beach).

Nestled right on the South Head of Sydney Harbour, it's small and narrow, but incredibly secluded for being situated in such a big city.

The rocky ledges surrounding South Head are also used for nude sunbathing.

Lady Bay Beach, Watson's Bay, Sydney, Australia

Buhne 16, Sylt, Germany

"Smile and undress" could be the motto of nudists on this North Sea island, where the average water temperature in summer is a frigid 17 ° C.

Technically, all beaches on Sylt are clothing optional, but Buhne 16 was the first and remains the main place on the German coast for naked sunbathing.

It's a place where sunbathers can relax on the famous blue and white striped wicker chairs or let themselves go at summer beach parties.

Buhne 16, Listlandstr 133b, 25980 Kampen (Sylt), Alemania; +49 4651 4996

Wreck Beach, Vancouver, Canadá

Anunciada como una de las playas nudistas más largas del mundo, con 7,8 kilómetros de longitud, Wreck Beach es en realidad una serie de arenales, llanuras de guijarros y afloramientos rocosos que rodean el extremo de Point Grey.

Con la Universidad de Columbia Británica justo enfrente, un flujo constante de estudiantes y profesores se han despojado de sus ropas en esta playa desde principios de la década de 1970, cuando se hizo popular por primera vez.

Los árboles de hoja perenne que bordean la orilla y los picos nevados al otro lado del agua complementan el ambiente canadiense.

Wreck Beach, Vancouver, Columbia Británica; Canadá + 604 224 5739

Playa Roja, Creta, Grecia

Esta recóndita playa del sur de Creta es uno de los lugares favoritos para tomar el sol desnudo en Grecia.

Llamada así por su arena de color ocre y sus acantilados, a la Playa Roja (o Kokkini Ammos) se llega tras una caminata de 20 minutos desde Matala o un corto trayecto en barco desde el paseo marítimo del pueblo.

Pionera entre los hippies europeos de la década de 1960, la playa ofrece alquiler de sillas y sombrillas y alberga un pequeño bar llamado Yiannis, famoso por sus mojitos.

Nota: las misteriosas esculturas rupestres del final de la playa son una creación moderna y no antiguas reliquias minoicas.

Playa Roja, Matala, Creta 702 00, Grecia

Anse de Grande Saline, San Bartolomé

Aunque el Caribe esté lleno de playas maravillosas y tranquilas, esta playa salvaje de arena blanca en la parte trasera de San Bartolomé es uno de los pocos lugares de las islas donde se tolera la desnudez pública (aunque tomar el sol desnudo está técnicamente prohibido en San Bartolomé).

Anse de Grande Saline (o Saline Beach) es otra playa de autoservicio. Los visitantes deberán llevar todo lo necesario para pasar un día en la orilla, sobre todo protector solar, ya que no hay sombra que valga.

L'Esprit, un excelente restaurante francés, se encuentra a poca distancia de Grand Saline y merece la pena visitarlo. Eso sí, no te olvides de volver a ponerte la ropa antes de ir.

Anse de Grande Saline, San Bartolomé

• ¿Buscando una playa nudista? Estas son las 12 mejores del mundo

Platja des Cavallet, Ibiza, España

Situada entre el azul profundo del Mediterráneo y las salinas multicolores, cerca del punto más meridional de Ibiza, la playa nudista oficial de Es Cavallet está dividida en varias secciones diferentes, como una zona de fiesta en un club de playa, un ambiente gay y una sección central más apartada donde se reúnen los que no llevan ropa.

Sin embargo, los nudistas no son los únicos que frecuentan esta zona. Esas cosas de color rosa brillante que verás paseando al fondo no son turistas quemados por el sol, sino flamencos a los que les gusta reunirse en las salinas poco profundas.

Platja des Cavallet, 07818, Islas Baleares, España

Little Beach, Maui, Hawai

Little Beach: una playa de ropa opcional en el Parque Estatal Makena de Maui. Crédito: Shutterstock

Flanqueada por antiguos flujos de lava y respaldada por un cono de ceniza volcánica, Little Beach sería lo más genial aunque no pudieras quitarte la ropa.

Forma parte del Parque Estatal de Makena, en la costa sureste de la isla, y tiene vistas a un santuario marino nacional famoso por sus tortugas marinas, delfines, ballenas y peces tropicales.

Los árboles que hay detrás de la arena proporcionan un poco de sombra y la cala está bien protegida para nadar.

In addition, a circle of drums and fire dancers entertain the crowd during Sunday sunsets.

Little Beach, Makena State Park, Makena Rd, Kihei, HI 96753, USA

Cap d'Agde Beach, France

Cap d'Agde is an emblematic nudist town in the south of France. Credit: Shutterstock

Sometimes called the "Naked City," Cap d'Agde Naturist Village is the world's largest clothing-optional seaside resort and attracts up to 40,000 visitors on any given day in high season.

Visitors are free to go naked wherever they want: restaurants and shops, post offices or banks, sail on their boat or rest on the long public beach (where nudity is mandatory, even for those not staying at the resort).

Non-residents can spend the night in the naturist hotel, campsite or rental units.

Naturist village of Cap d'Agde, Rond-Point du Bagnas, 34300 Agde, France; +33 4 67 26 00 26

Mpenjati Beach, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Mpenjati Beach gained official nudist beach status in 2014. Credit: Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images

The only official nudist beach in South Africa, and perhaps the only legal beach without obligation to dress in the entire African continent, is located in the Mpenjati Nature Reserve, south of Durban.

Its legal status was achieved in 2014, but it was accompanied by a list of prohibitions that included not staring, not photographing, not behaving suggestively, etc.

Local clergy and others continue to organize protests (legal and otherwise) against the nude designation.
Mpenjati Nature Reserve, Palm Beach, Port Edward, South Africa

Zipolite Beach, Oaxaca, Mexico

On Zipolite Beach in Mexico, naked sunbathing is tolerated. Credit: Shutterstock

Live out your "Y tu mamá también" fantasies on the beach where many of the scenes from the sultry 2001 Mexican film starring Gael García Bernal were filmed.

This beach, created by Mexican and American hippies in the 1960s, stretches for about two kilometers, with rocky cliffs on both sides, and is famous for being a clothing-optional beach (although it's not legal here).

While the main beach is lined with budget hotels and cafes, at the eastern end there is a small sandy area called Playa del Amor that offers much more privacy.

Zipolite Beach, San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico

Metsoke Dragot, Israel

Float naked in the warm, ultra-powerful salty waters and cover your naked body with soothing mineral-infused black mud on this rocky beach on the western shore of the Dead Sea.

Perhaps the only place in the Near East where any kind of public nudity is tolerated, Metsoke Dragot is an hour's drive from Jerusalem and requires a short but bumpy drive on an unpaved road to reach the shore.

Camping is allowed on the shore. The only hotel and bar nearby is the Metzoke Dragot Travelers Village, perched high on a cliff.

Metsoke Dragot, Highway 90, Dead Sea, Israel

Praia Massarandupió, Bahia, Brazil

Nudist beach Praia Massarandupió, in Bahia. Credit: Fred Schinke/Flickr

Copacabana's tank top bikinis may expose a lot of Brazilian meat, but not as much as this nudist beach on the coast of Bahia.

A two-hour drive north of Salvador, the nudist beach is a kilometer's walk from the parking lot, along the coastline flanked by coconut palms, rolling dunes, and heavily surfable waves.

Praia Massarandupió, Bahia, Brazil

Spiaggia di Guvano, Vernazza, Italy

Spiaggia de Guvano has been popular with nudist bathers since the 60s.

Located in the beautiful Cinque Terre, this Italian nudist beach looks like something out of a movie (think "Swept Away," the 1974 version directed by Lina Wertmüller).

• Within the Italian village that has been repopulated by Americans

To the mystique of the beach is added the fact that it can only be accessed through an old abandoned railway tunnel (do not forget to bring a flashlight) on a path from the village of Corniglia.

Guvano is totally primitive, with no facilities of any kind, so take it into account when planning your visit.

The beach is also pebbles instead of sand, but the water is clear, clean and beautiful.

Spiaggia di Guvano, 19018 Vernazza, SP, Italy

Haulover Beach Park, Miami, Florida

Haulover, America's most popular public nudist beach, draws more than 1.3 million bare-chested people to its white sands and warm waters each year.

The part where you can not go dressed, delimited at both ends by fences, offers rental of lounge chairs and umbrellas, as well as lifeguards.

Given South Florida's stellar weather, any day there is usually someone enjoying the sun without clothes.

But the biggest crowds occur during National Nude Week, in July, and whenever Haulover tries to break a new Guinness nude bathing record.

Haulover Beach Park, 10800 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33154; + (305) 944-3040

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