In honor of the recent Nude Recreation Week, TripAdvisor is bringing opportunities to go “au naturel” out into the light, from a massive skinny-dip to relaxing sans suit on sunny shores. Revealed today, the top 5 naked events and top 5 nude beaches according to TripAdvisor editors and travelers.
Top 5 Naked Events:
As these five events prove, nudity is truly a way to express oneself.
Biking in the Buff: World Naked Bike Ride – Worldwide, June and July
Each year since 2004, bike riders have joined to celebrate cycling and protest a culture where cars are king. This year, in 20 countries around the world, participants advocated freedom from oil…and fabric. Nude cyclists bared their bods to stand (or rather sit) for what they believe in, with messages painted on their backs, fronts, and rears. If you plan to participate next year, one TripAdvisor traveler advises, “Remember the sunscreen…those saddles will be hot, hot, hot, so cover them up before alighting, people!”
Daring Dip: AANR World Record Skinny Dip – Across North America, July 2009
Put more than 12,000 people shoulder deep in pools across North America without a stitch of clothing in sight, and what do you get? The “largest number of people skinny dipping at once,” now a category in the Guinness Book of World Records thanks to the American Association for Nude Recreation. All participants were required to don their full birthday suits (no cheating), and word has it they plan to strip down again next year in hopes of beating the heat and their own record.
Maslin Madness: Nude Beach Olympics – Maslin Beach, Australia, January
Happily, these Olympics don’t include a nude luge (ouch), as they take place on Australia’s sunny Maslin Beach, where the games are a celebration of Maslin’s status as first official nude beach in the country. Among the games is the three-legged race (pun intended), in which participants tie their feet together.
Barely Bulls: Running of the Nudes – Pamplona, Spain, July
This nude crew means business. PETA’s “Running of the Nudes” protests the cruelty of bullfighting…but is also just what it sounds like: participants have chosen to show a little skin in hopes that one day Pamplona’s bulls won’t have to, donning plastic bull horns, red scarves, and little else, and running the half-mile Pamplona course. One TripAdvisor traveler admits, “I was shocked but entertained because everything was jiggling around and flopping around, if you know what I mean.”
Share Some Skin: Burning Man – Black Rock Desert, Nevada, August – September
The annual Burning Man project is a self-proclaimed haven of self-expression, creativity and community, and what better way to express oneself than to undress oneself? Drawing 50,000 people to the Black Rock Desert in 2008, huge works of art are generated at the event, namely the “Man,” which is burned on the final night as part of the process of restoring the area to its natural state, with no trace of the revelers. Participants often take advantage of the free-spirited attitude by getting nude, whether it be by the light of the fire…or the many moons.
Top 5 Nude Beaches:
The recession has been hard on everyone – no money for a snazzy swimsuit? No problem. No clothing is required at these sizzling spots, where anyone and everyone can be freed of the fetters of garb.
Worth the Haul: Haulover Beach Park – Miami Beach, Florida
With more than one million visitors each year, Haulover Beach Park is renowned for a busy, family-friendly atmosphere with the option to experience a laid-back naturist environment, not to mention the short walk to the steamy South Beach nightlife (for which clothing is required, albeit not much of it). One TripAdvisor traveler said, “It was a great and exhilarating experience.”
Natural Niche: Wreck Beach – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
A breathtaking cliff view stretches above the five miles of sand that await those who journey to Canada’s first and largest clothing-optional beach, where nudity is the norm. While naturists will clearly enjoy Wreck, so will naturalists, who can glimpse herons, eagles and other wildlife. One TripAdvisor traveler said, “Wreck Beach is a magical place where I can strip off my layers of clothes and judgments, troubles and insecurities, and become one with the earth.”
Paradise Found: Paradise Beach – Mykonos, Greece
TripAdvisor travelers rave that this beach certainly lives up to its name, and for a (prelapsarian) party atmosphere it doesn’t get much better. Here, amazing scenery and an inviting beach form the backdrop for an ongoing celebration that’s made even better by the option to forego tan lines. One TripAdvisor traveler raved about “swimming in the blue waters and lying on the white sand in a place where humans celebrate the good parts of life…Mykonos is positive energy at its best…just paradise.”
Oriental Undress: Orient Beach – St. Maarten, Caribbean
A tropical beach with the soft sand and the inviting waves beachgoers crave, Orient Beach gives travelers the opportunity to feel the sand between their toes, and possibly other places, too. Coral reefs keep the water calm, and also make for unbelievable snorkeling. Just watch out for the sea urchins. According to one TripAdvisor traveler, “Orient Beach was one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever visited. A ‘sun worshipers’ paradise.”
Bronze Beauties: Black’s Beach – San Diego, California
The cliffs surrounding Black’s Beach make it a stunning place to visit for the view alone. But as a place to escape inhibition, Black’s has a history of sunbathers who let it all hang out. Surfers also enjoy the beach, where they can ride the sometimes-dangerous waves (only for the brave), and can even do so sans attire (only for the very brave). One TripAdvisor traveler said, “This is simply a stunning beach…all of us found Black’s Beach to be a very comfortable place to shed our clothes and inhibitions.”
“Travelers looking to really make a statement have got some great choices in these naked events,” said Michele Perry, vice president of communications for TripAdvisor. “And for those looking to let it all hang out or express their inner selves, these top beaches are just the thing.”
