MapMuse - Locate Nude Beaches and Clothing Optional Beaches Near You

...beach should not be confused with a topfree beach or topless beach, where upper body clothing is not required for women or men, although a swimming costume covering the genitals is required for both men and women.

The users of nude beaches are sometimes the target of enforcement relating to legislation banning public nudity, often because of broad language included in laws or bills intended to target sexually oriented businesses. Clothes free organizations such as the Naturist Action Committee have lobbied against such bills.

The clothes-free areas tend to be segregated or isolated physically from the non-nude areas. In other instances people maintain a comfortable space between people dressing differently. Signage is often used to inform beach visitors about what to encounter and/or to segregate different areas on the beach. This accommodates people who are not comfortable with nudity (see gymnophobia). This also accommodates beach users who do not like to be watched too much, especially by clothed individuals (see voyeurism).

Some nude beaches are part of a larger nude area. Cap d'Agde is an example.

Types of nude beaches

Most existing nude beaches have been used as such for many years and thus have become "traditionally nude". Many are "unmanaged" beach areas that have been adopted by the local users in an effort to maintain the beach's "quality". Others' right to existence has been recognized as such by one or another legislative body—municipal, regional or national, and are termed "official" (although not necessarily legitimate). One can distinguish between different types of beaches:

* Those where nudity is illegal and/or not tolerated. Nudity may result in requests to cover up, uncomfortable glares, a fine or arrest.

* Those that are unofficially tolerated by the "authorities"

* "Official" nude beaches

o Nudity is compulsory unless the weather is bad, etc.

o Clothing is optional (i.e., nudity is permitted but not required)

o Nudity is allowed as the beach is part of a private resort or other private property

Note - though private resorts and hotels may enclose their property behind fences and controlled access gates, the majority of beach-related tourist destination countries do not allow the corporate ownership of the actual beach (Examples would be islands in the Caribbean, Mexico, Florida). Thus, while the property itself can have controlled access and may set standards for clothing requirements, the beach itself remains public access and is subject to local law or common practice. A specific example of this would be the famous Seven Mile Beach in Negril, Jamaica. Though the beach is lined with private resorts with fences down to the sand/waterline, the beach (and subsequent swimming areas) are open to the public. The beach is designated as "topfree", but actual practices vary from resort to resort, and access to the beach is public along the entire seven mile stretch.

Etiquette on nude beaches

Nude beach etiquette takes different forms in different locales. Usually nude beach etiquette spells out bans on all forms of sexual harassment, overtly sexual behavior (such as masturbation or sexual intercourse), predatory behavior, and photography without asking for permission