Say “Saint Martin” to any nudist or frequent Caribbean traveler and you’ll immediately hear about the most well-known and popular clothing optional beach in the islands: Orient Beach. It has it all. Beautiful sand. Easy surf. Lots of dining, drinking and lounging opportunities. It also has lots of people on it and to the couple trying nude sunbathing for the first time a crowd can be intimidating.

For many nude beach newcomers, Orient Beach is often their first experience. This is probably because of Saint Martin’s French influences (it’s half Dutch and half French) and as a popular cruise ship destination. In reality, while the entire beach is topless, the south end of the beach next to Club Orient is the only nude/clothing optional part of the beach. You can’t miss it. The yellow umbrellas and historic sign greet most visitors before they see their first naked bottom or boob. By the time you’ve walked the beach to Club Orient’s Papagayo restaurant, you’ll have seen what a nude beach like Orient is all about. Couples and families of all ages talking, sleeping, eating, drinking, swimming, and all naked as the day they were born. It’s relaxing and fun.

To the couple ready to drop the swim suit or bikini bottoms and try nude recreation, Orient Beach is a wonderful place to try it. Simply put, you won’t stand out. You’ll be lost in a sea of nakedness. Tan bodies really do seem to blend together when there aren’t any tanlines or bold swim suit colors to make your body stand out. You’ll also have access to liquid courage with lots of bars on the beach and numerous lunch/snack locations.

My wife and I first traveled to Saint Martin nearly 15 years ago and we spent most of our time naked at Orient Beach. It really was wonderful to enjoy our naked time together without the concern of offending anyone or being part of someone’s holiday photo collection. And while I’d recommend to any couple headed to Saint Martin for the first time to try spending the day nude together at Orient Beach, there are several other less crowded and unbelievably beautiful clothing optional beaches on the island to visit too.

If this is your first time reading our blog, my wife and I have been going on nude vacations for nearly 20 years. What started as a, “Do you want to try it” discussion when we were dating has turned into many great memories visiting beautiful beaches and resorts around the Caribbean, Pacific and U.S. The purpose of our blog is to provide information to other couples interested in trying nude recreation. It has been a wonderful connection point for my wife and me. It is intimate but not in a sexual way. Sexual touching and intimacy are not appropriate at the nude beaches and resorts we attend. That’s better for time spent together in the privacy of your own room.

I often say how do you make a beautiful beach or resort better… make it clothing optional and then you truly are relaxed. We’ve also met many wonderful couples through our travels. Many who are friends of ours today. Our nude vacations are our little secrets and Petite Cayes is one of those quiet, secret beaches that most people will never see but to me, capture all that is wonderful about experiencing a nude beach with your spouse and friends.

So how do you get to one of the most beautiful beaches on Saint Martin? Park next to the trash dump. Believe me it gets better. For those that are willing to take the 30-45 minute hike on the slope of a steep hill and across rocky beaches and terrain, Petite Cayes is paradise. Like most nude or clothing optional beaches we’ve visited, you’ve got to want to be there. For us the hike was just part of the journey and while difficult at times, it was just beautiful scenery.

Rather than tell you about the hike, we thought it best to show it to you. It really is an amazing hike to a fantastic quiet little beach.

So after your 30-45 minute hike, (there is a second route from Anse Marcel but it is more strenuous), you’ll find yourself on a beautiful half moon beach. Find your spot in the sun and get comfortable. For many first timers, this is the hardest moment. Time to get naked. Take a deep breath and do what you’re comfortable with. Bare as much as you’re comfortable with on the beach or do what I’d recommend. Drop your swimsuit, bikini top and bottom and sit down and apply lots of sunscreen. Remember, body parts that have never seen the sun before tend to burn very easily.

By the time you’re done putting on your sunscreen or suntan lotion, you and your spouse will realize that you’re naked. No one is staring. It feels wonderfully natural. Enjoy the warmth of the sun and breeze on your naked skin. For me, sitting beside my wife and feeling warm all over is one of the most amazingly freeing and relaxing feelings ever. When you’re ready, head down to the surf and splash in the waves. The wave action can get rough depending on weather and time of year. We were able to body surf in the waves.

The day we visited, there were no more than 20 people on the beach at any given time. While we and our friends were the only ones naked the entire time, everyone was friendly and gave each other plenty of space. More than a few other couples hiking to the beach saw us, stripped and went skinny dipping in the water with us. It’s hard not to be friendly when you’re naked.

We enjoyed lunch, snacks and plenty of wine and punch during our visit. We of course packed up our trash (remember, we did park next to the trash dump) so that future visitors could see the beach as beautiful and unspoiled as we did.

Regarding nudity and Saint Martin, technically nudity is only permitted on Orient Beach and all beaches can be used top free. There are however many unofficially nude/clothing optional beaches like Petites Cayes, Happy Bay, Cupecoy beach and others. If someone asks you to cover up, you should out of respect for the locals and the law. Beaches like Happy Bay are often used by the locals on the weekends and on Sunday’s the Police do patrol the beach to make sure everyone covers up (go to Orient Beach on Sunday’s).

Perhaps even more important is preserving Petites Cayes and keeping it natural and pristine. Respect the beach and nature and please don’t leave any garbage. Or better yet, pick up what others have left behind. And while Petites Cayes is unofficially clothing optional, it is not a place to live out your beach sex fantasy. Nudity does not mean sex or intimacy. Enjoy your time together naked but keep intimacy for your bedroom. Trust me after spending the day naked together, your alone time will be extra special later on.

This is the first of three blogs detailing our recent trip to Saint Martin. Look for future blogs about Happy Bay Beach and taking a naked vacation with friends. Have you been to St. Martin? We’d love to hear your thoughts on your experiences on the island and why it’s a perfect destination for couples to try nude recreation.

Top image from USA Today article: Caribbean in the Buff: Top Nude Resorts… http://experience.usatoday.com/caribbean/story/best-of-caribbean/2015/03/26/best-nude-resorts-in-the-caribbean/9879267/