Brazilians are known for their barely-there beachwear - but when it comes to nudity on the sands, they are much more conservative.

But after a campaign by activists, Rio de Janeiro has officially opened its first ever nudist beach - one hour away from the centre of the city.

Abrico beach has been designated the city's first nudist enclave, despite many Brazilians frowning upon topless sunbathing and nudity in public areas.

Open for business: Abrico , an hour outside of Rio, has been officially designated the city's first nudist beach

Activist Paula Nogueira has praised the move.

She said: 'This is a courageous decision by the mayor and it will help Rio become a cultural and tourist reference point, especially with the city about to celebrate its 450th anniversary and the 2016 Olympic Games.'

In 2013, Ms Nogueira and fellow nudist Ana Rios organised a topless protest on Facebook to be staged at the city's central Ipanema Beach, but just six women turned up to join in .

The move was welcomed by activists, but nudism is often frowned upon by the general population

Abrico - celebrated for its beautiful location - has long been associated with nudism, but in an unofficial way

At the time, Ms Rio said: 'I have always found strange this puritan attitude in Brazil where you see naked women everywhere during carnival and on magazine covers - yet going topless on the beach is a crime.'

Claudio Hailuc, representing a group of Abrico naturists, welcomed Tuesday's move.

'We'd been lacking security and respect for a long, long time,' he told Rio newspaper O Dia.

Some users of the beach have warned fellow nudists to take car if they don't see flags belonging to the ANA on display

Nudists have traditionally gathered at Abrico beach, but this is the first time they have been given official recognition.

The Abrico Naturista Association (ANA) has long gathered at Abrico on weekends but always warned members against going alone and in the nude, stating: 'Unfortunately many people do not understand the naturist philosophy, and they behave badly on the public beach.'

A recent TripAdvisor reviewer called Niki N explained: 'This is a quite beautiful and interesting beach, the water is too cold though. During weekdays the nude area is mostly visited by single men, especially gay men. So if you are not gay or if you are a woman, you'd better visit Abricó on weekends when you'll find a family environment.'