This post was last Updated on March 12, 2019

More and more people prefer to spend their holiday or a part of it naked. The numbers don’t lie. We believe that at the moment the annual amount of money spent on naturist holidays goes in the billions. An enormous leap from “only” 400 million in 2003. And this is just getting started, more and more people are finding their way to the nudist spots.

naked pilates class in the morning, a skinny dip in the afternoon or socialising with other nudists over a bottle of wine in the late hours but spend much of the rest of their holiday clothed while exploring the surroundings or enjoying non-nudist activities.

You don’t need to consider yourself a nudist to enjoy a nude vacation, it’s something for everybody. It’s a misunderstanding that nakations (a combination of the words “naked” and “vacations” are only for nudists who want to spend their holidays 24/7 as naked as possible, in fact, many nude tourists enjoy ain the morning, a skinny dip in the afternoon or socialising with other nudists over a bottle of wine in the late hours but spend much of the rest of their holiday clothed while exploring the surroundings or enjoying non-nudist activities.You don’t need to consider yourself a nudist to enjoy a nude vacation, it’s something for everybody.

Why would I go on a nude vacation?

One of the main reasons why people are going on a vacation is as an escape from the daily life. Away from the rat race, away from the pile of dirty laundry and away from work. We just want to relax, to destress. For a long time, a holiday was the perfect way to do so, your only contact with home was the mandatory postcard you always sent too late so it arrived in the mailboxes of your friends and family when your vacation was nothing more than a beautiful memory. Sometimes we made a short but very expensive call from a pay phone or a quick e-mail from an internet café , but that was it.

And then the smartphone came along, together with the worldwide availability of free wifi in hotels, bars and restaurants. Home was never that close when you’re so far away. And we loved it, we could see what our friends were up to on Facebook, we could send a diary to our parents and the whole world could see a picture of our delicious local dinner before we took the first bite. Amazing!

We never imagined that this new technology would also have a huge downside. Instead of meeting new friends in the hotel bar we spent our evenings chatting with our friends at home. Our parents started sending us worried messages when we didn’t respond to their e-mails in more than three days, and be honest, how many of you haven’t read (and responded to) a work e-mail during their holiday?

But it’s so damn hard to put that smartphone aside, it became an addiction, the first silent moment at the dinner table is enough reason to grab our phones. The sign saying “Wifi password” makes us wanting to connect.

We became a slave of that small little box in our pockets.

So far the destressing…

At nudist places, smartphones and tablets are often forbidden (or frowned upon by the other visitors) because of the camera function. It’s never sure if someone is reading an e-mail or taking your picture and we don’t want to appear on a stranger’s computer in all our glory. And neither do we want the others to think that we are perverts. So we put the phone away.

Together with our clothes, we take away the connection to the outside world. This is ME-time! Finally we are free!

Aren’t nudist resorts for old hippies?

recognised naturist federation was an initial requirement, which meant that you had to spend a lot of time, fill out a dozen documents and possibly had to attend an interview before you could even book your accommodation. It was less time consuming to get a visa for Iran than to go on a nakation. But those days are long gone, today it’s even possible to book a nude vacation via Booking.com For a long time, nudism has been linked to tree hugging, marijuana smoking, vegetarian, marxist hippies who spent their time deep in the forests picking berries and washing themselves in a river. Although this stereotype has never been very accurate, more than ever nudism has become something for everyone. For your doctor, your boss, your postman and yourself. Until not so long ago, the only option for going on a nakation was to go to a naturist club or campground. Almost everywhere, membership of awas an initial requirement, which meant that you had to spend a lot of time, fill out a dozen documents and possibly had to attend an interview before you could even book your accommodation. It was less time consuming to get a visa for Iran than to go on a nakation. But those days are long gone, today it’s even possible to book a nude vacation via

A nude vacation is more than just a nudist camp

The options are much wider as well. Several years ago, a campground was the only option for a nakation, so you had to be comfortable with sleeping in a tent or rent/own a mobile home. The facilities were basic, shared bathrooms, little privacy and a huge “we are a group” feeling. And this was perfect, because the only ones who considered a nakation were actual nudists who preferred to spend as much naked time as possible among others.

Today, the requirements have changed. For some, the social factor is not that important anymore, for some this actually became a reason not to go on a nakation. Some like more comfort, a real bed, air conditioning and a private shower. Others prefer to be social but only in a small group or to be served when they are on vacation. Some still appreciate the community feeling and some are looking for specific places to go as a family, as a couple or as a single.

And lucky you: Whatever type of holiday you like, these days it’s all possible within a nudist environment. Campgrounds, resorts, B&B’s, homestays, private villas, bungalows, cruises and all-in stays are popping up everywhere around the world. No matter your requirements, there is a place for for you. A place where you can be naked.

Many reasons to go on a nude vacation

We mentioned the destressing thing before, a nakation if a perfect way to get some time for yourself. No news, no work, no rush and no Facebook (although there will always be a wifi connection, so when you’re in your room you can still see pictures of the cats and lunch of our friends).

Then there is more. Being naked also means that all social boundaries are removed. If you are the type of person who enjoys walking around the beach in an Armani suit just to see the jealous looks of others, a nude vacation might not be for you. At a nudist place, everyone is the same. Race, sex, age and wealth don’t matter anymore. It’s about who you are, not about what you look like or what you own.

A nude vacation is also a great way to improve your body confidence. People spend loads of money on bathing suits that hide they belly, bikini tops that make their breasts look bigger or swim shorts that shape their behinds. And for what? Why should we care about what a stranger thinks about our butt? Exposing yourself is a big step to take in the beginning, but in the end it’s one of the most liberating feelings there is.

And when your nakation is over, you will have an equal tan of which your bikini friends can only dream and a lot less dirty laundry.

Looking for more nakation tips? Check out our Destinations page !

Find the best nudist accommodation on NUDE

Picture credit: The photos in this post are coming from Google and Twitter. If you find one of yourself and you don’t want it to be on our blog, let us know and we’ll remove it.