10 best gay nude beaches in Europe
Naturism @ Fuerteventura (GioBertPhoto / Flickr)
Europe is known for its open-mindedness so of course it has the best gay nude beaches in the world.
Travelling as a LGBT+ person can difficult as you must understand the best gay-friendly destinations as well as where to avoid.
For that reason, it’s good to get holiday advice online, so, here are the top 10 gay nude beaches to visit in Europe.
Es Cavallet Beach – Ibiza, Spain
Who doesn’t love Ibiza? It’s the place of sun and music.
As the party island of Europe, you may want to rest off your hangover at the gay spot Es Cavallet Beach.
The clothing optional area is extremely popular among LGBT+ tourists and they even have a gay beach restaurant by it called Chiringay.
Lecciona beach, Tuscany, Italy
Lecciona beach has no entrance fee. It’s a free gay beach in Tuscany, Italy, in which you bring your own essentials such as towels, food, water or deck chairs.
The beautiful sandy area is also a free space in that it is clothing-optional and is used as a popular nude beach due to its privacy.
One TripAdvisor reviewer gave Lecciona beach five stars, calling it “the perfect Tuscan beach!”
They continued: “La Lecciona is probably the last free beach in the region – no deckchairs or umbrellas, just sand and the sea. The freedom means that it is a bit gay and a bit nude, at least the further North you go from the road leading to Torre del Lago.”
Elia Beach, Mykonos, Greece
Looking for a LGBT-friendly beach in the Mediterranean? Look no further than the Greek Mykonos island, with its infamous nudist Elia beach.
It’s a social place where you can relax to some tunes, talk to friends, enjoy the crystal clear water, and feel free in the way nature intended.
One reviewer wrote: “There is a gay friendly section you will see the rainbow flag, where you can also swim nude.”
Away from the gay nude area, there are even water sport activities and a popular restaurant.
Mar Bella, Barcelona, Spain
Mar Bella is Barcelona’s infamous gay beach popular among young adults. However, as it becomes more known, there is now a diverse mix of gender, age and groupings.
Nonetheless, it’s a relaxing, non-judgemental beach area for holiday-makers who want to glisten in the sun without getting tan lines.
And in peak season, it gets filled with gay men.
A reviewer, who went to the beach with his partner, wrote: “This is a really nice beach if you want a gay beach [and] want to be nude. Clean beach, food & drinks nearby – [and] you can walk here if you want to.”
Lokrum, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Located on an island off Croatia, Lokrum beaches offer beautiful scenery and privacy for those who enjoy stripping down.
“Island of lokrum was stunning,” said one visitor. “Lots to do and see despite this being a small island. Ferry from the old down takes about 10mins. Plenty to see for game of thrones fans. The beaches are stunning.
“Off the ferry to the left is the nude beach. Keep going through this and you reach the gay nude beach. Fairly relaxed and chilled out.”
Studland Beach, Bournemouth, England
Bournemouth is a lovely beach town in the south of England, extremely popular among both tourists and people around the country.
It’s there that there is one of the best nudist beaches in the UK, Studland Beach.
The area is gay-friendly and has a diverse mix of people.
Beach 19 (Praia de Bela Vista), Lisbon, Portugal
Beach 19, also known as Praia de Bela Vista, is among Portugal’s best gay beaches, and it’s one of the largest nudist beaches in Europe as part of a Nature Reserve.
Beach 19 is the gay area along a long stretched beach around the shores of Costa da Caparica.
The beach is often frequented by gay nudists looking to enjoy the sunshine. You can really enjoy yourself here if you go swimming, sunbathing and cruising between May and October.
Cap d’Agde, France
One hotel names this calls this beach “part of Europe’s largest naturist resort and infamous for raunchy beach shenanigans.”
Indeed, this nude beach can get very hot. One beach-goer explained: “We thoroughly enjoyed our time here. The only reason that we didn’t give it 5 stars is the outrageous charge of 8 euros to access the village through which you have to go to get to the beach.
“As you turn left out of the village, the groupings seem to be families, then swingers, then gays (a good 500 metres down the beach). But there are no hard and fast rules. Lots of fun being had in the water (mainly hetero) and in sand dunes (mainly gay).
“If you are a naturist, this should be on your go-to list.”
Brighton Naturist Beach, Sussex, England
Brighton is the LGBT capital of the UK so it’s not surprising that their gay beach would make the list.
Brighton’s naturist beach is mainly populated with gay males, and it’s one of the most popular nudist spots in the UK.
One happy visitor said the pebble-covered beach was their favourite place to go in summer. They wrote: “Its fun to people watch, you get groups of students coming down, groups of gay men. Much more interesting place to pass the time than the normal beach.”
Mont Rose Beach, Marseille, France
Mont Rose Beach one of the oldest gay beaches in France.
The LGBT spot, popular among locals and travellers, is along a rocky coastline rather than a golden shore, (so it’s great for those who hate getting sand in places they shouldn’t).
It’s the closest nudist beach to Marseille as people can get there simply from the city by taking Bus 19 (southbound).
