Nude beaches in New Zealand are a funny old thing. They're not really designated, more that they're recognised as 'free beaches' - places where people have gone nude or are known to go nude. Part of this seems to be about the laws around nudity in NZ, which are super relaxed in some ways (no rules against nudity in general), but vague enough that they can be policed poorly (nudity is not an offence, unless it causes offence, and how is that actually interpreted?)
New Zealanders have a reputation for being laid back, but I'm not convinced this is a stereotype that holds, based off their driving behaviour and engagement with rugby. They also have a reputation for being sexually conservative (a product of their British history, and isolation from many of the more liberated European countries?) Some social scientific research has suggested this combination of expectations of laid-backness (or is it laziness? :)) and sexual conservatism plays a part in their abysmal sexual health stats. That nudity isn't more common, despite the massive stretches of coastline and a very small population, suggests that New Zealanders are either getting nude very, very quietly, or that intangible (probably mythical) laid-backness is very specific to certain situations, and not related to nudity at all - even breastfeeding orientated nudity.
I'm sure the Antarctic ozone hole and the impact this has on burn times probably doesn't help either...
I've been naked on a few beaches in New Zealand in my time there. Enjoyed it every time. Without the experiences I've had elsewhere, and the encouragement of similarly minded friends, I wouldn't have found it all that straightforward though. The free beach element is part of this. As you can't (apparently) put up signs advertising a nude beach (because they don't really exist), people willingly engage in the 'Guvano effect' and even in some cases, use nudist use of free beaches as a way to generate interest in tourist packages (ahem) that put Auckland on display (OK, getting silly now) - or at least that's how it sounds?
Anyway... Of the handful of nude beaches I visited in Auckland in 2015, Orpheus was (by far) the best. Small, quiet, lovely, I went there three times in total. The first I had the beach to myself for several hours (awesome), the second two times were busier (weekends), so my overall experience had enough variation in it to confirm its status as excellent and recognisably nude (unlike some of the other beaches about the city). It is about 30-40 minutes from the city centre, and takes you into Huia, a part of Auckland that feels like you've dropped out of civilisation. Filled with baches (NZ holiday homes), and a LOT of native bush, this is New Zealand at its wild best, and it's SO close to the city.
Just as you're starting to come down the hill to the Huia township, there is a gravel road on your left (Huia Lookout Rd.) Veer left along it, as the road and people's driveways look almost identical. About 15-20 metres down you'll see a parking bay for 3-4 cars, and the entrance to the Con Bryan walking track. Brush down and spray your shoes to help protect the native kauri tree and take a quick, beautiful, downhill track for 10 minutes (remembering it's uphill on the way back!)
You'll arrive onto the beach, which is excellent at any tide (low tide is a little rockier, but better than many). There's a small stream and a cliff face to your left, and a lot of shade. I have only seen one couple set up here, despite it being an idyllic location compared to many beaches around the world. Most people seem to walk to the left, going around a small bend that keeps the 'main beach' hidden from casual entry off the track - which I guess is why most people seem to set up there. It's also, definitely, the best part of the beach.
There are a bunch of pohutakawa (native New Zealand coastal tree) for shade. The water is clear, the view is outstanding, and when no-one else is there, it feels like you've been stranded on a desert island. I think that's only a privilege you can experience during the week (and naked of course!)
There are a lot of shaded areas, but it can get a bit of wind from offshore at times. As it's inside the harbour though, there are virtually no waves, and the sand is whiter than the rest of the West Auckland beaches.
The other people that turn up here seem to consist of 'regulars', as there was a lot of talk among various groups/individuals. There was also a bit of 'policing' going on, with a couple of guys ensuring everyone was recognising this was a nude beach at the busier times. This was noticeable when a couple turned up, camped at the less nice end, with him naked and her not. If she was ever going to try things out, the arrival of a hovering, old, fat guy, staring intently at them wasn't going to help! I understand why naturists/nudists want to protect 'their' turf, but I think it can be done in a much more relaxed manner than it was done in this case (there's that NZ laid-backness again...) I suspect that people pop down the track for a look quite often (not necessarily at the nudists, just at the beach) and its about preventing a clothed invasion (which seems to occur at other free beaches in Auckland). The couple seemed steadfast though, and carried on, tucked away - good on them! Maybe she'll get into it a bit later, maybe not, but nice that she seems to be happy to go to a nude beach with her nude husband.
On a good day, this is almost as good as it gets.
Grade: 9/10
Difficulty of access: 3/10 (if you're fittish and physically able, it's no problem)
Likelihood of others being around: 5/10
Ease for a skinny dipping newbie: 8/10
The Cinque Terre, those postcard picture towns hugging the northern coastline of Italy, famously 'ruined' by Rick Steves and his announcement that these (at the time) unspoiled Amalfi Coast towns were the next big thing. While not spoiled by any stretch of the imagination, they were VERY busy when we visited in June of 2013. Despite all the busyness, The Cinque Terre (CT) was on my bucket list of travel destinations, and is still very high on my recommendations of places to travel in Europe. While reading about the towns more generally, I had come across reference to Guvano, and in combination with my new weird arse obsession with getting naked, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to give the skinny dipping in 'public' thing a whirl.
This was my first experience on a real life nude beach and I had to travel to Italy to experience it. Not my first time skinny dipping, but the first time at a recognisably nude beach with the intention of skinny dipping. It was here I began to realise that things like getting naked at a nude beach are not as easy as they seem (probably not helped by 'guides' like this that inform people of the existence of such beaches... probably). The thing is, this beach is pretty hard to get to, and people are enamoured with the idea of finding seclusion amongst the hoi palloi of tourist hot spots like the CT. Often these people aren't so fussed about the culture of the beach, only that they get their own personalised experience out of it (either being on a nude beach for its own sake, or the sense they had found a secret that no-one had). I recognise my own interests were much the same, but I was intending to get naked alongside all the other naked people, who used the beach to get naked because it's a nude beach. For naked people. Naked.
We chose the downhill, off the beaten track approach to get there. It isn't as scary as the other way into the beach, but it's definitely not easy, you will get scratched a little, and probably slide onto your butt a number of times. Once we reached the easy bit there was still a scramble down a short cliff face using a rope to get to the bottom. Ease of access? Nope. I'd say 3/10. You need to be fit(tish) (and able), willing to get sweaty, scratched, and soiled.
We passed a small group of naked people right away: Yay! They were a bit weird: OK? Then we saw that the rest of the people there were clothed: Right. The gender split was very even, but the clothinglessness was initially 20/80. There was a bit of toplessness going on, but it was very tucked away. There was definitely the sense that a few people insisting on wearing swimsuits had pushed the skinny dipping to the margins. I have seen this happen time and again since, and to some extent it justifies the protectionism that can go on at nude beaches. This insisting on swimsuits at nude beaches or nude sections of beaches goes beyond people who are at least thinking about skinny dipping, you can tell these people from a mile off... The insisting is much more about their right to be on a nude beach or to 'take over' the nude section of the beach, simply because they want to, and think they have a right to do so.
As I've said, I'm not typically the guy who tries to turn the tide, or joins the naked side of the beach when there is a split between naked people and swimsuited up people (not yet at least). But I am happy to join in if the tone of the whole beach heads towards more nakedness than not. So early on, we settled in amongst the rocks, tucking ourselves away a little, as others had, with the tone staying the same almost the whole time. I took my togs off while swimming (kept in hand rather than left on the beach), but didn't have the confidence to do more than that at this stage in the game.
The beach is pebbled. The water is deep. It was a little windy when we were there, but gentle waves rather than anything surf like. It was very quiet. Very peaceful. With only the gentle thrum of people's heads turning this way and that to gauge which way the clothing optional vibe might go.
We weren't the only ones down there with at least one person interested in 'trying things out'. A young couple turned up and she tentatively began the process of working towards toplessness. We studiously ignored the fraught efforts she was undergoing, and her boyfriend's less than covert checks that no-one was staring (or maybe he was preparing to down trou?). It took one very brave new arrival who proceeded to whip her clothes off (while her partner stayed swimsuited) to increase the poor young lass's comfort, and she relaxed a bit. Her and her partner had a swim, and departed soon after.
With them gone, and another clothed couple leaving, I decided it was now or never and sunbathed naked for about an hour. I didn't go in for a swim, stayed pretty discrete, and tucked behind rocks (as you can). But mission accomplished. First time naked. In 'public' But also, first time realising how difficult the 'invasion' of clothed people onto a beach, recognised as a nude one, can really make it difficult for people who want to give things a go. Also recognising that nude enclaves don't help people find these opportunities either. It took one woman stepping across the invisible line in the pebbles, confident in her nakedness that gave a few of us more confidence to do the same to greater or lesser degrees.
Overall, a mixed bag. It is a pretty nice beach, but certainly not the most amazing one we've been to, but it is worth the effort to visit. It's lovely, secluded, and has the clearest water in the CT. I would suggest that if you're not at least intending to get naked, or topless, or something, then don't add Guvano to your list of 'experiences' just cos. I think it's worth it if you go there because you want to try things out. But test the vibe to see if it's heading towards increasing your comfort levels, or just jump in. Given the time again, I'd have done things differently, but I think you need a few positive experiences under your belt (so to speak) to get that confidence sometimes. Maybe.
If you leave or arrive by the tunnel, it will cost you a few Euro. I'm not sure the
guys in the 'bar' that charge you have any authority to do so, but we
viewed it as a contribution to a nice beach, and a fun experience.
The tunnel is dark, and can be scary, it feels like it goes on forever. At the other end you walk up towards the Corniglia train station via a ramp or two.
Grade: 7.5/10
Difficulty of access: 8/10 (through scrub) OR between 3 and 5/10 (through tunnel)
Likelihood of others being around: 7/10
Ease for a skinny dipping newbie: 5/10 (on the day we were there)
Gosh I loved this beach!
We stayed in Crete in June 2015. We had visited nearby Krios as a part of our Cretan holiday, as it was a nearby beach that had a reputation for being a bit more sheltered when the wind starts blowing (as it does!). Krios itself was nice enough, pebbled, deep, quite cold water, with the side furthest from the cantina being more likely to be nude. There were a number of people in the buff, and I joined them for a bit (tucked away, as I do), but a wave of clothed people coming through changed the overall tone quite quickly. Especially as those clothed people were laregly made up of classic stereotypes of the loud, brash American, noisily laughing and shouting, sucking the pre-existing serenity out of the place. We had heard there were underwater ruins at Krios and tried to find them, and saw others snorkeling about looking for them to no avail.
While at Krios though we noticed a (very) small number of people filing up the rocks on far side of the beach, and decided to see where they were disappearing to.
A brief, steep climb of maybe 5 minutes and we were wandering through swathes of thyme humming with local honey bees. Looking back at Krios... with its noisy Americans.
We could see the potential for another bay over the ridge quite quickly, so continued for about 15 minutes in the heat, walking through quite rocky terrain, before seeing the best possible version of what we hoped for.
What looked like a totally human free beach sheltered by rocks on either side, forming a 'lake.' After another 10 minutes of scambling through brush and over rocks we discovered it wasn't human free, but it was clothing free. Until my partner decided to stay clothed! The majority ruled though, and I swam in this glorious, glorious, secluded place for a couple of hours naked.There was total silence the whole time we were there. It was almost a rule that people didn't shout, speak above a whisper, or splash about like idiots.
The water is mostly chest height, but does get a little deeper at various points. And it was here we discovered the ruins we had heard about. Pillars in the sand, and underwater, and the base of a Roman temple submerged to the left of the picture. We didn't have a mask or snorkel, and it began to get a bit late, so we wandered back to home base.
Surprisingly (to me at least), my partner was super keen that we come back the next day, so we did. Interrupted only once, I spent over six hours in uninterrupted nakedness (except for the hastily bought mask and snorkel). Again surprisingly, a couple of hours after the one group came and went, my partner joined me in the nude. Easiest beach in the world to convert someone to the benefits of skinny dipping it turns out!
Grade: 10/10 (My first post to set the bar high)
Difficulty of access: 6/10 (does involve climbing a bit at first, a 25-30 minute walk in the hot, hot sun, no road access)
Likelihood of others being around: 2/10
Ease for a skinny dipping newbie: 9/10
