Where in the world can you sunbathe naked? This map will lead you to them
Find out through this map where in the world you could wear your birthday suit while sunbathing without breaking the law. Hint: not in the Philippines.
Bikini-clad sun worshippers revel in basking under the sweet summer sun, going home from vacation with trophies that are their sun-kissed skin and tan lines. But there are those who like to ditch their swimsuit when they soak up the sun in their naked (or topless) best.
UK-based swimwear brand, Pour Moi, created a map to show where in the world travelers can sunbathe naked or topless without getting into trouble with the law. The company wanted to help its customers be ahead of the game as international travel gradually opens up.
The company identified 39 countries (in green) that are “official nudist locations” and topless sunbathing is generally acceptable. These countries that are said to be pretty relaxed about public toplessness and nude sunbathing include Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Spain, France, Germany and the UK.
Also identified in the map are “amber” countries where nudity is deemed unacceptable, but there are unofficial nudist beaches or reports that topless sunbathing is allowed in specific locations like in the US, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, and Finland.
As seen in the map, majority of Asian countries are marked red, which means both nude and topless sunbathing are strictly prohibited and/or illegal, including the Philippines.
(In 2019, a Taiwanese tourist was apprehended in Boracay for wearing a two-piece string bikini on the beach. She was fined P2,500 for “display of erotic and lewd picture.”)
The countries that are marked “gray” do not have relevant information available.
By looking at the number of Google searches over the last 12 months (about 10.7 million of them), the researchers were able to identify the Top 15 countries that are most interested in sunbathing. They are Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, Japan, Spain, Hungary, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Israel.
The popular nudist phrases that came up were “nudist beaches,” “nudist resorts” and “sunbathe nude.”
According Pour Moi, its researchers spent weeks looking at each country’s rules and regulations and cross referencing them with travel forums, blogs, and social media posts in building the map.
But for those who will take the map as a reference for their next stripped-naked holiday, it’s still best to check each country’s laws before flying there with a condensed suitcase.