Naked Ambition by Paul Rouse
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Hotel Albatroz
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With a fabulous climate, some of the best beaches in Europe, and a relaxed and sensible attitude towards public nudity, it’s no surprise that Portugal is becoming an increasingly popular destination for naturist holidaymakers - not to mention expats looking for a permanent place in the sun.
Naturist tourism may still be a niche compared to some sectors of the market, but it’s growing quickly, and naturism has come a long way from its nudge-nudge, wink-wink connotations with seaside postcards and Carry on Camping.
Depending on how you define the term, there are an estimated 500,000 naturists in the UK, whilst according to a recent British Naturism survey, 25 per cent of British people have gone skinny-dipping, and one in seven have sunbathed nude.
The stereotype of the elderly naked eccentric is also a thing of the past. In line with the current demographics of cruise passengers, many of the new breed of naturist holidaymakers are typically aged 25 to 40, and it is a market that Portugal is starting to tap into.
Admittedly, compared to some of its larger European neighbours, the government and the commercial sector have been a little slow to realise the huge potential, and there is certainly no equivalent to the likes of Vera Playa in Spain or Cap d’Agde in France in the way of large purpose-built naturist resorts.
What you do have however is a growing number of guest houses and campsites ideal for couples, families or groups of friends, as well as dozens of beaches where nudity is the order of the day, frequented by tourists who may be staying in non-naturist accommodation but who still want to go home with an all-over tan.
Attitude There is a Portuguese expression, nao faz mal, which roughly translates as ‘it doesn’t matter’. It perfectly sums up the country’s laid-back attitude towards many things, including nakedness in public, and is the reason why many beaches, whilst not necessarily officially recognised as naturist, are naturist by default or common consent.
Public nudity is not actually against the law in Portugal, and an offence is only committed if somebody feels morally offended and files a complaint – an unlikely occurrence. So you can, in theory, go naked anywhere you want.
However, as always, common sense should prevail. You wouldn’t take all your clothes off and parade down the main tourist drag in Albufeira for instance - even if it is called The Strip. And whilst topless sunbathing is as common in Portugal as most places in southern Europe, you might cause offence going au naturel on many of the popular and busy beaches in the main towns and resorts - especially in August, when the whole of Portugal seems to decamp to the coast to cool off, often in large family groups complete with the pre-requisite black-shawled granny.
But don’t worry. There are six official naturist beaches in Portugal, plus any number of others - from Porto in the north, around Lisbon, into the Alentejo and along the entire stretch of the Algarve - where nudity is the norm, not just with foreign tourists but with the Portuguese themselves.
Testimony to the growing acceptance of nudity in Portugal is the number of naturist associations in the country, and if at times the proliferation of acronyms - FPN, CNC, CNA, APANAT, CNN, JPN - can seem like a bad hand at Scrabble, they are slowly but surely making progress, and between them have been instrumental in negotiating with local authorities in order to obtain official or accepted naturist status for many beaches.
Cosmopolitan The Algarve, of course, is Portugal’s most famous tourist destination, and it is probably here and in the Alentejo, rather than the sometimes cooler (and slightly more conservative) north, where most naturist visitors tend to head.
It has certainly proved attractive to the many expatriates who now offer naturist accommodation, and a warm welcome to naked sun-seekers. And it is the British who seem to have been in the vanguard, particularly in upholding the great British tradition of the guest house, with numerous choices for naturist visitors. They include:
Quinta da Horta in Ferragudo, run by David and Frances Fry. A series of cottages and converted farm buildings, scattered throughout the three acre site, provides comfortable but basic en suite accommodation on a B&B basis and the option of meals, with food fresh from the kitchen garden. The quinta has a pool, sauna, and indoor and outdoor eating areas, and offers massage, aromatherapy and reiki treatments, whilst David also runs a horse riding and carriage driving centre, New Forest Lodge, in the western Algarve, and often takes guests out for a day in the country.
Quinta da Vista, offering panoramic views from above Silves, is run by Bruce Keen and Eva Kennedy as a naturist B&B. The renovated farmhouse features three en-suite double bedrooms, pool, bar and sun-deck, some quiet corners in the gardens and fruit orchards, and – new this year – a sauna and boules court.
Casa Amarela in Albufeira, a naturist B&B offering optional meals, is a traditional Algarvean property on the outskirts of the town run by Jane Kendrick and Stewart Hay, in tandem with their naturist property location service Portugal Naturally. The casa has four double rooms, pool, Jacuzzi, patio, outdoor bar, gardens and a roof terrace.
Casa Somba, run by Belgians Francis and Claudine Monin, in Carvoeiro. Until recently, the couple had been operating the house as a standard B&B, but as naturists themselves, found it restricted their own freedom, and actually proved harder to market, as they were competing with every other guest house in the Algarve. Casa Somba has two guest rooms with en-suite facilities, pool, gardens and a shaded outdoor dining area.
Naturest, a naturist farmhouse near Santa Clara-a-Velha in the Alentejo run by Ray and Marnie Gloster, has two double en-suite bedrooms, pool, patio and tented dining area, and is set in two acres of its own rambling grounds, ideal for walking as nature intended.
Going Dutch If the Brits have largely led the way in establishing naturist guest houses in Portugal, it is the Dutch who have been the pioneers in setting up naturist campsites. The options include:
Quinta dos Carricos, a part-naturist campsite run by Andrea Woudenberg near Salema, west of Lagos in the Algarve. Around a fifth of the 15 hectare site is set aside for naturists, who have their own secluded area at the far end of the site, complete with its own toilet and shower facilities.
Monte Naturista O Barao near Santiago do Cacem in the Alentejo, run by Jeff and Laura de Groot, with help from their English friends and co-workers Jill and Andy Greenfield. Set in seven hectares of forest, the site has 30 camping or mobile home pitches as well as a number of caravans and lodges, plus pool, sun terrace and barbecue area, bar/mini-shop and toilet/shower block.
Quinta das Oliveiras near Coimbra, run by Jikke Wilschut and Siets Bijker, set in 3.5 hectares of countryside and featuring a pool, shower and toilet facilities, and a community room which serves meals and snacks.
A naturist holiday might not be for everybody, but if you do dare to bare in Portugal, you’ll find it accepted as being perfectly natural, in every sense. And just think - no more white lines, clinging bathing costumes or that most ridiculous of beach pantomimes, trying to get undressed behind a towel. Go on: what have you got to be shy about?