Nude Beaches in Florida

It seems fitting that the Sunshine State would be a magnet for sun worshipers from around the world.

Florida is much more than just a place for naturists to gather, says Ramon Maury, naturist industry representative and voice in Tallahassee. "We are privileged to have some of the best beaches in the world, attracting family-centric visitors seeking their little piece of paradise."

“Pasco County is actually known as the nudist capital of the world,” says Ralph Collinson, former president of the American Association for Nude Recreation, Florida Region.

Pasco, the semi-rural west coast patch just north of Tampa and St. Petersburg, boasts some two dozen nudist resorts and clubs within 90 minutes of Orlando or Tampa, some also surrounded by clothing-optional housing communities.

But Pasco is hardly alone in offering a range of naturist-friendly attractions and activities. Resorts across the state offer no-clothes swimming pools; lakes for paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing; tennis, horseback riding, hiking; and pétanque, a French-Canadian variation of bocce ball.

And, naturally, there’s the main attraction for those who relish the feel of the sun's rays on their bare skin – Florida's nearly year-round sunshine and inviting weather.

Here are just a few clothing-optional beaches:

Haulover Beach

Haulover may very well be the pearl of Florida’s nude beaches. It's certainly the best-known and oldest officially recognized public one. It sits on a welcoming wide strip of sand north of Bal Harbour, centrally located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and is ranked regularly among the Top 10 nude beaches in the world. It’s visitor friendly, with plenty of parking, restrooms within convenient walking distance, and the Atlantic Ocean, of course, lapping gently at its shore.

Blind Creek Beach

This clothing-optional beach is located on Hutchinson Island, situated between Fort Pierce and Jensen Beach on Florida's Treasure Coast. Although casual nude use has a long history at this remote, primitive and pristine beach, it now has legal status. You can learn more about Blind Creek here.

Playalinda and Apollo Beaches

The Canaveral National Seashore lays claim to two nude beaches in Florida. That could be because this pristine federal park is not only relatively remote, but also breathtakingly beautiful. This is Florida the way it was when the first explorers sighted them in Columbus’s day: dunes covered with a mantle of sea oats and seagrape, beach sunflowers and berries. It remains the longest undeveloped stretch of oceanfront on Florida’s east coast.

On top of that, it has the advantage of accepting nudity in the designated areas – at least at the federal level.

Apollo Beach, at the northern end of the park, sits in Volusia County, and has a designated clothing-optional section. Playalinda, accessible via Titusville at the southern end of the park, straddles the Volusia and Brevard County line. Nudity is prohibited in Brevard, so sunbathers need to make sure they go north into Volusia before baring all.

Directions and info: nps.gov/cana/planyourvisit/directions.
 

More Information

There are far too many sources about Florida naturist attractions and organizations to list here, but here are a few:

 AANR Florida
Nudist Florida Magazine
Index of Florida Naturist Organizations
South Florida Free Beaches
Nautical Nudists
B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute.