Nudist beaches in Italy: the most beautiful region by region

Naturism, or nudism, is a way of living in harmony with nature characterised by the practice of mutual nudity, to foster respect for oneself, others and the environment. This way of life is now widespread in Europe and is also gaining popularity in Italy, especially in terms of the spread of nudist beaches along the coast.

Choosing a nudist beach during your trip is a unique experience that allows you a truer contact with nature, being well with yourself and with others.

Trieste is famous for its enchanting sunsets, and nudists love to watch them from the Baia di Sistiana, a cove enclosed in the Falesie di Duino Nature Reserve; the crystal-clear sea is surrounded by the incredible cliffs of the Costa dei Barbari, and the beach is pebbly and full of small coves, giving maximum privacy.

Another Trieste beach frequented by nudism lovers is I Filtri beach.

Famous among naturist visitors to Liguria is the beach between Pieve Ligure and Bogliasco. A few hundred metres from the railway station, climbing over the guard rail you can access the shoreline composed of large smooth boulders that make the water transparent and ideal for underwater exploration.

If you are looking for even more privacy, you will have to go where few reach: at Punta Baffe, near Sestri Levante, you will find a true paradise! After the path you take once you have passed the second tunnel in the direction of Moneglia, a series of low rocks surrounded by green Mediterranean scrub opens up to view, with a deep blue sea and the sound of cicadas framing a day to remember.

We then enter the splendid park of the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO heritage site, with Guvano beach: certainly the most famous and popular, a few kilometres from Corniglia, the beach is composed of pebbles and coarse gravel and is protected by a deep inlet that opens into the mountain, while behind it rises a rather high wall of rocks. Its splendid sandy beach of black sand and crystal-clear water is a little difficult to reach and you must arrive prepared: you can either take the path from Vernazza to Corniglia - steep and full of brambles and shrubs - or, shorter, is the route from Corniglia station through a tunnel - a torch is useful. An experience you will not soon forget.

Last, but not least, of the naturist beaches in Liguria is in Sarzana: the Scoglio Bianco, or White Point because of the colouring of the rocks, can be reached on foot from the path that unravels between the sheer cliffs or comfortably by boat.

Where the gentle Tuscan hills join the waves of the Livorno sea, you can find numerous lidos where you can be in total harmony with nature.

The Nido dell'Aquila beach in San Vincenzo, for instance, is located within the beautiful Rimigliano Natural Park, while in Marina di Bibbiona the fine sand creates a panorama of sinuous and elegant dunes with an aesthetic flavour. In Piombino, on the other hand, the Buca Rossa (Red hole) beach offers a natural amphitheatre of rocks, vegetation and red sand mixed with gravel.

In the Maremma Regional Park, after a nice walk among the maritime vegetation, one can cool off 'au naturel' on the beach of Marina di Alberese, a place of great charm and beauty: in front the sea is open, with a view to the left towards Monte Argentario and the Island of Giglio, while behind are the Monti dell'Uccellina with dense Mediterranean scrub. The only signs of man are the three towers inside the mountains.

The latest conquest of Tuscan nudists is the Lecciona Beach in Viareggio, historically frequented by nudist enthusiasts, which has made Tuscany the Italian region with the most legalised beaches dedicated to nudism tourism. The beach can be easily reached by car or by bus departing from Viareggio station.

Known as the 'nudist island', Elba boasts some of the most beautiful naturist beaches in Italy. To enjoy unspoilt nature, we recommend Acquarilli Beach, divided into two parts by the small rock ledge that reserves a section for naturists on the southern side of the bay.

Less wild and isolated is the Felciaio Beach in Capoliveri. This too is divided in two, with the first beach often covered by mounds of posidonia, while on the right-hand side of the beach a cliff, partly natural and partly artificial, forms a pool with a sandy bottom. The beach is free and there is a bar for lunch overlooking the sea.

Going down along the Tyrrhenian coast of the Italian boot, also in Lazio you can find areas dedicated to the practice of naturism, many of them authorised by local municipalities. Near Ostia, you cannot miss the beautiful Nudist Oasis of Capocotta, a naturist beach since the 1970s, which combines fine sand, crystal-clear water, and refreshment under the tree canopies of the Castel Porziano Nature Reserve. It is suitable for those who want to experience nature, but without renouncing the comforts of a beach equipped with sunbeds and umbrellas, toilets, and a restaurant. During the high season there is also a surveillance service.

Another authorised beach is located near Rome, in Fiumicino, and is the naturist beach of Focene, about 600 metres of beach, pine forest and absolute silence.

If you do not want to renounce the historical and archaeological beauties of Lazio even when you go to the seaside, the Sabbie Nere naturist garrison in Santa Severa is just the thing for you: after a stretch of archaeological area where you cannot stop and a bunker dating back to the Second World War, you can enjoy the sun and the saltiness on a dark sand and gravel beach.

Leaving Rome's environs, the Gulf of Gaeta offers a rare pearl historically frequented and patrolled by naturists: the Arenauta naturist beach, thanks to its difficult accessibility, cliffs and dense unspoilt vegetation, has allowed the beach to remain one of the few stretches of coastline that is still completely natural and wild.

A few kilometres from Brindisi, the Salento coastline offers its natural beauty to those who want to enjoy it to the full in the Protected Marine Area State Reserve of Torre Guaceto in Apulia: a magical place on a stretch of crystal-clear Adriatic Sea.

In the province of Taranto, more precisely in Campomarino di Maruggio, very famous for its breathtaking coastline, you will find the Commenda Beach, not yet officially authorised, but nevertheless much frequented by naturists who cannot fail to dive into the crystal-green waters of the Maruggio coastline.

There is no wilder place in Italy than the Sardinian land: being sparsely populated, at times it is still possible to find places untouched by human hand.

Sardinia also holds the record for the largest beach in Europe: in Arbus, on the west coast, is the nudist beach of Piascinas with almost 800 metres of beautiful dunes and warm, crystal-clear water. Piscinas also holds another European record, that of the largest dunes in Europe: they stretch inland for about 2 km, reaching a maximum height of about 100 metres, a height that varies depending on the mistral wind. Compared to the desert dunes, Arbus is home to fauna and flora that have learnt to withstand adverse conditions. The landscape that changes day after day, the wind and the crystal-clear water lead those who choose this beach to feel in a magical place, lost in space-time.

Towards the north of the island, you can spend your day au naturel in the Cala di Porto Ferro, near Sassari and not far from Lake Baratz. The part reserved for nudism consists of three sandy coves at the foot of the Aragonese towers, Torre Bianca and Torre Nigra. Like Piscinas, the cove of Porto Ferro is also very large, with a splendid system of dunes and an artificial pine forest, enriching an unspoilt natural environment.

If you would like to try the experience of nudism, or you are already a veteran of this lifestyle but don't like sea water, don't worry: here is a list of freshwater places where the naturist spirit is welcome!

Let's start from the north: in Piedmont, more precisely in Varallo Sesia, there is Italy's first naturist beach on a river in the locality of Balangera, inaugurated in 2019 and longed for by both the frequent visitors to the banks of the Sesia and the surrounding municipalities, which see this initiative as a tourism driver. This stretch of naturist beach is protected by thick undergrowth on each side, making it a quiet place to shed your clothes; the water is clear and extremely clean, but beware that it is also very cold!

Moving towards Lombardy, in the Malpensa area you will find a naturist garrison on the banks of the Ticino: the area is partly sandy and partly stony, and the row of trees along the river creates the perfect privacy in which to relax and dive into the cool water.

Also in Lombardy is the Porto d'Adda naturist beach in the province of Lecco. The beach is located within the Adda Nord Park, but it is best to dive into the waters of the river only on the left side of the beach where there is a bend: we don't want the current to carry you away!

On the Veneto shore of Lake Garda, one of the most beautiful bays of the lake awaits you: between Punta Vigilio and Torri del Benaco, not too far from the Baia delle Sirene, the Punta Meringa naturist beach paves the way to the crystal-clear waters of the lake, allowing you to completely relax in the coastal nature.

Finally, moving a little southwards but still remaining inland, in the province of Piacenza you will find Zona Bobbio, overlooking the Trebbia river: the naturist beach of the 'wild bucket', whose name derives from the custom of exchanging frequent ambushes based on gavettoni (water balloons), is an area assiduously frequented by lovers of this lifestyle. The beach is located in a stretch of a stream with clear water, where any barrier between the naturist and the surrounding nature is removed. A group of naturists in charge of the area has also set up a spartan volleyball court and a bocce court on the spot, so that there is no risk of getting too bored!
Moreover, given the privileged location of this beach, it is also possible to walk a few kilometres in the woods bordering the Trebbia, in complete nudity!