SOUTHERN SPAIN

	Murcia				Murcia is not subdivided into provinces.
	Andalucía				Almería Granada Málaga Cádiz Huelva

Southern Spain consists of two autonomous communities: Murcia and Andalucía (often spelled "Andalusia" in English). Murcia is among the autonomous communities of Spain that are not divided into multiple provinces. Thus, the autonomous community of Murcia and the province of Murcia are one in the same. Murcia is at the southeastern corner of Spain. The rest of southern Spain is Andalucía, the country's second largest autonomous community in land area. Andalucía has eight provinces (only the five coastal provinces are included in this guide), and each of those provinces is about the size of Murcia. Andalucía is the most Moorish influenced part of Spain and is known for the exotic architecture of its monuments, like the grand Alhambra palace in Granada or the Mezquita of Córdoba, a mosque-turned-cathedral. Andalucía is the only part of Spain that has both Mediterranean and Atlantic coastline. The five coastal provinces of Andalucía are listed in geographic order on this page, going east to west. Almería, Granada and Málaga are all entirely Mediterranean, but Cádiz—part of which is along the Strait of Gibraltar—has both Mediterranean and Atlantic segments, and Huelva is entirely Atlantic.

Southern Spain is the warmest part of the country. The weather is suitable for bare bathing during much of the spring and autumn, but winter vacations are a bit chancy. In summer, you may find that the mercury rises a little too high for your taste. In July and August, temperatures exceed 90°F (32°C) in much of the south. The naturist possibilities of Southern Spain include Vera Playa (in Almería), the largest naturist resort complex in Spain and one of the preeminent naturist destinations in the world; the many beaches of rugged, unspoiled Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park (also in Almería), a region of cacti and palm trees in one of the very few parts of Europe considered to be desert; a tiny nude beach tucked away in cosmopolitan Benalmadena; a nude beach in Cádiz from which you can see Africa on the horizon, at least on clear days; and windswept Atlantic beaches of Huelva that offer abundant possibilities for naked solitude.

Spain's coastline is, mostly for purposes of tourism, divided into various segments that mean absolutely nothing but sound romantic. We don't make use of the terms in this guide, but here are the ones that pertain to Southern Spain, from east to west. Costa Cálida, which means "Warm Coast," is the coast of Murcia. For Almería, there is no special adjective; it's just Costa de Almería. Granada's coast is the Costa Tropical, but this term is not as widely used as the others; Granada's share of the coastline is comparatively small. The coast of of Málaga is the Costa del Sol, which is the most popular of Spain's costas for sun-seeking vacationers. There does not seem to be a moniker for the small Mediterranean stretch of the coast of Cádiz, but Costa de la Luz, which means "Coast of Light," refers to all of Atlantic Andalucía. (Compared to the Costa del Sol, the Costa de la Luz is rather off the tourist radar.) The names of other coastal segments are listed under Eastern Spain. There are names for segments of Spain's north coast as well, but those names are not well-known tourist lingo.

MURCIA      MAP     [ ↑ ]

NUDE BEACHES       Murcia is an autonomous community that is not subdivided into multiple provinces, and it can be referred to as either an autonomous community or a province since they are one in the same. The province has 274 kilometers of coastline (counting all the twists and turns), but that can be reduced considerably to about 120 kilometers when measured more linearly. A very prominent feature near the northern border of Murcia a huge, shallow, salty lagoon called the Mar Menor. While the beaches near the Mar Menor face east, the coastline changes direction beyond the southern end of the lagoon, and the beaches of the rest of Murcia are oriented mostly toward the south. Directly south of the Mar Menor on the eastern outskirts of Cartagena, Calblanque Regional Park is a mountainous reserve that is short on amenities but replete with natural beauty. The Calblanque Beaches  37.5969N, 0.7652W  include eight beaches over a span of about 5 kilometers, and toward either end of this expanse there are areas where nude baths cluster, namely at Cala de los Déntoles, Playa de Negrete and the Calas de Parreño.       On the western outskirts of Cartagena, Playa de la Morena  37.5820N, 1.0685W  is a small beach that abuts Camping El Portús (listed farther down), which is a naturist resort that is tucked away amid the arid coastal mountains. It is attended mainly by resort guests, but day visitors can pay a fee to pass through the grounds and access the beach.       Near Mazarrón, there is a small range of mountains called the Sierra de las Moreras, and there is a short stretch of just 3 to 4 kilometers where the mountains meet the sea. The road that follows the coastline through this short but rugged stretch is unpaved. If you follow the gravel road west from the small town of Bolnuevo, you will soon reach a collection of six small coves that are signed for nude bathing. These beaches, located within a span of about 2 kilometers, are the Bolnuevo Beaches  37.5618N, 1.3289W  . Playa de la Cueva de los Lobos, which is the first of the coves (i.e., closest to Bolneuvo) tends to be the most popular.       A bit farther southwest, Playa de las Minas  37.5281N, 1.3840W  is the small nudist extension of a popular textile beach called Playa de Percheles, and these two adjacent beaches are located along a rural, agricultural stretch of coastline that lacks residential or tourist development. Minas and Percheles are about 5 kilometers southwest of the Bolnuevo beaches (described in the previous paragraph) via the gravel coastal road, but they are more often accessed via a paved road through the farming village of Cañada de Gallego. Percheles is the only well-attended beach in the immediate vicinity. Besides neighboring Minas, there are other nearby coves that get occasional nudist use, but those other coves are typically deserted.       Lorca and Águilas are the two southernmost coastal municipalities of Murcia, and the area where these municipalities border one another is characterized by a mountainous coastal area called the Puntas de Calnegre and a distinctive promontory called Cabo Cope. While there are a number of beaches along the 12 or so kilometers of the Calnegre-Cabo Cope coast that have nudist potential, two are well established as naturist venues: Playa de Junquera  37.4925N, 1.4500W  , a remote beach nestled in the mountains, and Playa del Charco  37.4496N, 1.4819W  , a very easily accessible beach farther south near Cabo Cope. LODGING      Camping El Portús    37.5837N, 1.0683W       beach            Cartagena      Casa de Cinco Hermanos    38.4034N, 1.1357W            Jumilla      Camping El Zorro    37.6432N, 1.9480W            Puerto Lumbreras

ANDALUCÍA     [ ↑ ]
	Almeria      MAP     [ ↑ ]
		NUDE BEACHES       The province of Almería has 249 kilometers of coastline (counting all the twists and turns), or about 200 kilometers measured more linearly. On the eastern side of the province, the coastline is oriented mostly toward the southeast. On the western side of the province, the coastline mostly faces south. Toward the far eastern end of the province, near Murcia, Playa del Playazo  37.2232N, 1.8017W  is the formal name of the beach adjacent to the Vera Playa naturist complex (listed farther down), which is the largest naturist resort in Spain and one of the largest in the world. The beach is accessible to the general public, and it is almost universally called Vera Playa rather than by its proper name.       While Vera Playa is set against a relatively flat backdrop and backed by development, the coastline gets more mountainous as you go toward the southwest, and most of the remaining nude beaches of Almería are sheltered coves set against rugged backdrops. Between Mojácar and Carboneras, there are two nude beaches that are not too far apart. Playa del Castillo del Macenas  37.0884N, 1.8503W  is mostly in view of the coastal highway and a large coastal resort, but there is a secluded corner of the beach hidden by the slope of the land, and a few nudists gather there. A more remote nude beach is reached by starting at Playa del Castillo de Macenas and traveling south a few kilometers along a twisty, unpaved road that follows the coastline. Playa de Bordenares  37.0608N, 1.8552W  lies near the end of the road. Nudists typically gravitate toward either end of the beach, but on uncrowded days nudity may occur anywhere along the beach.       A bit farther south, there is a vast, arid, mountainous area known as Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, which covers about 400 square kilometers and is one of just a few corners of Europe that is classified as a desert. About a quarter of Almería's coastline lies within Cabo de Gata-Níjar, which was designated as a park in 1987 and protected from further development. The town of Carboneras is an enclave near the northeastern end of the park, and there are a handful of smaller villages that are also enclaves. Just south of Carboneras, Playa de los Muertos  36.9501N, 1.8977W  is an expansive, very beautiful and often crowded beach that is the most popular beach in the park. Los Muertos is mostly a textile beach, but nudity is acceptable at the far southern end. However, nudists are typically outnumbered by textiles (and sometimes vastly so) even in the traditionally nudist area.       Moving farther south in the park, there are several other beaches where nudists are a more substantial presence than at Los Muertos. Near the village of Agua Amarga, Cala de Enmedio  36.9328N, 1.9466W  and Cala del Plomo  36.9226N, 1.9549W  are nearby beaches that are both quite isolated, and both are attended by a mix of nudists and textiles. Cala del Plomo always has larger crowds since it is much easier to access. Cala de Enmedio is the more idyllic of the two, but you will need an all-terrain vehicle if you want to drive all the way there. Most visitors hike to the beach, starting from either Cala del Plomo or Agua Amarga. Similarly, getting to Cala de San Pedro  36.9032N, 1.9791W  just north of the village of Las Negras also requires a substantial hike, but this beach nonetheless has a loyal following of visitors, most of them nudist minded. San Pedro retains a counterculture flavor owing to the hippie encampment that sprung up there during the '60s, elements of which still survive. Beyond the opposite end of Las Negras near Rodalquilar, Calilla del Playazo  36.8628N, 2.0050W  is a small niche next to a popular beach called Playa del Playazo. Nude bathing is common along the small expanse of sand and the adjacent rocky ledges. A bit farther south near Isleta, Cala de los Toros  36.8218N, 2.0423W  is a small beach that is not at all well known to park visitors. Nude bathing is common, but the presence of nudists seems rather inconsistent compared to other beaches in the park.       Going into the southernmost part of Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, there are no paved roads past the village of San José. The gravel road that continues beyond the village leads to a rugged wonderland of pristine beaches that span about 6 kilometers of coastline. We will call them the Cabo de Gata South Beaches  36.7297N, 2.1395W  . In order going south and west, these beaches are Playa de los Genoveses, Cala de los Amarillos, Cala Principe, Cala Chica, Cala Grande, Cala del Lance del Perro, Playa del Paredón, Playa del Barronal, Cala Peineta, Cala Palmito, Playa de Mónsul, Cala de la Media Luna, Cala Chicré and Cala Carbón. All the Cabo de Gata South beaches get some degree of nude use, but a few of them are de facto textile beaches during peak season. Playa del Barronal is the primary gathering place for naturists, but those willing to hike a bit can explore a bounty of other gorgeous beaches where bare bathing is the norm.       Unlike most of the previous listings for Almería, going all the way back up to Playa de los Muertos, Playa de los Cerrillos  36.6978N, 2.6603W  is NOT in Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park but in the town of Roquetas de Mar, west of the city of Almería. Cerillos is vast beach backed by salt marshes that offers ample space for nudity. LODGING      Camping Cuevas Mar    37.2360N, 1.7973W            Palomares VERA PLAYA Vera Playa is a resort area toward the northeastern end of the coastline of Almería, about 25 kilometers from the border with Murcia. About 100 acres of Vera Playa is designated as a naturist sector. Serviced by public streets and not hidden behind walls or gates, the naturist sector is quite unique in that it blends seamlessly into the outside world. Motorists and pedestrians can enter the naturist sector just as they would any other part of town. The naturist area of Vera Playa consists of a nude beach (Playa del Playazo, the first beach listing above under Almería), a large hotel and multiple subdivisions of apartments and townhouses. Most of the 2,000 or so privately owned units in the Vera Playa naturist sector are available to rent. The website Vera Playa Naturist is a good primer for first-time visitors.      Vera Playa Naturist Subdivisions       37.2242N, 1.80535W       beach       Vera Playa Club Hotel       37.2270N, 1.8002W
	Granada      MAP     [ ↑ ]
		NUDE BEACHES       The storied city of Granada is famed for its Moorish architecture, most notably the Alhambra palace. The city is not on the coast but about 65 kilometers inland, surrounded by mountains. The province of Granada extends into the interior such that it has just 81 kilometers of coastline, or about 70 kilometers measured more linearly—considerably less than that of the other four coastal provinces of Andalucía. It takes just an hour or so to traverse the entire coastline of Granada by car, and along that fairly short stretch there are four well-established possibilities for nude bathing. Toward the far eastern end of the provincial coastline near the coastal village of La Rabita, Playa del Ruso 36.7492N, 3.1819W   is the most obscure of these four beaches. The trail leading down to is not reliably signed, and the steep and rather daunting path ensures that attendance is sparse. Most who find their way there enjoy the beach in the buff. In the middle of Granada's coastline, Playa de la Joya  36.6962N, 3.4737W  is a beach that is just as hidden as Playa del Ruso, and it is similarly very easy to drive past its access point without ever knowing it was there, but there is a key difference. While El Ruso is not close to any major towns, La Joya is immediately east of the resort town of Torrenueva, close enough to be within walking distance of many of the town's hotels. La Joya is a well attended nude beach compared to El Ruso, but at the same time it is a quiet alternative to the overcrowded textile beach of Torrenueva, which is less than one kilometer away yet a world apart.       Toward the western border of Granada, there are two nude beaches within the municipal limits of Almuñécar, both on the western side of the old town core of the coastal resort town. Closer to the town center is Playa del Muerto  36.7315N, 3.7215W  , a small cove at the base of a cliff at the end of the urban development of Almuñécar. It is a hidden nudist niche despite being very close to a residential area. A little farther west, Playa de Cantarriján  36.7376N, 3.7768W  is literally at the provincial border of Granada and Málaga, but it is the most popular and most highly regarded of Granada's nude beaches. Cantarriján is an exceptionally beautiful beach that is divided into two coves by an outcropping. While one cove is more favored by nudists, nudity in fact occurs along the entire beach.       A final nude beach in Granada is not on the sea at all. Well over 100 kilometers inland, the Embalse del Negratín  37.5884N, 2.8545W  is a large reservoir amid the arid mountains in the northeast of the province. A portion of the lakeshore beach near the town of Cuevas del Campo is signed for naturist use, which seems quite an anomaly considering its rural interior location.
	Malaga      MAP     [ ↑ ]
		NUDE BEACHES       The province of Málaga has 208 kilometers of coastline (counting all the twists and turns), or about 150 kilometers measured more linearly, and in tourist lingo it is known as the Costa del Sol. Since circa 1950, this part of the Spanish coastline has been radically transformed into a mecca of international tourism. The Costa del Sol has become the place to go for the quintessential Spanish beach holiday, and the name alone carries a certain cachet. The province of Málaga is busy, bustling and full of sun-seeking expats. At the eastern end of the province near the border with Granada, there are three adjacent coves on the periphery of Nerja that collectively span about one kilometer and have two names among them: the eastern and middle coves are known as the Calas del Pino  36.7465N, 3.7998W  , while the western cove is Playa de las Alberquillas  36.7490N, 3.8071W  . Nudists and textiles mingle at all three of these beautiful coves, which are accessible by short but steep downhill hikes from the coastal road that runs above them. It is also reasonably easy to hike over rocks from one cove to the next.       Farther west, about halfway between the Granada border and the city of Málaga, Playa de Almayate  36.7252N, 4.1100W  abuts a naturist retreat called Camping Almanat (listed farther down). This nude beach is attended both by Almanat guests and the general public, and it can be accessed by paying to park at Almanat next to the most crowded part of the beach or by parking for free next to the more lightly attended end of the beach.       The large city of Málaga is the capital of the province of the same name. On the periphery of the city near the airport, Playa de San Julián  36.6548N, 4.4676W  is an urban beach with a 400-meter-long stretch that is signed for naturist use. Despite the signage, there are often lots of textiles in the nudist zone, but this is the closest nude beach to the biggest city of the Costa del Sol. A bit southwest of the city, Benalmádena is a popular resort town with lots of modern hotels. Tucked away amid this dense development, Playa de Benalnatura  36.5802N, 4.5539W  is a tiny niche of a nude beach where swimsuits are virtually non-existent. At the beach bar, a sign mandates that patrons must be naked in order to be served.       Continuing southwest from Benalmádena, Fuengirola is another large resort town of similar character. At the edge of the town, technically within the limits of neighboring Mijas, Playa Marina  36.5062N, 4.6518W  is an urban stretch of beach next to the busy coastal highway that was officially designated for nude use in 2010. Southwest farther still is Marbella, a destination for the jet set that is the toniest resort town of the Costa del Sol. About halfway between the town centers of Fuengirola and Marbella, Playa de Artola (Cabopino)  36.4851N, 4.7466W  is a lushly sanded beach backed by a large field of sand dunes. Its the most popular nude beach in the province of Málaga and has a notable gay presence.       Estepona is near the western end of the Málaga. At the edge of town, Playa de Arroyo Vaquero  36.4062N, 5.1873W  is the formal (but seldom used) name of the beach that abuts the grounds of Costa Natura, the second largest naturist resort in Spain (listed farther down). It is attended mainly by resort guests but is accessible to the public. LODGING      Casa Patricia    36.8252N, 4.7030W            Álora      Finca Fabulosa    36.8495N, 4.6487W            Álora      Finca Los Etera    36.8314N, 4.6481W            Álora      Casa Los Dos    36.7950N, 3.9903W            Cómpeta      Costa Natura    36.4072N, 5.1874W       beach            Estepona      Finca Johanna    36.7715N, 4.1837W            Iznate      Nice 'n Natural    36.7568N, 4.4868W            Málaga      Finca La Maroma    36.8437N, 4.0770W            Sedella      Camping Almanat    36.7264N, 4.1138W       beach            Vélez-Málaga      Hacienda La Macarena    36.7892N, 4.0727W            Vélez-Málaga
	Cadiz      MAP     [ ↑ ]
		NUDE BEACHES       Cádiz is the southernmost province of mainland Spain, and it has 285 kilometers of coastline (counting all the twists and turns), or about 200 kilometers measured more linearly. That coastline borders three major bodies of water: the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean. Cádiz contains the westernmost segment of Spain's Mediterranean coast, and that segment actually faces east more so than south. Along the short Mediterranean cost of Cádiz, La Alcaidesa is a modern planned resort community that has been around only since the late '90s, and there are two nude beaches that are accessed through the community. North of La Alcaidesa, Playa de Guadalquitón  36.2534N, 5.2925W  is a lightly attended beach along a wild stretch of coastline. In stark contrast, nearby Playa de la Alcaidesa  36.2409N, 5.3087W  is next to a golf course, and a small segment of the beach is designated for naturist use. Playa de Guadalquitón and Playa de la Alcaidesa are less than two kilometers apart, and both beaches have magnificent views of the Rock of Gibraltar.       Spain's Mediterranean coast comes to and end at Gibraltar, a tiny British territory that is an appendage to mainland Spain and famous for the aforementioned mass of rock. Continuing west, the next part of the coastline of Cádiz is along the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. The country of Morocco in Africa is on the other side of the strait, and at the strait's narrowest point the distance between Europe and Africa is less than 15 kilometers. For an east-west distance of roughly 50 to 60 kilometers, the two continents are relatively close together. Tarifa, the southernmost town of mainland Spain, is at approximately the centerpoint of the Spanish coastline of the strait. On the western periphery of Tarifa, Playa de Bolonia  36.0685N, 5.7403W  is located along the part of the coastline where the strait begins to widen, opening up to the Atlantic. One of Spain's most unique nude beaches, Bolonia has a number of notable features, including a view of Africa across the strait (at least on clear days). The beach also has shallow "pools" of sorts that are sheltered swimming areas formed naturally by a small reef. The reef pools are located 2 kilometers from the nearest parking in the village of El Lentiscal, but nudity is possible well before the pools for those who don't care to walk that far. Just a bit northwest of Bolonia, nudity is also well established at a very beautiful and isolated beach called Playa del Cañuelo  36.0886N, 5.8051W  . This beach can be access either from Bolonia or from a modern residential development called Atlanterra (near Zahara de los Atunes).       If you started in Tarifa and followed the Atlantic coastline toward Portugal, you'd be going in a northwesterly direction. Conil de la Frontera, typically truncated to just Conil, is a town distinctive for its densely clustered whitewashed structures, and it is one of the larger towns along the Atlantic coastline of Cádiz. There are at least six well-established zones of nude use that are relatively close together in the general vicinity of Conil, and these six areas are spread over a distance of just 23 kilometers. We'll refer to these six beaches as the Conil nude beaches for short, even though some of them lie within the boundaries of neighboring municipalities. Starting in the southeast and going northwest, the first of the Conil beaches is Playa de las Cortinas  36.1820N, 6.0002W  , and it seems to be the most popular of the nude beaches that are near Conil. The beach is a sheltered and very scenic area that is backed by a cliff, extending eastward from the village of Los Caños de Meca. Just a few kilometers away on the opposite side of the village, the second of the Conil nude beaches is the part of Playa de Zahora  36.1850N, 6.0358W  that abuts Cabo de Trafalgar, a rocky mass atop which there is a very tall and prominent lighthouse. The nude area is a broad expanse of sand where nudists and textiles mingle freely, with textiles usually being in the majority.       Continuing northwest, the third and fourth of the Conil nude beaches are Playa de la Mangueta  36.2105N, 6.0576W  and Playa de Castilnovo  36.2553N, 6.0835W  . These nude areas are on either side of the village of El Palmar, and they are actually part of the same long beach. While La Mangueta consistently draws small crowds of bare bathers, there are fewer nudists at Castilnovo just because that stretch of the beach draws fewer overall visitors. From Castilnovo, the cluster of whitewashed buildings that constitute the town center of Conil are prominently visible a few kilometers up the coast.       The fifth and sixth of the Conil nude beaches are located on the other side of the town center toward the northwestern periphery of Conil, and they are close to one another. Cala de Melchor  36.2963N, 6.1274W  is a tiny beach near a larger textile beach called Cala del Aceite. If you were standing at Cala de Melchor facing the ocean, off to your right you'd see a lighthouse in the distance, about 1200 meters away as the crow flies. That lighthouse marks the southern end of another chain of coves that extend northward about 2 kilometers to the neighborhood of Roche (part of Conil). While these coves have distinct proper names, they are collectively known as the Calas de Roche  36.2990N, 6.1443W  . While nudity may potentially be encountered at any of the Roche coves, nudity patterns seem rather fluid, dependent mainly on crowd size. Generally, you can expect the northern of the coves (nearest the houses of Roche) to be mostly textile, with mixed nudist and textile use toward the middle of the span and a nudist majority at the southern coves, nearest the aforementioned lighthouse.       All the really popular nude beaches of Cádiz are in the vicinity of Tarifa and Conil. Continuing northwest beyond Conil, there are a couple more established nude beaches, but they are fairly obscure and minor compared to the ones mentioned in the preceding paragraphs. About halfway between Conil and the border with Huelva, the city of Cádiz is the capital of the province of the same name, and it is very uniquely situated on a narrow spit of land that essentially parallels the main coastline, with the Atlantic on one side of the city and a large bay on the other. Playa de Levante  36.5465N, 6.2265W  is situated on the opposite side of that bay near El Puerto de Santa María. Levante is an expansive sandy beach with ample space for naturism, but it draws only small crowds of bare bathers. Farther northwest, Playa de Punta Candor  36.6339N, 6.3937W  is on the periphery of the town of Rota, secluded by a grove of trees yet very close to the outlying development of town. Nudity is customary along just a short stretch of the beach. LODGING      Bungalows Puravida    36.1997N, 6.0355W            Barbate
	Huelva      MAP     [ ↑ ]
		NUDE BEACHES       Huelva has 122 kilometers of coastline (counting all the twists and turns), or about 100 kilometers measured more linearly, and it is the only province of Andalucía where the coastline is entirely along the Atlantic Ocean. Compared to the rest of Andalucía, the coastal terrain of Huelva is relatively flat, and thus the region is characterized by very long, broad, sandy beaches backed by large expanses of sand dunes. Doñana National Park is a large coastal and river delta preserve that spans three Andalucían provinces. Most of the park lies in the far southeast of Huelva, and Playa de Doñana  36.9772N, 6.5214W  is an enormous beach than can only be accessed by land from the town of Matalascañas. From there, the beach extends southeastward more than 25 kilometers to the Guadalquivir River, and it may well be the emptiest beach in Spain. There is a small and dispersed nudist presence along the beach near Matalascañas. However, much more popular nude beaches are located farther west in the national park in the less remote area between Matalascañas and Mazagón. This part of the coastline is backed by beautiful and colorful cliffs, and nudists cluster not far from the access points of Playa del Asperillo  37.0683N, 6.6854W  (also known by the name Cuesta Maneli) and Playa del Rompeculos  37.1030N, 6.7544W  . These beaches, which are quite similar in character, are segments of a seemingly endless unbroken beach, and their parking areas are about 7 kilometers apart.       Moving west toward Portugal, the estuary of the rivers Tinto and Odiel breaks the continuity of Huelva's coastline, and the provincial capital (also named Huelva) is just slightly inland from the coast at the confluence of the two rivers. On the west side of the estuary in the general vicinity of the provincial capital, Playa de los Enebrales  37.1921N, 6.9997W  is a large beach near the town of Punta Umbría, and the beach takes its name from the scenic coastal forest that forms its backdrop—"los enebrales" means "the junipers." When it isn't too crowded, nude bathing is common along the part of the beach most distant from Punta Umbría, but nudity is rare on peak days when the entire beach is overrun with textiles. Farther west, Playa de Nueva Umbría  37.2061N, 7.1704W  is a beach near Lepe that is accessed by following a rutted road through a coastal marsh. Just after you cross the boardwalk over the dunes, you will immediately see a sign pointing the way to the nudist zone. Beyond the initial crowd of nudists, the beach continues nearly 10 kilometers farther, with no other points of access, before ending at a river delta. Thus, the westernmost nude beach of Southern Spain is also one of the longest. Most of it is deserted. Continuing west along the coastline, the next well-established nude beaches are across the border in Portugal.