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NORTHERN SPAIN & MADRID
In My Fair Lady, Eliza Doolittle famously repeats "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." By George, she got it... wrong. The plains of Spain's interior are rather arid. The rainiest region of Spain by far is the northern Atlantic coast, which is commonly known as España Verde, or "Green Spain." This part of Spain's coast spans about 1,000 kilometers, from France to Portugal. Green Spain is not nearly as well known to tourists as are the country's southern and eastern realms, but is is no less worthwhile, and tourists need not fret too much about the rain that gives Green Spain its name. The rain falls mainly in the winter, and while in summer the north coast is definitely wetter than the often parched southern regions of the country, Green Spain's summer rainfall is comparable to that of other non-arid parts of Europe.
The most culturally distinct parts of Green Spain lie at either extreme. Bordering France, the autonomous community known as the Basque Country ( País Vasco in Spanish, Euskadi in the the Basque language) is the homeland of the Basque people. The Basques are a distinct European ethnicity, but in modern times the Basque culture seems very blurred with those of neighboring areas of Spain and France. The Basque language ( Euskara), a language isolate with no demonstrable relation to any other language, is today spoken as a first language by just a quarter of the population of the Basque Country. On the other side of Green Spain, the autonomous community of Galicia borders Portugal. Its native language is Galician, which is very closely related to Portuguese. As is true in all of Spain, sub-ethnicities of the Spanish people who speak another language as a first language are almost invariably fluent in Castilian Spanish as well. Between the Basque Country and Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias are among the autonomous communities of Spain that are not divided into multiple provinces. The regional identities of Cantabria and Asturias are not as pronounced as those of its neighbors on either side.
Green Spain offers a selection of nude beaches just as impressive as those of the other coastal areas of the country, and the array is even more remarkable considering that the northern coastal region is less densely populated than the eastern or southern coasts. Some of Spain's most geographically unique nude beaches are located in the north. While there is no shortage of beautiful natural areas where you can bask in the buff, the north does lack any accommodations that cater to the naturist market. When planning a trip to Green Spain, keep in mind that temperatures are cooler than in other coastal areas of Spain and the beach season is shorter. Even the southern Atlantic area of France, which is at a slightly more northerly latitude, is a bit warmer than Green Spain.
In this section we have also listed two sites in the interior of Spain, both in the autonomous community of Madrid.
GALICIA
| Galicia occupies the northwest corner of Spain. Especially notable features of Galicia's coastline are deep inlets called rías. These rias consist of a multitude of beaches and bays, and the scenery is striking and unique. Galicia has two major areas of rias. The Rías Baixas ("Lower Rias") are along the east-facing part of the coastline. Of the beaches listed below, all the ones in Pontevedra and the first four in A Coruña are in the Rías Baixas area. Heading north from the Rías Baixas, the city of A Coruña is the approximate start of the Rías Altas ("Upper Rias"), which extend east across the north-facing part of the coastline to the border with Asturias. The last five beaches below listed under A Coruña and the only beach listed under Lugo are in the Rías Altas area. |
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| Pontevedra
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NUDE BEACHES
Playa de Saiáns
42.1748, -8.8142 
| This small beach is located in a residential area of the southern outskirts of Vigo. While nudity is acceptable, the beach tends to be mostly textile on crowded days. |
Playa de Fontaiña
42.1994, -8.7887
| At this urban beach in Vigo, nudists occupy a small niche along what is otherwise a textile beach that can be very crowded on peak days. |
Islas Cíes
42.2309, -8.9006
| The Islas Cíes are two small islands that are just a few kilometers offshore from the vicinity of Vigo. The two islands collectively have three main beaches. One is customarily textile only, while nudity is acceptable at the other two. |
Playa de Alemans
42.2590, -8.7634
| Located across the Ría de Vigo from the city of Vigo, this hidden beach in Cangas in a minor nudist site. |
Playa de Barra
42.2609, -8.8517
| Tucked in a bay on the north side of Ría de Vigo within the town limits of Canga, Playa de Barra is the most popular nude beach in Galicia and one of the preeminent nude beaches of Spain. With a shallow area of turquoise water, abundant white sand and a forested backdrop, beaches don't get much more idyllic than this one. Barra is 35 kilometers by car from Vigo, the largest city in the province of Pontevedra. |
Playa de Tulla
42.3387, -8.8113
| Located in the town of Bueu on a large inlet called Ria de Pontevedra, Playa de Tulla is mostly a textile beach, but there is a little niche hidden by boulders where nudists gather. There are also a few tiny coves very close by known as Playa de Sartaxens, and nudity also occurs as those coves. Playa de Barra, the most popular nude beach is Galicia, is just 13 kilometers away. Tulla and Sartaxens provide a comparatively much smaller-scale nudist experience. |
Playa de Melide
42.3896, -8.9261
| This beach is located on Isla de Ons, a small island that is just a few kilometers offshore from the vicinity of Sanxenxo. Playa de Melide is the largest beach on the island and is publicized as a nude beach. There are also many tiny coves on the island that have nudist potential. |
Playa de Bascuas
42.4039, -8.8585
| This small cove on the northern outskirts of Sanxenxo is designated and signed for naturist use. Easy to access, it is just 500 meters from the coastal road, with parking adjacent to the beach. |
Playa de Castiñeira
42.4686, -8.9359
| Located on the western side of the curiously shaped O Grove peninsula, this beach is part of a chain of adjacent coves that are all potentially nudist. Castiñeira is the best established for nude bathing. |
Playas del Parque Natural de Carreirón
42.5262, -8.8729
| Illa de Arousa is an island bridged to the mainland, and toward its southern end there is a nature preserve with about 4 kilometers of undulating coastline with numerous sandy coves. These coves are undeveloped, lightly attended and idyllic, and nudity occurs regularly. |
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| A Coruña
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NUDE BEACHES
Playa de O Vilar
42.5572, -9.0323
| At this long sandy beach in Santa Uxía de Ribeira, nudity occurs in the lightly attended central area, between zones of textile use toward either end. |
Playa de Espiñeirido
42.6001, -9.0646
| Nudity is possible at this lightly attended beach on the north side of Santa Uxía de Ribeira. |
Playa de Queiruga
42.6785, -9.0300
| There is some nudity on the far north end of this beach, but most nudists prefer Playa del Castro de Baroña (see the next listing), which is just a few kilometers away. |
Playa del Castro de Baroña (Arealonga)
42.6900, -9.0282
| Although technically named Playa del Castro de Baroña, regulars call it "Arealonga." This nude beach near Porto do Son is just around the bend from the excavated remains of an ancient Celtic settlement. Arealonga is well attended even though it is not especially close to any of Galicia's major cities. |
Playa de Lagoa de Louro
42.7498, -9.0939
| This scenic beach in Muros is backed by lush dunes and rather sparsely attended, and nudity is quite common away from the main entry point. |
Playa de O Morro
43.2934, -8.9077
| This idyllic and lightly attended beach near the village of Niñóns is rural and hidden. It consists of two tiny coves, both of which are frequented by nudists. |
Playa de Combouzas
43.3125, -8.5440
| At this location in Arteixo, a rock outcropping divides a textile beach (Barrañán) from a nude beach (Combouzas). Most visitors to Combouzas prefer nudity, making it among the more popular nude beaches of Galicia. |
Playa de Bastiagueriño
43.3434, -8.3560
| On the eastern outskirts of the city of A Coruña, this lightly attended beach is urban yet very secluded, separated by a headland from a popular textile beach. |
Cala Atalaya
43.3511, -8.3488
| Just a few kilometers from Playa de Bastiagueriño (see the previous listing), this hidden cove is quite tiny, and nudity is the norm. |
Playa de Canabal
43.3914, -8.3434
| About 6 kilometers north of Cala Atalaya (see the previous listing), this hidden cove is also quite small and very scenic, with a mix of nudists and textiles. |
Cala de Insua
43.3856, -8.2203
| This tiny beach in Pontedeume, sheltered deep within an inlet called Ría de Betazos, is charming but lightly attended. |
Playa de Lumebó
43.4839, -8.3249
| Accessing this beach on the west side of Ferrol is a bit challenging, which keeps attendance rather low, but those who make the effort can bask in the buff in an idyllic setting. This may well be the most beautiful beach in the province of A Coruña. |
Playa de Ponzos
43.5570, -8.2618
| A few nudists gather toward one end of this spacious beach on the northern outskirts of Ferrol. |
Playa de Porto Carrizo
43.6431, -8.1089
| This small cove in Valdoviño was officially sanctioned for nude bathing in 2010. Just a kilometer to the east, a smaller number of nudists also gather at a hidden niche of Playa de Baleo. (See the next listing.) |
Playa de Baleo
43.6474, -8.1005
| (See the previous listing.) |
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| Lugo
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NUDE BEACHES
Playa de Portonovo
43.7098, -7.5742
| This pretty little cove near Viveiro invites nudity, but sadly it is often overrun with textiles. Visit on a weekday for a better chance that conditions will favor bare bathing. |
Playa de Area Brava (Los Alemanes)
43.6391, -7.3407
| This small cove just south of Burela is quite beautiful and well secluded from the coastal road that runs just overhead. It is rather lightly attended. |
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ASTURIAS
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NUDE BEACHES
Cala Mexota
43.5574, -6.9808
| This beach in Tapia de Casariego is geologically distinctive, divided into segments by rocky protrusions that resemble giant shark fins. |
Playa del Moro
43.5583, -6.7174
| At the base of a grassy cliff, this small beach is Navia is lightly attended, and nude bathers are often present. |
Playa de Barayo (La Vega)
43.5606, -6.6127
| At this especially scenic and pastoral beach in a rural area east of Navia, a few nudists gather at one end. |
Playa de Oleiros
43.5724, -6.2020
| A one-kilometer hike through a lush pine forest brings you to this secluded, postcard-perfect cove, which is located a bit west of the seaside village of Cudillero. |
Playa de Requexinos
43.5796, -6.0350
| The 4-kilometer-long beach in the municipality of Catrillón has segments with different names. Playa de Requexinos refers to one extreme of the beach, and it is where nudists gather. The beach is very close to the regional airport that is the main airport of Asturias. |
Playa de Aguilera
43.6230, -5.8861
| A drive through verdant countryside around Gozón brings you to this beach, which is divided into two smalls coves by a small headland that is easily climbed. Both coves draw nude bathers. |
Playa de Peñarrubia
43.5520, -5.6233
| A short distance east of Gijon (a major city of the north coast of Spain), this beach at the base of a sheer cliff wall is accessed by a long staircase. |
Playa de Serín
43.5503, -5.6105
| Less than 2 kilometers away from Playa de Peñarrubia (see the previous listing), this beach is also at the base of a steep cliff, and it is the less crowded of the two beaches. |
Playa de Merón
43.5442, -5.4951
| This rural cove is idyllic, but it is mostly a textile beach, with some nudity toward one end. |
Playa de Beciella
43.4755, -5.1972
| Undeveloped and unsigned, this hidden beach is sparsely attended overall, and many of those who find the way lose their clothes. |
Playa de la Vega
43.4784, -5.1458
| One end of this expansive beach near Ribadesella draws a small number of nude bathers. |
Playa de Torimbia
43.4424, -4.8523
| This exceptionally beautiful and large cove in an exceptionally beautiful and mountainous part of Asturias is appreciated by both nudists and textiles. Since there is access at both ends, most nudists gather in the central part of the beach. |
Playa de Portiellu
43.4155, -4.7407
| This tiny, hidden cove just east of Llanes is a minor nudist site. |
Playa de Ballota
43.4136, -4.7147
| On the outskirts of Llanes, Playa de Ballota is a small beach that is mostly textile, but a natural wall of rock near one end provides a privacy screen for the few nudists who gather along the short stretch of the beach that is beyond the rock. |
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CANTABRIA
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NUDE BEACHES
Playa de Valdearenas
43.4450, -3.9746
| This beach on the western outskirts of Santander is a long sandbar that extends into an estuary, and nudists gather toward the far end. |
Playa de Somocuevas
43.4692, -3.9451
| Just 17 kilometers by car from the center of Santander, this small cove is a local nudist favorite, sheltered on three sides by rocky bluffs. It would be easy to call it the loveliest nude beach in the vicinity of Santander, but nearby Playa de Covachos (the next listing) is also a contender for that distinction. The two beaches are just 3 kilometers apart, so if you visit one, by all means visit the other. |
Playa de Covachos
43.4740, -3.9084
| This very scenic beach is the closest nude beach to the center of Santander, but it feels far removed. It is also very close to Playa de Somocuevas (see the previous listing). A unique feature of Covachos is the rocky land mass just offshore that is connected to the beach by an isthmus of sand. When the tide is out, it is common to see visitors strolling naked toward the rock. At high tide, the isthmus (but not the entire beach) is under water. |
Playa del Puntal
43.4560, -3.7595
| Contrary to what is stated in the previous listing, Playa del Puntal is literally the closest nude beach to Santander, just a few kilometers from the city center—but that is relevant only if you have a boat. It is on the opposite side of the large Bay of Santander from the city, so the driving distance is about 25 kilometers. Nudists gather on more remote parts of this long spit of sand that extends into the bay. |
Playa de Langre
43.4770, -3.6954
| Just beyond the eastern outskirts of Santander, this beautiful beach consists of two parts: a large cove with a broad swath of sand, and a much smaller adjacent cove. Nudity occurs regularly at both coves, but on very crowded days the larger cove tends to be overwhelmingly textile, with nudists migrating to the smaller cove. |
Playa de la Arena
43.5013, -3.5855
| West of the seaside town of Noja, Playa de la Arena is geographically distinctive in that it is located in a very sheltered area at the mouth of the river Ajo, and there are sandbars along the river for some distance inland. The nude area of the beach is actually located along the river, just a bit upstream from where it empties into the Atlantic. |
Playa de Trengandín
43.4695, -3.4849
| Nudity takes place at the far end of the long beach that extends several kilometers eastward from the seaside town of Noja. |
Playa de Arenal de Sonabia
43.4121, -3.3353
| Between Laredo and the eastern border of Cantabria, this small, sheltered cove often has more textiles than nudists, but it is nonetheless worthwhile since the scenery is hard to top. At one end of the beach, a mountain rises abruptly to a height of over 400 meters, and that is just one element of the beauty of this site. |
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PAIS VASCO
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| Vizcaya
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This first five beaches below (i.e., all the Vizcaya beaches except Antzoras and Ogeia) are located within a span (as the crow flies) of six kilometers, in the vicinities of Getxo, Sopelana and Barrika. These beaches are all within a drive of approximately half an hour from Bilbao, which has the largest metropolitan area of any city in Northern Spain. Despite the proximity of these beaches to one another, they are all geographically distinct and offer their own unique charms. Locals are especially fortunate to have such an array of beaches for bare bathing so close at hand to a major population center.
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NUDE BEACHES
Playa de Azkorri
43.3795, -3.0173
| Just east of the mouth of the Ría de Bilbao (an estuary), this beautiful beach seems curiously Celtic. It must be all the green. The cliff behind the beach is covered with grass, and sunbathers can lay their towels on the beach or on the lawn behind the beach. Nudists gather toward one end of Azkorri. A headland separates it from the next beach, Playa de Salvaje (see the next listing). Crossing this formidable barrier to get from one beach to the other involves a hike of about one kilometer. |
Playa de Salvaje
43.3824, -3.0066
| This beach has a much deeper crescent of sand than neighboring Azkorri (see the previous listing), and it draws larger crowds of both clad and unclad visitors. Nudists tend to gravitate toward one end of the beach, but even on crowded days there are often a few nudists interspersed among the textiles on the central part of the beach. Of all the nude beaches near Bilbao, this one is the most popular. |
Playa de Meñakoz
43.3951, -2.9858
| A bit farther removed compared to the previous two beaches, Meñakoz is a quieter and less crowded alternative for nudists. |
Playa de Barrika
43.4040, -2.9747
| This ruggedly beautiful beach beneath a steep cliff is accessed by a long, zigzagging stairway. Like Meñakoz (the previous listing), Barrika tends to be quiet and uncrowded. |
Playa de la Cantera
43.4131, -2.9599
| Of the five nude beaches near Bilbao, this one is the smallest. It is a lovely, sheltered cove with a view of the seaside resort town of Gorliz across the bay. Nudists usually comprise a majority or at least a sizable minority of visitors. |
Cala Antzoras
43.4119, -2.6758
| Cala Antzoras is in the municipality of Ibarrangelu, which is a bit too far from Bilbao to be considered part of its metropolitan area. Antzoras is an idyllic, tiny cove nestled between two popular textile beaches, and it is attended mainly by nudists. |
Playa de Ogeia
43.3727, -2.5437
| Located along a rural stretch of coast about halfway between Bilbao and San Sebastián, Ogiea is a picturesque beach in a rugged setting. Although nudists gather toward one end of Ogiea, it is mainly a textile beach. |
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| Guipúzcoa
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NUDE BEACHES
Playa de Saturrarán
43.3224, -2.4088
| This beach in Motrico is located at the border of Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa, and craggy rocks are a natural divider between its two parts: a larger textile cove and a smaller and more scenic nude area. The hidden and ruggedly beautiful nude zone is notable for the reefs that form shallow swimming areas. Saturrarán, a favorite of local nudists, is among the more geographically distinctive nude beaches of Spain. |
Playa de Zarautz
43.2902, -2.1571
| Zarautz is a seaside resort town with a long and often crowded beach. Nudity is acceptable at one extreme of the beach, but the nude area lacks seclusion and is often overrun with textiles, so it is not highly esteemed as a nudist location. However, it is possible to hike over the headland that abuts the nude area to reach a tiny and secluded cove, but space is very limited. |
Playa de la Zurriola
43.3260, -1.9792
| About 20 kilometers west of the French border, this urban beach in the beautiful and cosmopolitan city of San Sebastian (a.k.a. Donostia) is crowded and overwhelmingly textile, but a very small minority of nude bathers are often present at the far west end. |
Playa de los Frailes
43.3913, -1.7908
| Located at Spain's border with France, this location is a rocky bay that lacks sand. A few nudists gather on the rocks, but this is a rather minor nudist site. There is a better established nude beach in Hendaye, across the border in France. |
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MADRID
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NUDE BEACHES
Pantano de San Juan
40.3825, -4.3170
[int]
| About 65 kilometers directly west of the city center of Madrid, this lakeshore beach is the closest established nude beach to Spain's national capital. Located in gently mountainous terrain, this site is especially popular with gay men. |
Río Lozoya
40.9459, -3.7642
[int]
| This river location in the far north of the autonomous community of Madrid is about 80 kilometers north of the city of Madrid in the town of Lozoya. Nudists gather along the banks of the rugged Lozoya river in a pastoral area just downstream from a large reservoir. |
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