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CENTRAL ITALY
Central Italy is the area of the country most familiar to travelers, at least toward the Tyrrhenian (western) coast. The region of Lazio is the location of Rome, one of the top-ten most-visited cities in the world, while the romanticized region of Tuscany ( Toscana) is the location of Florence ( Firenze), a city renowned as the birthplace of the Renaissance. While the Adriatic (eastern) coast of Central Italy is not as well known to tourists, parts of the coastline are quite dramatic. For nude beaches in Central Italy, the Tyrrhenian offers more than the Adriatic. There are a number of nude beaches in Lazio and Tuscany, including one officially signed for naturism and a few more that are more or less de facto official. There are also a few notable interior sites near Florence, and the island of Elba offers a number of nudist niches.
| ABRUZZO MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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| Along Italy's central Adriatic coast, the region of Abruzzo has four provinces. From north to south, the three coastal provinces are Teramo, Pescara and Chieti. The one landlocked province is L'Aquila.
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NUDE BEACHES
Lido Punta Le Morge 42.2167N, 14.5795E   is an easily accessible beach in Torino di Sangro. A portion of the beach was specifically designated for nude bathing in 2014, and since that time it has become one of the most popular nude beaches along Italy's Adriatic coast. Farther north, Spiaggia di Punta Ferruccio 42.3734N, 14.3879E in Ortona is a beach with a distinctive backdrop, set against the hulking, fortress-like wall of a railroad tunnel. Although it is mostly a textile beach, there is often a nudist presence at either end. At the south end of Abruzzo in the town of Vasto, Spiaggia di Mottagrossa 42.1851N, 14.6663E is a long pebble beach backed by a nature reserve, with a small nudist presence at one end.
LODGING
La Sorgente
42.3483N, 13.9661E
Catignano (Pescara)
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| MARCHE MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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| Along Italy's central Adriatic coast, the region of Marche has five provinces, all of which have coastline along the Adriatic. From north to south, the provinces are Pesaro e Urbino (Pesaro and Urbino), Ancona, Macerata, Fermo and Ascoli Piceno.
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NUDE BEACHES
Nude bathing is well established at Spiaggia di Cesano 43.7500N, 13.1730E in Senigallia even though it is surprisingly close to urban development.
Spiaggia di Mezzavalle 43.5737N, 13.5703E , Spiaggia della Vela 43.5585N, 13.6106E and Spiaggia dei Sassi Neri 43.5393N, 13.6262E are three nearby beaches located along a spectacularly dramatic part of the Adriatic coast called the Riviera del Conera. In a nutshell, the northern end of Spiaggia di Mezzavalle is a fledgling nudist venue where the culture of nude bathing still has shallow roots, while Spiaggia della Vela is a much better established nude beach that requires agility to reach. Spiaggia dei Sassi Neri draws a few bare bathers, but nudist attendance is suppressed by the potential for being fined.
Close to the coastal highway yet uniquely secluded, Spiaggia delle Cinque Vele 43.3944N, 13.6842E is a sandy beach between Porto Potenza Picena and Porto Recanati that has a nudist presence despite a municipal ban on nude bathing.
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| MOLISE MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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| Along Italy's central Adriatic coast, the region of Molise has just two provinces: coastal Campobasso and landlocked Isernia.
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NUDE BEACHES
Near the border of the regions of Molise and Abruzzo, Spiaggia di Petacciato Marina 42.0432N, 14.8367E is a very long and sandy beach, the main part of which is crowded and textile. Discreet nude bathing occurs about 1.5 kilometers north of the main beach.
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| LAZIO MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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| On the central western coast of Italy, the region of Lazio is along a part of the Mediterranean known as the Tyrrhenian Sea. The region has five divisions: four provinces and one metropolitan city. From north to south, the three coastal divisions are Viterbo, Roma (Rome) and Latina. The two landlocked divisions are Frosinone and Rieti.
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NUDE BEACHES
Located about 35 kilometers from the center of Rome, Spiaggia di Capocotta 41.6613N, 12.4081E is probably the best-known nude beach in Italy. Just a short stretch of the beach is signed for nude use. The official zone abuts a popular gay segment of the beach where nudity is likewise common, even though it is outside the designated boundaries. Capocotta is accessible by public transit from Rome, via a combination of urban railway and bus. A bit to the north, Spiaggia di Focene Sud 41.7903N, 12.2217E in Fiumicino is very close to Rome's main airport. Although part of the wild beach was officially designated for naturism in 2015, it is far less popular than Capocotta.
About 55 kilometers northwest of Rome, Spiaggia delle Sabbie Nere 42.0082N, 11.9697E is a unique black-sand beach in Santa Severa that has been attended by nude bathers for decades. An expansive segment of the beach was officially designated for naturism in 2021.
Roughly halfway between Rome and Naples, Spiaggia dell'Arenauta 41.2201N, 13.5296E gets some nude use at its far southern end on uncrowded days. At other time, nudists may retreat to the hidden niches beyond the end of the main part of the beach. This beach is also commonly known as "Trecento Scalini" or "Trecento Gradini," both of which basically mean "300 steps," referring to the descent from the coastal road.
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| TOSCANA MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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The region of Toscana, better known in English as Tuscany, is toward the northern end of the western coast of Italy, where two parts of the Mediterranean meet. The northern coast of Tuscany is along the Ligurian Sea, while the southern coast of Tuscany is along the Tyrrhenian Sea. The region has ten divisions: nine provinces and one metropolitan city. From north to south, the five coastal divisions are Massa-Carrara, Lucca, Pisa, Livorno and Grosseto. Alphabetically, the five landlocked divisions are Arezzo, Firenze (Florence), Pistoia, Prato and Siena.
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NUDE BEACHES: COASTAL MAINLAND
Along the far north of Tuscany's coastline, Versilia is a small geographic and cultural region comprised of a chain of stylish coastal resort towns set against a mountainous backdrop. The coast is mostly blanketed in private beach clubs, but Spiaggia della Lecciona 43.8324N, 10.2505E is a wild and free stretch of beach in the town of Viareggio. Part of the beach had drawn a small number of nude bathers for years, but it has become a bona fide naturist venue since a 200-meter-long stretch was officially designated for naturism in 2022.
South of Livorno, the Scogliere del Romito 43.4644N, 10.3437E is a stretch of rugged coastline that is popular with beachgoers despite the rocky terrain. Nudists have gathered along an area known as Sassoscritto for years. In 2019, Sassoscritto and a nearby area were both officially sanctioned for naturist use.
The south end of Spiaggia di Marina di Bibbona 43.2243N, 10.5302E beyond the beach resort is spacious and undeveloped, making it ideal for nudity.
Between San Vincenzo and Piombino, Spiaggia del Nido dell'Aquila 43.0323N, 10.5259E owes its popularity in large part to the efforts of a local naturist group. Visitors park alongside the coastal road and walk a few minutes through the forest to reach this spacious and sandy beach, which is the most popular nude beach in Tuscany and among the top few in all of Italy.
In the beautiful Bandite di Scarlino nature reserve, Cala Martina 42.8672N, 10.7716E and Cala delle Donne 42.8735N, 10.7733E
get very limited and sporadic visitation by nudists.
Located in Maremma Natural Park amid the picturesque Uccellina Hills, Spiaggia di Marina di Alberese 42.6409N, 11.0575E extends over 5 kilometers and is backed by a forest. Nudity is acceptable along much of the sandy beach. Although this beach is quite popular, it never feels crowded since there is so much room to spread out. Among Tuscany's beaches, this one is second only to Spiaggia del Nido dell'Aquila (listed under Livorno) for popularity with nudists.
Part of Spiaggia del Lago di Burano 42.3924N, 11.3953E is backed by a 3-kilometer-long lagoon, which makes is a long walk from the nearest access point and thus suitable for nudity.
NUDE BEACHES: ELBA
Elba, perhaps most famous as the location of Napoleon's first exile, is a small island—a bit larger in area than the New York City borough of Brooklyn—that is just 10 kilometers off the coast of Tuscany. Although popular with tourists, Elba does not have any nude beaches that are really well known. It does not, for example, compare with the Greek Islands or Spain's Balearic Islands as a nude beach destination. However, nudity is well tolerated at certain more remote beaches. The beaches below, all on the south coast of the island, are listed east to west.
Between two textiles beaches, nudity is possible along a rocky stretch called Scogli di Barabarca 42.7490N, 10.3587E , but nudist attendance seems irregular.
A few nude bathers are often encountered at the more distant end of this long and beautiful beached called Spiaggia degli Acquarilli 42.7635N, 10.3343E .
Spiaggia di Capo Canata 42.7535N, 10.3137E is a small beach tucked away around the bend from a much larger textile beach. While there is very often a textile majority, nudity usually doesn't raise any eyebrows.
Literally meaning "the swimming pools," Le Piscine 42.7337N, 10.1707E is so named for the natural pools formed by the coves along this rocky stretch of shoreline. Nudity is known to occur here, but patterns seem sporadic.
A small beach of black sand and pebbles, Spiaggia dell'Aliva 42.7328N, 10.1395E can be access by hiking down a steep hillside or by boat. Nudity is common, but on peak days the beach may be mostly or all textile, especially is there are a lot of boats. If conditions don't seem favorable to nudity when you visit, just follow the coastline less than a kilometer until you reach the next beach. Nearby Spiaggia di Giardino 42.7365N, 10.1326E doesn't lend itself to anchoring boats, so nudity is likely to always be a viable choice even when the neighboring beach is overrun with textile boaters.
NUDE BEACHES: INTERIOR
In a remote mountainous region about halfway between Florence and Bologna, a site along a creek named Torrente Diaterna 44.1448N, 11.4461E is surprisingly popular and is one of the best-known interior nudist locations in Italy.
In the countryside about 15 kilometers south of Florence, nude bathing is well established at Lago di Castel Ruggero 43.6807N, 11.3161E , a small lake that spans less than 400 meters from one extreme to the other.
LODGING
Borgo Corniola
44.0582N, 11.6773E
Lutirano (Firenze/Florence)
Costamara
43.0715N, 11.3252E
Civitella Paganico (Grosseto)
Sasso Corbo
42.7571N, 11.5303E
Semproniano (Grosseto)
Locanda di Terramare
43.4953N, 10.4261E
Gabbro-Rosignano Marittimo (Livorno)
BNatural Glamping
43.0104N, 10.5520E
Piombino (Livorno)
Mondo Selvaggio
44.0391N, 10.6187E
Bagni di Lucca (Lucca)
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