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Florida
Florida should be a nude beach paradise, but it simply is not. Florida is one of the most diverse states in the country, with large ethnic populations, retirees and other transplants from the Northeast and Midwest, and thriving gay and lesbian communities, not to mention plenty of international tourists. Despite these influences, some of the state's social policies seem mired down in an intransigent Bible Belt mentality. Florida has a state anti-nudity law, and there are hardly any places where authorities leave nude sunbathers alone. The history of nude beaches in Florida is mostly a history of nudists being driven away from place after place, and the number of healthy and thriving nude beaches can be counted on one hand.
What is lacking in public nude recreation opportunities is partially made up for by an exceptional number of naturists retreats and other private places of interest to nudists. Florida has over a dozen full-fledged, large-scale nudist resorts, several of which are clustered in Pasco County north of Tampa, which is often hyped in the (mostly sensational) press as the Nudist Capital of the World. Florida also has an exceptional number of gay clothing-optional establishments throughout the state.
The island-city of Key West has a number of small-scale places of interest to both straight and gay nudists, although not so much for families with children. Key West may be the only place in the country where you can sunbathe nude by the pool at your guesthouse, take a nude sailing excursion, explore a hidden and little-known nude beach and then go out drinking and dancing in the nude at a clothing-optional bar.
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NUDE BEACHES STATEWIDE [ ↑ ]
Florida has but one "legal" nude beach: Haulover Beach [1] 25.9179N, 80.1211W   in the Miami area, the clothing-optional status of which was sanctioned by Dade County in 1991. It is a tremendously popular, easily accessible, first-rate beach—just the type of beach that Florida could and should have more of but doesn't.
The Treasure Coast is the portion of Florida's Atlantic coast in the vicinity of Port St. Lucie, where South Florida blends into Central Florida. Blind Creek Beach [2] 27.3678N, 80.2476W is a remote stretch of beach on Hutchinson Island, a barrier island that is bridged to the mainland. Discreet and sporadic nude bathing has historically occurred at this undeveloped and pristine beach. Nudist visitation has been on the upswing since 2014, after the formation of an advocacy group has actively promoted clothing-optional use of the beach with a heartening degree of cooperation from local authorities.
Farther north on the Atlantic coast, North Playalinda Beach [2] 28.7047N, 80.6687W near Titusville and South Apollo Beach [1] 28.8560N, 80.7745W near the town of New Smyrna Beach have been safe havens for nudists due to the constant and tireless advocacy of naturists groups, even though some local officials have been chomping at the bit to banish nudists from these beaches for years. Both these beaches are part of Canaveral National Seashore. Playalinda is the more popular of the two.
Another nude beach in Florida where nudity can be openly practiced is at a very hidden corner of Geiger Beach [2] 24.5589N, 81.6859W near Key West. This beach is not well known despite its proximity to Key West, perhaps because most visitors who arrive in Key West by air do not rent cars and the beach is too far removed to be reached any other way. Whatever the case, this largely undiscovered beach seems to be free from the morals police.
A final nude beach is Passage Key [2] 27.5555N, 82.7430W in the Tampa Bay area. Passage Key is a tiny island located in the area where Tampa Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico, and the catch is that the only way to get there is by boat, and there is no public mode of transit to the island. Thus, Passage Key is pretty much the exclusive domain of private boaters, and most boaters anchor around the island for bare bathing.
Other than the six beaches named above, the rule in Florida is: Be ready to cover your ass—literally. None of the beaches named below are places where you can completely let your guard down. You should be wary of encounters with unsuspecting textiles and keep a watchful eye for patrols by land and water.
Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge [3] 27.1023N, 80.1341W in the Palm Beach vicinity
Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas Reserve [4] 30.1000N, 81.3405W south of Jacksonville
Johnson Beach [3] 30.3089N, 87.3706W southwest of Pensacola
Caspersen Beach [4] 27.0445N, 82.4348W in Venice
Silver Key [4] 26.4676N, 82.1710W near Ft. Myers |
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LODGING & OTHER BUSINESSES—CENTRAL FLORIDA [ ↑ ]
Sawmill Camping Resort
28.4754N, 82.1938W
Dade City (north of Tampa and Orlando)
Eden Resort
28.4032N, 82.5972W
Hudson (north of Tampa)
Camp David
28.8320N, 82.2172W
Inverness (north of Tampa and Orlando)
Cypress Cove Resort
28.1564N, 81.4365W
Kissimmee (south of Orlando)
Bare RV Resort
28.2583N, 82.4600W
Land O'Lakes (north of Tampa)
Caliente Resort Tampa
28.2565N, 82.4640W
Land O'Lakes (north of Tampa)
The Island
28.2408N, 82.4500W
Land O'Lakes (north of Tampa)
The Woods RV Resort
28.2582N, 82.4616W
Land O'Lakes (north of Tampa)
Lake Como Resort
28.1825N, 82.4773W
Lutz (north of Tampa)
Paradise Lakes Resort
28.1847N, 82.4710W
Lutz (north of Tampa)
Paradise Pines RV Park
28.1856N, 82.4804W
Lutz (north of Tampa)
GayStPete House
27.7776N, 82.6941W
St. Petersburg (Tampa Bay metro)
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LODGING—SOUTHEAST FLORIDA [ ↑ ]
The Cabanas Guesthouse
26.1599N, 80.1184W
Ft. Lauderdale
Calypso Inn
26.1592N, 80.1380W
Ft. Lauderdale
Cheston House
26.1299N, 80.1055W
Ft. Lauderdale
Coral Reef Guesthouse
26.1445N, 80.1129W
Ft. Lauderdale
Ed Lugo Resort
26.1583N, 80.1362W
Ft. Lauderdale
The Grand Resort and Spa
26.1304N, 80.1062W
Ft. Lauderdale
Hotel Lush Royale
26.1337N, 80.1067W
Ft. Lauderdale
Inn Leather
26.0973N, 80.1362W
Ft. Lauderdale
Manor Inn
26.1579N, 80.1379W
Ft. Lauderdale
Pineapple Point
26.1258N, 80.1263W
Ft. Lauderdale
Worthington Guesthouse
26.1306N, 80.1062W
Ft. Lauderdale
Sunnier Palms Park
27.4122N, 80.4147W
Ft. Pierce (north of Port St. Lucie)
Rooftop Resort
26.0200N, 80.1168W
Hollywood (south of Ft. Lauderdale)
Sunsport Gardens
26.7368N, 80.2672W
Loxahatchee (west of West Palm Beach)
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