10 Best Nudist Beaches in Italy

The Capo Gallo Nature Reserve (Riserva Naturale di Capo Gallo) showcases Siciliy’s natural beauty through its stunning seascapes and geological formations. A half-hour’s drive north of the Sicilian capital of Palermo, it features a rocky mountain with several caves, most notably the Queen Cave (Grotta della Regina), which overlooks the sea from 130 metres above.

A true escape into nature, the coast attracts rich birdlife as well as naturists. There’s a special part of the beach where you can go au naturel, set under soaring cliffs and with wonderful access to swimmable waters. It’s marked with signs bearing “nudismo”, “nudista” and “FKK” which stands for the Frei-Körper-Kultur free-body-culture movement.

Piscinas Beach (Spiaggia di Piscinas) is a wonderful stretch of coast to go au naturel in Sardinia. The island itself is popular with naturists thanks to a regional law supporting nudist beaches on its superb collection of secluded shores and isolated coves.

Wild natural beauty reigns in this southwestern corner of Costa Verde. The Dune di Piscinas wildlife refuge has steep dunes covered in juniper and olive trees, alongside a sandy white shore where sea turtles seasonally nest. The ‘naturist refuge’ of Spiaggia Naturista di Piscinas lies a short distance south, welcoming bare bathers year-round.

Sassi Neri Beach (Spiaggia Sassi Neri) is an unspoiled beachfront that offers naturists a long, wide and pebbly seaside escape in the medieval Sirolo town of Ancona. It’s surrounded by wooded cliffs and gets fewer crowds compared to the more popular San Michele Beach to its south.

The beach got its name – meaning “black stones” in Italian – from the dark rocks visible on its seabed. While municipal laws prohibit nudism, there’s a dedicated northern part of Sassi Neri that tolerates naturists – that’s the place to go skinny-dipping or sunbathe and snorkel in your birthday suit.

Costa dei Barbari is a secluded coast in the beautiful village of Duino-Aurisina in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It’s also known among naturists as Beach Barbary Coast FKK or Spiaggia Costa dei Barbari FKK. The acronyms stand for Frei-Körper-Kultur, a designation for the ‘free-body-culture’ movement.

The beach requires a bit of effort to get down to. Access is from the main road. After a hike down a steep and wooded cliffside, the view opens to the seascape where stunning rock formations meet the shallow waters of the Gulf of Trieste. It’s fairly uncrowded most of the time.

Troncone Beach (Spiaggia del Troncone FKK) is a naturist beach in the parish of Marina di Camerota in Salerno. The beach has soft golden sand that meets the turquoise waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, with secluded spots as well as sun-loungers and parasols for rent. The old Torre Costiera fortress overlooks the coast from a craggy clifftop.

While Troncone Beach is primarily known as a naturist beach, it's also a popular summer destination welcoming all. Not all of its length is reserved as “clothing-optional”. If you wish to freely sunbathe bare or go skinny-dipping, head to the last 3 coves obscured by a large rocky wall.

Aquarilli Beach (Spiaggia di Acquarilli) on the island of Elba in Tuscany is popular among naturists for its hidden-away setting. While there aren’t any officially designated nudist beaches on the island, this secluded cove surrounded by scenic cliffs has drawn unclothed beachgoers since the 1970s.

This beach is not dedicated to the clothing-optional crowd. A large cliff divides the cove, with the first half welcoming all. It is the other half where it’s more secluded and protected that offers more privacy. Head there if you wish to bare it all and wade in the shallow azure waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The Lido di Dante Free Beach (Spiaggia Libera di Lido di Dante) is a popular go-to for naturists in the south of Ravenna. It’s one of the few beaches in Italy that enjoys the privilege of local laws acknowledging naturism. That’s why it gets a fair number of freedom-loving, clothing-optional beachgoers in summer and throughout the year.

Close to Ravenna’s unspoiled nature, the coast has an exotic setting backed by dunes and the Pine Forest of Classe. After your free day out on the beach, you can consider going on birdwatching, canoeing or boat-ride tours to see the rich wildlife along the nearby Fiumi Uniti River.

Lido di Morge Naturist Beach (Spiaggia Naturista Lido Punta Le Morge) offers a quiet escape on a pebbly coast in the fishing town of Torino di Sangro. It was the first recognized naturist beach in the Abruzzo region. Its first half sees a mix of regular beachgoers, while the other is truly reserved for naturists.

A special highlight of the beach is the huge Lo Scoglione rock with its small Trabocco Le Morge fishing pier towards the beach’s eastern end. These are traditional fishing structures that are typical to the Abruzzo coast.

Alberoni Beach (Spiaggia degli Alberoni) on Lido di Venezia is a seaside spot designated for naturists. Separate from the Venetian lagoon, the beach is a secluded southern part of the 12-km-long Lido barrier strip and features dunes, a small forest, and a lighthouse.

If you’re done seeing St Mark's Square, the Grand Canal, and riding a gondola, a day trip to the Lido offers a cool change. And at this southern end, the golden sand of Alberoni Beach bordering the clear waters of the Adriatic offers total relaxation – and clothing-optional freedom.

Guvano Beach (Spiaggia di Guvano Vernazza) is part of northwest Italy’s rugged Ligurian coast where you can optionally bare it all while soaking up some rays. This pebbly strip below rocky cliffs is secluded and undeveloped – there are no modern facilities, which is part of its appeal, especially for the adventurous.

The beach is also known for its difficult access, with steep descents down a cliffside – only for the fit. Even so, it rewards those who dare – and want to go bare – with plenty of space, privacy and amazing seascapes from down below. You should only attempt the descent during good weather conditions.