Naturism, which means enjoying nature in the nude, has been gradually increasing in popularity over the last few decades for many varied reasons and at present it can be said that there are a considerable number of people who choose this manner of becoming one with nature for their vacations, and in exceptional cases for living throughout the year.

Tourist areas, ever on the lookout for ways to satisfy large and small demands in order to foster visitor loyalty, have been adapting a number of zones, preferably beaches, for the naturist community in order to permit the performance of some leisure activities without exposure to the gaze of those who disapprove of or simply are not accustomed to nudity.

As in so many other things, the Costa del Sol has been a pioneer in this movement, which is quite understandable considering that the climate on the Málaga coast is gentle even in winter. That is why the first naturist colony in Spain, Costa Natura, appeared in the late 1970’s in Estepona. This is a housing estate with the physical appearance of an Andalusian white village: stairways traversing uneven terrain, narrow streets, fragrant plants and a fondness for tile and glimmering white façades, but different from a typical Andalusian village in that the residents perform all their activities in the nude. The development has 200 residences, many of which have been acquired by foreigners, and leisure facilities like any other tourist centre: aerobic saunas, Jacuzzis, swimming pools, volleyball and petanque. Large signs have been set up on the Costa Natura beach advising that nudity is practiced in the area.

Next to Costa Natura, on the beach of Arroyo Vaquero, there is another area reserved for naturism. Like almost all those in these environs, this beach has deep water and usually is not crowded. It has a small seafront promenade at a height of one metre above the sand on which the user can find restaurants, telephones and other services. Just as at Costa Natura, there are signs here in four languages indicting that this is a nudist area.

How to get there. Access to either beach is by way of the N-340 highway from Málaga to Estepona. After the roundabout with a large sign saying “Estepona”, you must take a turning that leads one kilometre towards the sea. The place has a large and free guarded car park.

Continuing eastward along the coast, and without leaving the N-340, you come to Cabopino. This is the site of Artola Beach, where the nudist area is known as Las Dunas. This is an undeveloped beach some 1,200 metres in length, enclosed by dunes and pine groves, that sees a medium level of use and has rather shallow water and little wave action. It has beach bars, restaurants, telephones, rubbish bins, a Red Cross post and other services. These are all in the “textile zone”, meaning that the nudist area, the place called Las Dunas, does not have any type of service. In reality, this nudist area, like others on the Costa del Sol, is mixed, as the “textiles” and nudists occupy the same area without any kind of problem.

How to get there. Whether going in the direction of Fuengirola from Marbella or vice versa, take the Cabopino turning. After passing two roundabouts, you must go down a sloping road that leads to the “Playa Artola-Cabopino” dirt car park. Continue down the slope to a second car park, this one with an asphalt surface, in front of the textile beach. Turn right and you will see the area of dunes next to a watchtower, which is where one enters the nudist zone.