The naturist area of Río Chillar (Nerja) is the only one in the province of Málaga not located on the coast, and although getting to it is nothing like a stroll to the beach, the place’s splendid beauty will well compensate for the 8-kilometre walk. The course of the Chillar is lined by leafy trees and capricious rock formations, making for a fascinating landscape. An excursionist can bathe in the small shallow pools that hold water all year long, water that at times splashes down a little cascade. There is no problem in going nude here since the site is very little visited. There are, of course, no services of any kind so it is necessary to carry at least the essentials for a day’s outing.

How to get there. The route that must be followed to find the course of the River Chillar is rather complicated so it is best to go with someone who knows the place or, if that is not possible, to ask the Tourism Office, Civil Guard or Local Police in the village of Nerja. The directions, nevertheless, are as follows: once you arrive in Nerja by way of the N-340 highway or the Mediterranean Expressway look for the “Centro de Salud” sign. Turn left at the roundabout right where that sign is located. Continue along that street and turn left again at the second street you come to. Immediately afterwards take the first street to the right and go straight until you come to a rocky area where you will see the dry bed of the river (this network of streets belongs to the Urbanización Almijara housing estate). You must continue to the right on a dirt road that stays close to the riverbed and cross under the Expressway and keep going until you reach a marble quarry, where you must leave the car. From this point, you must walk on the bed of the river, which will still be dry, for an hour until you come to a hydroelectric centre where a steep path breaks off to later rejoin the river, which will now have water in it. You must cross the river and go up it by way of the actual channel for at least a couple of hours (which is why you should be sure to wear adequate shoes) until you get to the area described above.

It should be kept in mind that there is no law in Spain penalising nudity. The Constitution upholds the right of the people to dress as they wish or to not dress at all. Prudence dictates, however, that you should not carry this legal protection to the extreme but rather should appear nude only in places where this practice is customary.