Don’t spend a fortune visiting a nude beach in Europe or a clothing-optional resort in the Caribbean when you can turn your attention to good ol’ Florida. The Sunshine State is widely known for swamps and Disney World, which is why many are unaware that it’s a gold mine of naturist resorts and bars.

Each birthday suit hotspot has its own rules about nudity, but all seek to create a safe and welcoming environment for those who practice naturism. So, pack the essentials and get ready to lather sunscreen on those places where the sun don’t shine: a budget-friendly nude vacation is waiting in Florida.

An aerial shot of the Lake Como Resort in Florida. On the left side of the frame, a light blue pool contrasts with the dark blue lake that takes up most of the photo. Tiny peach dots are nude swimmers. The white buildings with metal roofs sprawl out around the lake, the shore lined thickly with green trees. A campground with colorful tents appears amongst the foliage and two orange kayaks at in the middle of the lake.
Lake Como Resort is especially popular during events like its annual nudist volleyball tournament © H. Hanbury courtesy of Lake Como Resort

Lake Como Resort

Leave your swimsuit at home – it’s neither needed nor allowed at Lake Como Resort in Lutz, Florida. The pool and spa are the only places where nudity is required, but you’ll find that most guests embrace naturism while floating in the lake, eating at their Bar Buns Café or hiking in the 111-acre nature center.

Families may want to forgo a camper or tent and book one of Lake Como Resort’s cottages, cabins or motel rooms for more comfort and space. Don’t wear yourself out during the day, either – the Butt Hutt Bar has live musical performances that will have those bare buns sashaying into the night.

The corner of a whitewashed wooden porch furnished with a dark teak patio set frames a view of a small pond, which is reflecting a brilliant orange and pink Florida sunset at the Sunny Sands Naturalist Resort.
Like many Florida nudist resorts, Sunny Sands has a mix of permanent residents, snowbirds and vacationers enjoying amenities like golf and Jacuzzi tubs © Joe Ardolino courtesy of Sunny Sands

Sunny Sands Nudist Resort

With 55 years in the naturist vacation game, Sunny Sands Nudist Resort has built a reputation for being a destination the whole family will love. Some guests stay in RV campers or tents while others book a chalet, but all appreciate the 42 acres of land which allow for nature hikes and bird watching.

Kids spend their days splashing in the pool, families have meals together in the restaurant and bar, and visitors make friends over games of horseshoes and petanque. Perhaps the most Florida-esque activity one can do at Sunny Sands is play nine rounds on their golf course while in the buff.

Caliente Club and Resorts

Even naturists like their adult-time and that’s where the clothing-optional Caliente Club and Resorts steps in. Located in Land O' Lakes, Florida, this Caribbean-style resort with its lagoon-like pools is only open to guests 21 and over. Caliente Club and Resorts is the type of place where travelers can stay in a modern condo or apartment and pamper themselves with yoga classes, fine dining, and a spa. It may be an adults-only property, but don’t get it twisted – this is not a swinger’s resort. Overt sexual behavior is not acceptable in public spaces, so keep it PG.

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Two tan, femme women with long brown hair swim nude in a bright blue pool surrounded by a curved concrete deck stocked with white lounge chairs. Some of the chairs in the background have nudist guests lounging on them..jpg
Paradise Lakes Nudist Resort has been open for almost 40 years in Pasco County, the nudist capital of the United States © Bobby Coker/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Paradise Lake Resorts

Head to the nudist capital of the United States, Pasco County, for a stay at Paradise Lake Resorts. Some naturist resorts have nudity-required spots, but at Paradise Lake Resorts you can get nude when and where you feel comfortable. Maybe that’s in the confines of a suite or poolside room, swimming in one of the six pools, dancing at the club, relaxing in the spa or enjoying a meal in the restaurant – it’s up to you. While Paradise Lake Resorts is open to families there are some limitations, such as the rule that children are not allowed in the recreation areas after 5 pm.

The wood-paneled bar at the Garden of Eden nudist resort is well-worn around the edges, with white stools and shaded by an orange awning. Behind the bar are colorful rows of liquor bottles, and a white shabby-chic sign that reads Let Love Rule
In addition to drinks and dancing, body painting is one of the popular activities at the Garden of Eden's fully-nude rooftop bar in Old Town Key West © Courtesy of the Bull and Whistle

Garden of Eden

Get in touch with the naturalism of Adam and Eve at a Key West bar aptly named, the Garden of Eden. This clothing-optional bar isn’t found in a luscious garden but on the top floor of the Bull and Whistle, the only open-air bar in Old Town Key West.

Those who find themselves too shy to bask in the naturism of the Garden of Eden can visit the clothing-required bars on the first and second floor, before making their way to the top floor to sip on cocktails while topless (and/or bottomless, your choice). Leave the cell phones at home, since they’re not allowed, not to mention easily lost when you go full nude and lack pockets.

Sunnier Palms Nudist Park

American nudist pioneer Reed Supplee founded a nudist destination called Sunny Palms in 1948 in Florida City. After losing the Sunny Palms land following Supplee’s death, members of his community banded together as a co-op and found new land to create their nudist community in 1992 in Fort Pierce.

They called it Sunnier Palms Nudist Park, and today, it is the perfect destination for the cash-strapped, nudity-loving traveler. Hook up an RV or set up your tent and enjoy a laid-back naturist vacation among a co-op community, who are very welcoming and willing to share their on-site amenities which include a pool, hot tub and clubhouse.

Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort

Everything you might want to know is found in the name of Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort. There's plenty of sun at this Loxahatchee Groves resort and a mix of traditional sports fields and outdoor adventures like kayaking and canoeing in the lakes.

‘Gardens’ best refers to the 40 acres of land which holds tent and RV sites, playgrounds, a pool and a restaurant. While many naturist resorts are family-friendly, Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort takes it a step further with youth and young adult camps meant to create an inclusive environment for naturist families.

Clothed revelers surround the pool and hot tub at the Garden Bar at the Bourbon Street Pub, where a small covered outdoor bar and sun pavilions are strewn with red and blue streamers and gay pride flags. In the hot tub and pool are dozens of beach balls in every color and size.
The clothing-optional Garden Bar has been a mainstay of the Key West party scene for almost 25 years © Courtesy of the Bourbon Street Pub

Bourbon St. Pub

Bourbon St. Pub feels like a house party during Mardi Gras, if that house party was a gay bar in Key West with male dancers and drag shows. Set in a New Orleans-style mansion, Bourbon St. Pub welcomes all to explore the halls of their bar, minus one special space. The Garden Bar, which has a pool and jacuzzi, is only open to men and allows for complete or partial nudity. With regular house DJs, a rotating cast of male dancers and entertainers, and the male-only guesthouse, Bourbon St. Pub has cultivated a real sense of community.

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