PHOTOS: The World’s 10 Best Gay Nude Beaches

Judging by the popularity of The World’s 10 Best Gay Beaches list last week, it’s pretty clear that many of you can’t wait to dawn your birthday suit and soak up as much summer sun as possible. So to help you legally go that one step further, we now present our 2014 list of the best nude beaches on the planet. As with gay beaches, please comment away if your favorite didn’t make the cut. We’ll be back in the coming weeks with our top reader beach picks. Click through to see our 2014 picks for the world’s best nude beaches… First up: San Diego’s Black’s Beach   Black’s Beach, San Diego Said to be America’s largest nude beach, Black’s is also the most famous in the U.S. About 15 miles north of downtown San Diego below the Torrey Pines bluffs of suburban La Jolla, Black’s Beach is co-run by the state of California and the city of San Diego. Only on the northern portion is nudity allowed. Photos by  Alexsander7, troublepatterson Next up: Miami’s Haulover Haulover Beach, Miami Just 10 miles north of South Beach, Haulover is one of few nude beaches in Florida and definitely the most popular. It boasts a mile and half of gorgeous oceanside sand, but only the northern half-mile is clothing optional. This spot is frequented by everyone, but with a strong concentration of gay men. Photos by Elmo H. Love & osseous Next up: San Francisco’s Baker Beach Baker Beach, San Francisco Fog and sometimes chilly temps notwithstanding, few nude beaches have as much going for them as Baker, with both extreme close proximity to downtown San Francisco and a dazzling view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s also the original home of Burning Man. The north end is where the clothingless congregate. Photos by Ernesto Sarezale, Orin Zebest, Peter V. Hernandez Next up: Toronto’s Hanlan’s Point Hanlan’s Point, Toronto Naturists have loved Hanlan’s Point for decades, and since 2002 the beach has been legally clothing optional. The climate keeps beach season short here (usually late May to late September), but Hanlan’s offers lovely sands, clean water, and incredible views of downtown Toronto. Photos by Mardi Reid, Terry W. Self, & GoldenSkyclad Next up: Australia’s Obelisk Obelisk Beach, Mosman, Australia Only about seven miles from Sydney’s city center, clothing optional Obelisk is just as close as Bondi/North Bondi, and it’s infinitely more tranquil. On the other side of Port Jackson harbor, Lady Jane is another naturist beach that’s popular with local gays, but also with tourist lookie-loos. Photos by mcgrayjr & AndyCavell Next up: South Africa’s Sandy Bay Sandy Bay, Cape Town, South Africa It’s a bit tricky to reach (10 miles southwest of central Cape Town, then a 20-minute trek from the car park), but it’s so worth it: The beauty here in one of the area’s last undeveloped coastlines is breathtaking, and its relative remoteness means the atmosphere is extremely low-key. Photos by DrUbLiC & garybembridge Next up: Maui’s Little Beach Little Beach, Maui True to its name, Little Beach is just over 650 feet long. But it’s one of Hawaii’s few nudity-kosher beaches, and the one most beloved by the gays. Part of Maui’s Makena State Park, Little is separated from Big Beach by a steep lava outcrop created just a couple hundred years ago. Come on Sunday for fire dancing and drum circles. Photos by zsl_12, abragrace, imposedminority Next up: Vancouver’s Wreck Wreck Beach, Vancouver The second biggest clothing optional beach in North America, Wreck gets more than 100,000 visitors every year. It’s city-close (even reachable by Vancouver’s bus system), but a steep cliff and nearly 500 steps keep it private. Even more private are the adjacent woods – men are known to get especially friendly here, but this is officially verboten. Photos by GoToVan, Mardi Reid, bjnudeclub Next up: Rio’s Abricó Praia do Abricó, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Located some 25 miles west of Ipanema and Copacabana in the suburban Rio town of Grumari, Praia do Abricó (or Apricot Beach) has been popular with naturists since the 1940s. This is Rio’s official nude beach, but distance keeps the big crowds away, making for a wonderfully peaceful vibe. Photos by Portfolio Beto Roma, cirobess@, Claudio Marcon Next up: New Jersey’s Gunnison Gunnison Beach, Sandy Hook, New Jersey Nudism is officially illegal in New Jersey, but fortunately Gunnison lies on U.S. land (part of a fort once used to protect New York harbor), allowing it to be the only official naturist beach in the state. Since the 1970s it’s been the New York City area’s favorite clothing-free beach. 55 miles separate it from downtown Manhattan by land, but a twice-daily ferry runs in summer, making it just a 30-minute trip to nearby Atlantic Highlands Marina. Photo 3 by Sister72

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