Portugal for Naturists

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Written by: | Last updated on February 8, 2024 | Est. Reading Time: 5 minutes

With its beautiful (and often naturist-friendly) beaches, its fantastic weather, and it’s laid-back lifestyle, Portugal is a fantastic country for naturists to visit.

There are an ever-increasing range of naturist and naturist-friendly accommodation options including guesthouses, campsites, and hotels. And, of course, there are plenty of private villas and other standard forms of accommodation that you can stay at as well.

This guide will help you plan your trip to Portugal, and help you decide where the best places to visit and stay are. And, if you’re specifically visiting the Algarve, be sure to check out the Algarve naturist guide as well.

Naturist accommodation in Portugal

If you want to stay in naturist accommodation, there are a few options to choose from in Portugal. There are also plenty of standard accommodation options, like villas with plenty of privacy, that could be suitable for your needs as well.

Algarve

  • VilaPura – Naturist hotel that’s situated near Tavira on the Eastern side of the Algarve (near Faro). Facilities include a swimming pool, jacuzzi, and restaurant.
  • Cabana del Sol – Naturist wooden chalet with outdoor swimming pool, sauna, and hot tub that’s situated near Monchique.
  • Villa Paraiso – Nudist-friendly hotel that’s located near Porches. Facilities include a swimming pool and a jacuzzi.
  • Algarve Naturism – Naturist-friendly 1-bedroom self-contained annex plus cottage with 1-bedroom and en-suite bathroom accommodating up to 4 people
  • Monte Mimosa – Nudist-friendly villa rental Moncarapacho, near Olhão, that’s suitable for up to 6 guests. Facilities include a swimming pool.

Alentejo

  • Direction South – Naturist-friendly campsite that offers pitches for tents and also offers glamping-style accommodation options like a teepee and a treehouse.
  • Monte Naturista O Barão – Naturist campsite that’s situated in the Alentejo countryside, around 40 minutes drive from the coast and Sines. The campsite has space for tents and caravans and there are also several wooden lodges and one apartment on-site.
  • Quinta do Maral – Naturist campsite located in the Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede near the Spanish border. Accommodation options include pitches for tents and caravans, as well as an apartment, wooden camping pod, and a studio apartment.
  • Samonatura – Consists of 4 nudist house rentals with shared facilities like a swimming pool. Samonatura is situated less than 20 minutes from the beach town of Vila Nova de Milfontes.
  • Quinta Parte – Dutch-owned vacation rental that’s suitable for nudists. The property is situated near Cercal, around 20 minutes’ drive from Vila Nova de Milfontes.
  • O Nosso Mundo – Dutch-owned naturist accommodation with options that include studio apartments, wooden lodges, and a room inside the guesthouse.

Northern Portugal

  • NaturViana – Naturist campsite in Viana do Castelo in Northern Portugal that’s run by German couple Adriano & Nina. The campsite has space for tents and caravans, and there are also some fixed accommodation options like De Waard Tents and a wooden dome-shaped cabin.

Naturist beaches in Portugal

Although Portugal only has a few official nudist beaches (praias), there are plenty of unofficial nudist beaches dotted around the country as well. Between the official and unofficial beaches, there are more than places to go and work on that full-body tan.

Algarve

  • Praia das Adegas – Odeceixe (Official).
  • Praia da Barreta – Faro (Official).
  • Praia do Homem Nu – Tavira (Official).
  • Praia Barril on the Ilha de Tavira (Official).
  • Ilha de Armona – Located 8 km from Olhão (Unofficial).
  • Praia de Cabanas – Located 6 km from Tavira (Unofficial).
  • Praia de Cacela Velha – Located 11 km from Tavira (Unofficial).
  • Praia da Afurada – Located 1.5 km from  Ferragudo(Unofficial).
  • Praia do Amado – Located 16 km from Vila do Bispo (Unofficial).
  • Praia Da Amoreira – Located 9 km from Aljezur (Unofficial).
  • Praia do Beliche – Located 4 km from Sagres (Unofficial).
  • Praia da Bordeira – Located 15 km from Vila do Bispo (Unofficial).
  • Praia dos Pinheiros – Located 3 km from Lagos (Unofficial).
  • Praia de Vale Figueira – Located 14 km from Aljezur (Unofficial).
  • Praia da Cordoama – Located 5 km from Vila do Bispo (Unofficial).
  • Praia das Furnas – Located 9 km from Vila do Bispo (Unofficial).
  • Praia da Murração – Located 10 km from Vila do Bispo (Unofficial).
  • Praia do Zavial – Located 7 km from Vila do Bispo (Unofficial).
  • Praia da Barriga – Located 5 km from Vila do Bispo (Unofficial).

Alentejo

  • Praia dos Alteirinhos – Odemira (Official)
  • Praia do Salto – Sines (Official)
  • Praia dos Alteirinhos – Located around 1 km from Zambujeira do Mar in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina in the Alentejo. The beach has several isolated coves which are popular with naturists (Unofficial)
  • Praia do Malhão – Around 18 minutes’ drive from Vila Nova de Milfontes (Unofficial)

Near Lisbon

  • Praia da Bela Vista – Almada (Official)
  • Praia da Adiça – Almada (Official)
  • Praia do Meco – Sesimbra (Official)
  • Praia da Ursa – Sintra (Unofficial)
  • Praia de Comporta – Troia (Unofficial)
  • Praia de Monte Velho – Near Sines (Unofficial)

Northern Portugal

  • Praia do Rio Alto – Also known as Estela Beach, this beach is situated near Póvoa de Varzim and around 30 minutes’ drive from Porto (Unofficial)
  • Praia do Palheirão – Around 60 minutes’ drive from Coimbra, Praia do Palheirão is a popular beach with naturists (Unofficial).

Leiria

  • Praia do Salgado – Located near Nazaré, one of Portugal’s main surfing hotspots, this beach is popular with naturists (particularly in the Nazaré direction). (Unofficial)
Written by

James Cave is the founder of Portugalist and the author of the bestselling book, Moving to Portugal Made Simple. He has visited just about every part of Portugal, including Madeira and all nine islands of the Azores, and lived in several parts of Portugal including Lisbon, the Algarve, and Northern Portugal.

You can contact James by emailing james@portugalist.com or via the site's contact form.

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Comments

  1. Hello,
    i have a question….is it legal in Portugal like it is in Spain to be naked in public places. I am thinking about hiking and camping ? Is there a naturist association that could answer some of my questions?
    Thanks
    Philippe

    Reply
    • Hi Philippe,

      There is a naturist association: The Federação Portuguesa de Naturismo (http://www.fpn.pt/)

      My understanding is that there are official naturist beaches and campsites, and there are places (especially beaches) where it is openly tolerated. I don’t what the legal situation with hiking and camping is, but you could ask the Federação Portuguesa de Naturismo.

      Note: There are also legal issues with clothed wild camping as well, particularly in summertime, as forest fires are a big concern here.

      Reply

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