Claudia Kellersch

Mexico's Riviera Maya is a fast-growing mecca for naturists seeking a tropical location. In addition to ample sunshine, great snorkeling and scuba diving, and plenty of ancient ruins to explore, here you can now find more naturist havens than anywhere else in Mexico, running the gamut from the most expensive, all-inclusive luxury resort to the cheapest, mosquito-infested nude beach cabana.

My husband Blair and I were among the 90 or so passengers on the historic "Naked Air" flight from Miami to Cancun. Rather than spend the week at an all-inclusive resort, though, we opted to check out some of the other nude opportunities the area has to offer.

We interviewed several locals as to locations "donde se puede ir sin ropa" (where you can go clothing-optional). Surprisingly, we came up with a whole list of places. We lost no time making plans to check out each one.

A caveat: "Nude" in Cancun does not necessarily mean nude; to the locals it often means simply "topfree." Our sources also mentioned several beaches frequented by backpackers and young travelers on a budget, who slept in cheap beach cabanas or used campsites and tented. We visited several of these, and found out some of them do not really see any nude use.

Some locals lamented that it is the rich gringos who are destroying the casual beach nudity here, by buying up the coastal real estate and building big villas. While there is an incredible building boom along the whole Riviera Maya, by law all beaches in Mexico are public, and must be accessible to the public. Depending on the attitudes of prevailing beach users, this might be good or bad news.

Mexican and Mayan Attitudes Toward Nudity

Changing attitudes among young Mexicans are a major factor in the growth of Mexican naturism. While in the past it was for the hippies around Tulum and the budget crowd looking for alternative healing arts and yoga, there are more and more mainstream nudist venues these days. And these establishments are seeing not just foreign tourists but also Mexicans coming to the Riviera Maya for clothing-optional vacations. There definitely seems to be an emerging local nudist market.

Our maid in Tankah, for instance, confessed to going "topless" (the English word "topless" is used in Mexico) on the beach just like European women, and feeling good about it. She attributes the more open attitudes to a new generation that rejects Catholic church-induced body shame. Growing up in her family, she said, household nudity was common, with many children together in a small house with a mostly open living area and all sharing the bathroom at one time or another.

The church also has limited influence on the local Maya population. The Mayan religion and civilization is 3,000 years old, and is still proudly maintained and celebrated. The Maya do not mix with the migrants from other parts of Mexico. They live apart in their own villages, and come to work in construction and tourism, but also continue the traditional fishing. The Mayans seem to have few hang-ups about nudity or talking to nude persons on the beach.

All-Inclusive Resorts

We were the only couple from the Naked Air flight who did not spend the nude week at El Dorado Resort and Spa. Everyone else, except for one other couple who spent the week at Caribbean Reef Club, went straight to El Dorado and the adjacent Hidden Beach Resort, which is under the same management.

Hidden Beach Resort is a new luxury nude resort in this region, and boasts that it is the only all-inclusive resort where one never needs to dress, not even for dining. Hidden Beach appears to cater to the partying crowd, offering liquor from dispensers in every hotel room 24 hours a day.

This seemed to be opening season for new nudist luxury resorts, as the nearby Desire resort also celebrated its grand opening the same week we were in the area.

Caribbean Reef Club in Puerto Morelos has not changed much since my previous visit there in September 2000, during a naturist leadership trip sponsored by Castaways Travel [see N 20.2]. The facilities are new, clean, and colorful, especially around the large pool and hot tub. The resort sells a day pass for $125 per couple which includes use of the facilities from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., plus lunch, dinner and all drinks, for those who want to check out the resort before staying overnight. The daytime atmosphere is very pleasant.

I must say that depending on which week one goes to Caribbean Reef Club or Desire, one may encounter large numbers of partying couples who are looking for other couples for more than casual company by the poolside. Fortunately, the word "no" is still accepted, and you can expect to be left alone once you have made your preferences known. Caribbean Reef Club posts the rule of no open sex in the common areas, so any activities of that sort would be confined to the rooms.

Diving and Other Nude Adventures

I returned to Caribbean Reef Club specifically to see Paul Hensey, the resident dive master who I met on my last trip there in 2000. Sure enough, Paul was happy to let Blair and me go nude scuba diving with him. A recent storm made the waters too rough for snorkeling or diving close to the coast, so Paul suggested a day of cave diving in one of the many famous cenotes.

Paul had wanted us to wear full wet suits because of the cold water; but we convinced him that we are used to cold waters from swimming nude in the Pacific Ocean at Black's Beach in San Diego, so he let us dive nude. Tajmahal Cavern, at Xpu Ha, was deserted on the Monday morning of our exploration.

After testing the sparkling clear, subterranean waters at the entrance to the elaborate cave system, conveniently marked with guide ropes strung along the bottom, we put on our scuba gear and followed Paul into the caverns. We surfaced several times in enclosed openings, one of which was a breeding ground for bats. It was fascinating to see a sliver of light far ahead, and then coming up for air when there was but a tiny slit on the top of the cavern letting in light rays, dropping in shades of green, teal and azure. The scene was tropical outside and barren inside, with stalagtites and stalagmites in the caverns.

We then went to watch the swimming with dolphins at Puerto Aven-turas over lunch, before heading to our second cenote of the day, where we ran into a large group of young French divers. I would have worn a monokini, but did not have mine with me, so I was forced to dress, while Blair got away with skimpy trunks.

Later we visited, the ecological theme park of Xel-Ha, where I tested body acceptance by going topfree (I didn't have a swimming suit, and wasn't going to buy one). We walked the entire length of the park and enjoyed the swinging ropes into the water, blow holes, beach areas, and cliff-jumping. There were curious onlookers every now and then, but no one complained or said anything about my top-freedom.

We spent the next day climbing the Mayan ruins of Tulum with a local guide, and hiking near the Tulum lighthouse ("El Faro de Tulum") off the nude beach at Don Armando. The shoreline looked just like a Caribbean fairy tale. Rock-climbing across, Blair found several small caves, and rested on protruding rocks to listen to the powerful sounds of breaking waves.

More Places for Social Nudity

As I was researching the traditionally nudist campground Camping Santa Fe near Tulum (which changed owners in February and has been temporarily closed for the slow season), I walked the beach nude and the Mayan security guide took me across the property and showed me the dive shack. He told me that the month of June was the slowest, and the month of November the busiest. The nude beach then is frequented mostly by young people from Mexico City on vacation. It is segregated for the most part¿single men go to the right, and single women go to the left. Couples may sit anywhere they wish. This way, the guard explained, they maintain a safe atmosphere for the single young women.

Off the interminable Mexican Hwy. 307, heading south toward Guatemala, we turned left and took the road toward the coast, right before the Zona Arqueologica Tulum, at the fork with the road to Coba opposite to the right, another Mayan ruin. At the end of this road you come to a fork with a small police station, where we stopped to ask about the nude beaches in the area. The officer we spoke to recommended the aforementioned Don Armando and Ana y Jose. We later found out that Ana y Jose, by the hotel of the same name, does not have any nudity, and the management even gets upset about women walking topfree from the beach to their room; we do not recommend staying there.

For the lowest budget, we recommend trying open-air beach cabanas at the camping areas Don Armando, El Mirador or Santa Fe. These are 2.5 and 2.7 kilometers respectively from the fork in the road.

Cabasas Copal Hotel Tulum, to the right at the same intersection, is where I would stay on my next trip to this area. It's rustic, inexpensive, and clothing-optional except in the dining room. There are no electric lights or phones in the cabanas (though interestingly, they do offer wireless Internet access in their lounge, Internet Blue, from 8 a.m. to midnight). The simple cabanas have a large bed with mosquito netting, and are off a nice nude beach. The little outdoor bar is charming as well. I liked the fresh exotic fruit juices.

Amusingly, on a large mural depicting the entire property, which serves as a map and locator for guests, someone clearly painted nude people sunbathing and jogging on the beach. The combination of the rustic setting along with Internet access right on the premises was perfect for me. The hotel offers spa treatments, fitness activities, free daily yoga classes and a temazcal, or indigenous sweat lodge. It's affordable, and families with children are welcome.

Farther down the same road, down the so-called Riviera Ecosolar, you'll find the more upscale Maya Tulum Retreat and Resort, which offers several types of yoga classes as well as the usual spa treatments. The nude beach is more exciting, with rocks reaching out into a bay. We enjoyed a great organic vegetarian lunch buffet in the restaurant overlooking the beach.

Near Tankah, where we were staying, we stopped by yet another clothing-optional retreat center, Playa Naturel. For our taste, the nude beach was tiny, and had rock groins going into the ocean, setting it apart from its immediate neighbor, which was within spitting distance. While we visited briefly, the resident caretaker gave us a tour, but there were no guests or staff on hand. It seems to be highly seasonal with reservations required.

Last but not least, our own humble clothing-optional abode for the week was at Tankah Villa and Cabanas in Tankah. We slept on a suspended bed with a mosquito net canopy, and were served breakfast each morning by the lovely American owner, June Pizano, who retired there with her husband, Art.

After driving to too many potential nude beaches and interviewing locals on the state of the beaches, Blair requested a rest day. So I agreed Friday should be our rest day, before our Saturday departure on the Naked Air flight. Come Friday, we had our "rest day"¿that is, the day we did the "rest" of the trips we had not covered earlier in the week!

CONTACTS:

Scuba/snorkeling: Dive master Paul Hensey resides at Caribbean Reef Club; make reservations through his website: www.wetset.com

Cabanas Copal, Tulum: www.cabanascopal.com

Maya Tulum Retreat and Resort, Tulum: www.mayatulum.com

Playa Naturel, Tankah: www.playanaturel.com

Tankah Villa and Cabanas: www.sliceofparadise.com

Caribbean Reef Club, Puerto Morelos, (closest to Cancun airport):

www.caribbeanreefclub.com

Hidden Beach Resort, Kantenah: www.hiddenbeach.com

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