In this country there are no more remote places, deserted coves or virgin beaches, especially in August. And the Catalan nudists denounce that this overcrowding so typical of these times is also distorting a good part of the nearly 60 sandy beaches in these latitudes where anyone could happily get rid of their swimsuits, that little by little and in a rather spontaneous way the people who go dressed is appropriating these spaces, that those who prefer not to take off their swimsuits are suddenly the majority.
And in this way, according to Segimon Rovira, president of the Club Català de Naturisme and also of the Naturist-Nudist Federation of Catalonia, explained, surrounded by textiles, as is known in these circles to those who always go in swimsuits, the custom of Putting yourself under the sun as God brought you into the world loses all its grace. It is a phenomenon that has been accentuating for a few years now and that is currently at its maximum expression.
What the hell happened in Illa Roja? Yes, this cove in Begur, emblematic among many naturists, ceased to be a place to be discovered by the general public a long time ago. That old graffiti that reads “Platja nudista” now seems symbolic, cave, the legacy of another era. And that stretch of Marbella in Barcelona, ??the main space in the Catalan capital reserved for these practices? Well, in the end it was swallowed up by the maelstrom of the big city, by the fiestas in the beach bars, by the floods of tourists, and by the historic Waikiki in Tarragona? And what about Flat Rock? Even the Borró is full of swimsuits.
“Guides, social networks, travel reports have a lot to do with all this – Rovira laments –… Get to know the ten most wonderful beaches in Catalonia, the sandbanks that you cannot miss…! But on many occasions the information is incomplete, people go to these beaches because everyone wants to find new places in summer, but they do it without knowing that they are naturists, without having any idea, and then…”. Coexistence is not the same as coexistence.
The truth is that it’s been a long time since most people looked sideways at nudists, murmuring that they are exhibitionists and some perhaps perverts. Those days are over, more or less. Lately, what bothers nudists the most are the half-contained laughter, the ironic comments, especially those that are markedly derogatory… We are talking mainly about groups of kids, families with a lot of children, not a few weekenders…
“And how dare she go like that at her age?” “With that butt, you don’t need an umbrella?” Yes, most of the recriminations, the hints and some supposed displays of ingenuity are directed mainly at women because of their physique. Men are mainly reproached with a more severe tone for going the way they do with so many children in front of them. And the fear of being photographed and hung up in this way on social networks also annoys you on a day at the beach. So many back off and put on their swimsuits. There are also many who are thinking about it and give up taking the last step.
No, naturism does not consist of showing off and showing off your palm in front of others, the president of the Club Català de Naturisme and also of the Naturist-Nudist Federation of Catalonia abounds, but in getting a little closer to nature, in feeling more free, in harmony… And on these beaches, traditionally away from the bustle, what always prevailed was discretion, silence, seclusion… The invasion of textiles also entails the generalization of other ways of spending the day on the beach. Proof of this is the growing proliferation of large portable speakers.
So that the Club Català de Naturisme and also the Naturist-Nudist Federation of Catalonia recently wrote to the Department of Equality and Feminisms to intervene in the matter, so that the Government improves the signage of these beaches, so that it offers a better information on the characteristics of the Catalan coast, so that some civic agents can be deployed in these sandbanks… The nudists are still awaiting the Government’s response. Right now, everything is in the hands of the good will of the citizenry.
Actually, nowadays nudism can be practiced on any Catalan beach, unless the municipality in question expressly prohibits it. Topless is allowed in public pools. “This is not about forcing people to strip naked. And we naturists also don’t want to impose ourselves where people don’t feel comfortable with their nudity. We accept mixed groups. We understand that many adolescents are shy, that many women prefer to practice only topless. But people have to know where they are going and integrate. If you come to a space with a naturist tradition, go ahead and try it for a moment!”.
