Buff guide to Croatia
AS I gazed across the sea, I thought I was in heaven.
But there were no angels sunning themselves on the beach — just loads of naked people.
Deciding where to look was tricky. So I just took a deep breath, removed all my clothes and jumped into the sea.
I was on a trip with my boyfriend Tom, to the area of Porec on the western coast of Croatia, to find out what it is like to be a naturist.
Our first stop was Solaris naturist resort near Tar. It opened in 1972 and, 42 years later, still welcomes back some of the original guests.
At reception the friendly staff told us the first and most important rules of naked living: “No photos and definitely no swimwear on the beach.”
You can choose to stay in tents but we were shown to our modern self-catering apartment, which had a balcony looking out over a sea of tree-tops.
The entire resort is covered in trees — and we were later told that they were there to protect us from prying eyes.
Even so, being starkers does take some cojones — in your boyfriend’s case, at least.
We headed nervously to the Blue Flag-rated beach, where taking off my bikini top was the easy part. It was the bottoms which were proving difficult.
Surveying the beach, I realised no one was paying any attention, so I went for it.
Next thing I knew, I was standing stark naked, with no one paying any attention. I didn’t feel self-concious or awkward as I thought I would.
I felt free and very normal.
I screamed excitedly as I ran to Tom in the water.
If my naked body wasn’t going to attract attention, then my shrieks of joy sure would. But swimming in the sea with nothing on but a smile is the a great feeling.
By the time I came out, I was almost struggling to remember why people even bothered wearing clothes.
Also, you never have to worry about those tan lines.
After three nights at the Solaris, feeling like seasoned naturists, we packed up the car to head off to our next naked resort — Koversada.
It has been there for 50 years and is going strong.
It is a similar set-up to the Solaris but much bigger.
The resort also has its own little island offshore, joined to it by a causeway and with optional nude bar, a great fish restaurant and glades to kick back in after a hard day’s snorkelling.
We stayed in a self-catering apartment with fantastic views of the sea.
I would recommend renting a car if you a stay there.
But by our second day in Koversada, we decided that we quite fancied a day with our clothes ON, so went for a five-minute drive to the neighbouring town of Vrsar.
This is a picture-postcard treasure, built around a beautiful marina, and offers fantastic fish restaurants, boat hire and excursions to the famously stunning Lim fjord. Then the next day we drove to the picturesque town of Rovinj and embarked on a 15-minute boat ride to our final destination — the lovely Hotel Istra on the Red Island.
This sleek, modern island resort is like something out of a James Bond movie.
The hotel is not nudist but does have a small, secluded naturist area if you cannot resist a naked swim. In fact, this little secret was so very secluded that we almost walked right past it.
Far more visible is the Lanterna restaurant, to the front of the hotel — an unbelievably beautiful place to eat, set in an old castle.
As delicious as the setting was the food, which blew us away.
After dinner, we went out to the sofas and chairs that line the sea wall and watched the sun set while listening to live music.
In candlelight, with a glass of bubbly in hand, it was a truly unforgettable experience.
Leaving this place was a struggle.
With its stunning coastline and beautiful sea as clear as glass, it was unlike any place I have seen before.
We have well and truly left our hearts in Croatia — and our clothes.