By: Kara Franker
With warm, sunny weather year round and miles of pristine beaches, it’s only natural to bare a little more skin when you’re in Miami. If you have an exhibitionist streak or you simply want to eliminate tan lines altogether, there’s a welcoming stretch of sand at Haulover Beach that’s clothing optional. Located just north of Bal Harbour across a small causeway and inlet, Haulover Park and Beach spans approximately 1.5 miles nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. The northernmost half-mile of Haulover Beach is designated clothing optional.
Topless sunbathing is customary on nearly every beach in Miami, especially in South Beach, in large part because of the melting pot of international travelers and residents. If you dare to bare more, then Haulover Beach is the beach for you. It’s frequently included in top 10 lists of best nude beaches in the world by outlets like CBS News and The Travel Channel.
In addition to the aquamarine ocean and white sandy beach, you’ll also find shaded picnic facilities, concession stands, beach chair rentals and sand dunes. This part of the beach is also popular amongst surfers thanks to the waves produced by the inlet.
Haulover’s nude beach is welcoming to people of all walks of life and often sees as many as 7,000 people on its sands in a single day. Since it’s simply clothing optional, it’s also welcoming to anyone in your party who prefers to keep their bathing suit on.
Nudist Etiquette
Whether you’re a committed nudist or a curious first-timer, you should be aware of the social etiquette and expectations that come with a day at a nude beach. For many, it’s a time to unwind with an expectation of privacy. The beach is plenty friendly and if you do get to chatting with someone new, they may only wish to share their first name with you and not talk about work. A good rule of thumb is to keep a friendly distance from your fellow nude sunbathers and be mindful of everyone’s comfort levels.
Similarly, just because someone is sunbathing nude in a public setting does not mean that they want to be photographed. Cameras and camera phones should be used discreetly, if at all. While Haulover is a public beach, it’s a courtesy to your fellow nude sunbathers not to take pictures. Likewise, staring or gawking at a nude sunbather is considered rude and in poor form. It’s only natural to be curious and look around at your surroundings and fellow beachgoers, but be sure not to ogle anyone or make them feel uncomfortable.
Of course, packing a towel is par for the course during a day at the beach, and they’re especially important at a nude beach. From lying in the sand to sitting on public benches, always place a towel on the surface you sit on.
Also, just because Haulover is a clothing optional beach does not mean that sexual activity is allowed. Any lewd behavior is against the law and violators will be subject to arrest.
In many ways, visiting a nude beach is no different from a day at a regular beach. Courteous behavior to your fellow beachgoers is expected and allows everyone to have an enjoyable time.
LGTBQ-Friendly Beaches
All of Miami’s beaches are friendly to the LGTBQ community and this is no different at Haulover’s nude beach. While it’s not explicitly designated a gay beach, it’s welcoming to LGBTQ beachgoers along with people of all walks of life.
If you’re looking for a gay beach, head down to South Beach at 12th Street. This strip of sand has long been a popular beach for the gay community in large part because of The Palace, a gay bar and restaurant with drag shows that recently moved one block south to 11th Street and Ocean Drive. While this area is not a nude beach, it’s a lively, social stretch of sand that usually has a party atmosphere.
With so many beaches to choose from that accommodate the full spectrum of clothing optional sunbathing, you’ll no doubt find the perfect patch of sand to spend the day under the sun sans swimsuit—or covered up. One thing’s for sure, don’t forget the SPF.