The Dark Side of Nudist Beaches: My Most Unsettling Experiences

Nicholas Smith
5 min readOct 10, 2024

What I Thought Would Be Freedom Turned into Fear — A Personal Account

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When I first started visiting nudist beaches, I imagined them as a place of freedom — where one could truly disconnect from societal norms, feel at peace with nature, and embrace a judgment-free environment. But over the years, I’ve learned that not every nudist beach lives up to that ideal. In some places, the atmosphere can shift from relaxed to downright unsettling. As a man who has been to several nudist beaches around the world, I’ve had my share of strange and unnerving experiences that have made me reconsider some of these destinations.

“Nudism is supposed to be about freedom — until it becomes about survival.”

Greece: Where Freedom Felt Like a Trap

One of my first unsettling experiences occurred in a Mediterranean country, let’s call it Greece. I had heard about a quiet, lesser-known nudist beach away from the touristy crowds, and it seemed like the perfect spot to unwind. But when I arrived, I was in for a shock. There were no couples, no families — just a group of men, all standing around, almost as if they were waiting for something.

“It felt like walking into a scene from a…

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Nicholas Smith

I'm Nicholas Smith, a dedicated wordsmith on a lifelong quest to breathe life into stories and ideas through the power of the pen