01 June 08

The File

The File

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FRANCE
The French have been walking around au natural since the 1960s. But out of all the nude beaches, Plage de Tahiti in Saint-Tropez has the biggest reputation. Call it notorious, call it infamous, we just call it sunbathing topless with celebrities!

SPAIN
Why confine your bare bravado to one strip of sand and sun? Resorts like Vera Playa in Almeria allow you to roam naked everywhere, so long as you’re in the naturist zone. Tip: if you go to a nightclub, beware of potential police raids.

CROATIA
Home to the most famous naturist resort in Europe, Valalta at Rovinj features five whole kilometres of nude beach. Take advantage of the resort’s custom brewed beer then let your friends convince you it’s a good idea to play beach volleyball in the buff. Feeling shy? There are plenty of coves and bays to the south.

PORTUGAL
More familiar to surfers than naturists, Pria De Zavial in the Algarve is a secluded haven for sunbathers and their families. Cliffs on either side of the beach give the modest some sense of privacy, while the official status of the beach means there’s no chance of legal prosecution.

ITALY
Nude bathing is only legal at a handful of Italian beaches, one of which is Capocotta, just south of Rome. This beautiful stretch has been popular for years, with a 250m stretch set aside for naturists. So why is it so good? It’s the only place to legally bare all in central Italy!

Dodgy Signs
Frankfurt

Signs don’t get much more graphic than this. While holidaying in Frankfurt, Raffaele Pilla spotted said sign at the city’s zoo – it roughly translates as: “Warning, rhinos pee in/on the public.” “I witnessed a rhino spray everywhere, and some of it hit the people watching,” Raffaele tells us. By the look of the rhino’s face in the sign he’s definitely enjoying it! Raffaele wins a copy of Doug Lansky’s book Signspotting 2, published by Lonely Planet. Email us your dodgy signs (at 300dpi) to ryanair.ed@ink-publishing.com. We’ll print the funniest one each month, and send you a copy of the book, too.