It’s easy to be naked in the Netherlands! According to NFN Open & Bloot, a naturist organization (whose name translates to “Open & Naked”), over 2 million Dutch people enjoy nude recreation every year. That’s roughly 1 out of every 8 Netherlanders! There are over 80 nude beaches in the Netherlands, so if you want to head outside and shed your clothes, you just need to head to the nearest one. I’ve been hanging out at Twaalfmorgen, a “beach” in the Reeuwijkse Plassen in South Holland.

Bare in the Sun: The Joys of Twaalfmorgen

I put “beach” in quotes because while you can swim at Twaalfmorgen, it’s more of a large grassy area with a few benches than anything resembling a traditional beach.

What you see above is really all you get: you walk or bike out to a long grassy strip between some tall reeds and some even taller trees and shrubs, remove your clothing, and enjoy the sunshine. The water in the Kalverbroek is lovely (if murky) if you want to hop in for a swim.

This is a quiet spot where people keep pretty much to themselves.

Being Naked, Dutch Style

The nice thing about naturist recreation in the Netherlands is that it’s just not a big deal. There’s a sign with a lot of words when you enter the space, but if I had to summarize the translation, it’s simple: be respectful, don’t bother anyone, don’t have sex, sit on a towel.

Where You Can Bare It: The Best Nude Beaches in the Netherlands

There are many larger and more popular nude beaches in the Netherlands — think the nudist areas of Scheveningen, Zandvoort, Bussloo, or even the Amsterdamse Bos — but Twaalfmorgen is the perfect place to go if you happen to be staying in Gouda or biking around the Reeuwijkse Plassen. By the way, if you want to visit Twaalfmorgen, Google Maps will lead you to the wrong spot. Here’s where you need to go to find the Naaktrecreatie area:

No Swimsuits Allowed: Textile-Free Bathing

One other great place to be naked in the Netherlands is at one of the country’s many spas, saunas or public bathhouses. They’re not necessarily all swimsuit optional (also known as being “textile free”), but you’re more likely to find nudity than not. I can highly recommend Spa Gouda, which mandates nakedness on all days except Wednesday.

Built in the 1920s as a public bath house, Spa Gouda has been beautifully refurbished, and it’s amazing. It has everything for one’s heat and water desires: a pool, a jacuzzi, five saunas of varying types, two different steam rooms, and a cold plunge. Everyone walks around completely naked, and no one cares. It’s delightful.

Swimsuits Required: The Hot Springs of Iceland

Nude bathing in Iceland, on the other hand, is a bit more challenging. While nudism in Iceland is legal, you generally don’t do it when there are other people around. All of the local spas and pools require that you wear a bathing suit (though single-sex nude showers are required beforehand). Much though you might want to, you cannot be naked at places like the Blue Lagoon, Sky Lagoon, or the fabulous Hvammsvik Hot Springs.

Baring It in the Cold: Nude Glacier Exploration

This means that if you want to remove all of your clothing and sit in the water, you need to find a deserted hot spring somewhere, and that’s not always easy. Our hopes of finding a nudist area in Iceland did not materialize, but getting naked in nature is always fun — so we stripped down in a snowstorm by a glacier!

It was freezing cold — brr — but totally worth it at the end of our Sólheimajökulll Glacier hike.

Love this post? You might also like my other “naked” adventures — from Bowen, Australia, to a topless beach on Mount Desert Island.

Want a more traditional Dutch travel experience? Check out my guide to the country’s iconic windmills.