Intima Resort or the commitment to clothing optional

One of the great debates that has existed for nudists in recent years has revolved around whether or not to require the obligation to take off their clothes in traditional nudist spaces. For many people, opening these spaces to the coexistence between nudists and textiles will mean losing them little by little. That is why they bet that in nudist places, which are mostly beaches but there are also campsites or resorts, you can only be without clothes. With this, also onlookers and individuals who have any intention except to enjoy a healthy day in contact with nature are avoided. However, other nudists, believe that to facilitate the acceptance and diffusion of nudism, the coexistence between nudists and textiles should be facilitated, leaving everyone the freedom to take off their clothes. This option, which could initially be more logical and convenient, is not without risks. At the end of the day, textiles today win over nudists by a majority, so if we talk about spaces for each other, it is obvious that the spaces for nudists are counted on the fingers of one hand. Minorities have never had an easy time claiming their spaces when this has meant a transfer of the majority.

For this reason, until not long ago, I was one of those who defended the first option. Nudists spend most of our time following the rules and labels of textiles. Even in vacation or leisure periods it is difficult for us to enjoy the sun’s rays or connect with our natural environment without fabric in between. We have to travel hundreds of kilometers and spend a little more than we would like to enjoy a few moments of freedom. So, I believed that the normal thing is that in those spaces of nudist tradition this practice is required, as it was the only way to maintain them. With this requirement, a filter was also put on those who accessed to these places. If you go to a place where you know there is a nudist tradition, it is normal for you to undress. If you are not willing to do it, you should probably question the idea of visiting those places.

However, this spring I had the opportunity to rethink these positions after visiting Intima Resort Tulum a couple of times, a clothing optional complex in the heart of the Riviera Maya. At Intima Resort, the guests finds one and two bedroom condos in the middle of the jungle, but clothing optional is what makes it special. Being able to enjoy the big beautiful pool without a swimsuit was very comfortable but the experience was better than expected. Although my idea was that my wife and I feel out of place, it totally changed when we walked through their front door. Not only were we not the unique nudists, also the nudists were the majority. Of course, regardless at any given time there were more nudists or more textiles, the coexistence was always pleasant and respectful.

One of the things that caught my attention was the opportunity to engage in conversation with people from either group. We even had the opportunity to interact with some textiles, men and women, who told us that it was their first time in a clothing optional place. We had a good time talking about experiences and adventures and the last thing we remembered is that they were wearing swimsuits and we were without them. We had really heard that this was frequent, and in a way we had experienced it with other nudists. Being naked, after crossing words with another person, becomes something insignificant and with much less importance than anyone can think before checking it. In addition, there were those who after wearing their full swimsuit or bikini on the first day, on the second day were encouraged to take it off or go topless. I think that in those moments new followers were won for the nudist cause.

At Intima Resort you can enjoy of a private, respectful and almost family atmosphere, and I say almost because access is only for adults. It is not the only clothing optional resort in the Riviera Maya, although because of its size, good atmosphere and attention from its promoters, I think it is special. And what most caught my attention, without a doubt, is the coexistence between nudists and textiles. I think that, as nudists or naturists, we have a certain fear of textiles, and I am not saying that it is not justified. But perhaps until now we have not been able to appropriately expose what leads us to be nudists or transmit the experiences and the wellness we enjoy with it. On the other hand, the new generations, who are apparently so far from nudism, are looking for new experiences with which to reconnect with nature, but neither obligations nor impositions go with them. Checking that there are other bodies beyond those that appear in social networks and that themselves are the ones who choose to be with or without a swimsuit can help to brake pre-established ideas.

These days at Intima Resort took me to reflect on the need for the coexistence between nudists and textiles to make visible and normalize the non-sexual nude, the social nude, the family nude. So, as a consequence, to be aware of the importance of these clothing optional places for nudism. Opening traditional nudist places to textiles does not imply a setback beyond what as nudists we want to allow. We are not nudists to persuade anyone but to enjoy who we are. And at Intima Resort I was able to make sure; the resorts of clothing optional are trendy and it is also good news.