Clothing Optional Trips

There are so many wonderful locations around the world to try nude. My wife and I are fortunate and have seen many of them over the past 25 years. We’ve seen many, but not all. We would love to see more of them firsthand, but right now that’s not possible. We’re both very active with our careers and family and as a result, we can’t just drop everything and visit every nudist or clothing optional location we’d like to see. We will one day.

Because we can’t go everywhere we want to go nude, we have to live through others and their travels, which is why when I saw Mr. K and Ms. C share pictures of their trip to Paya Bay Resort in Honduras on twitter, I reached out to them and asked if they would be interested in sharing a trip report. Paya Bay has been on our list of places for years, but we’re probably not going to get there anytime soon. Thankfully K and C were very gracious and shared their trip and their first-time experience on a nude vacation. I believe you’ll agree, Paya Bay sounds like a clothing-optional paradise. More importantly, K and C discovered the beauty of a nude experience with someone you love. Paya Bay a perfect place for a couple looking to try their first nude experience in a relaxed, safe, and beautiful environment. 

Our First Clothing Optional Vacation

We wanted to thank TC @tripsinbuff for giving us the opportunity to write about the wonderful Paya Bay on the beautiful Island of Roatan, Honduras.  This was our first experience getting nude among other people.

My boyfriend and I spent two weeks on the island of Roatan in Honduras this winter and stayed at a few resorts across the island.  We got a great taste of the island from the small local village vibe of West End to the large, all-inclusive style resorts in West Bay. In the middle of our trip, we booked a four-night stay at the East End of the Island at Paya Bay Resort.  Although we have had many experiences at home being nude around our pool, in the yard and on hikes up to beaches of Manitoba, this was our first time taking it all off in front of others.

For us, the Paya Bay experience started at the rental car agency. When picking up our car, the agent asked, “Oh so where will you guys be going?” As we laid out our vacation plans, which included a drive to the East side of the island to visit Paya Bay, the agent replied with “OH,” followed by warnings that a car was not a good vehicle to travel with as the roads to get to Paya Bay were extremely bad. I’m not sure if this was an upsell technique or true concern? However we had done our research and were pretty sure a car would be fine.  We are from Manitoba, Canada and have driven on a great many back country gravel roads over the years.

Getting There is an Adventure

We started out that Sunday morning on our way to Paya Bay. It was an amazing drive through gorgeous country with many stops for pictures. There are points of elevation where you can see the coasts and the reef system on both sides of the island at the same time.  We reached the turn off from the main (only) highway that runs east/west and proceeded onto the dreaded gravel road.  We really found the gravel road is no different than the gravel roads in rural Manitoba. There were times you may see a bigger rock in the road or a big pothole, but again that is all to be expected when there is a gravel road frequently used by big trucks. Was the drive treacherous?  Absolutely not! Were there times when you had to slow and proceed with caution? Of course! Did our little rental car make it?  Without a problem! Please don’t let a “Bad road” warning you may see on some reviews detour you from all that is Paya Bay.  We took our time and had no problems.

Checking In

As we mentioned, our visit to Paya Bay was our first visit to a naturist/clothing optional resort.  We almost took the plunge while on a trip to Jamaica a couple years ago but unfortunately, we didn’t.  As newbies, we tried to do some research on naturist etiquette and to gain some basic sense of what to expect.

We arrived and were checked in promptly by the front reception with lots of smiles even though we arrived much earlier than our check-in time. Entering our Cliffside room, we were absolutely blown away by the view.  Our room was average hotel room size, nice queen size, comfy bed, which we really appreciated after a week in a very hard bed at the first resort. It was tastefully decorated with a coffee maker, bar fridge, T.V., which we never once turned on, small-sitting area, and a small balcony for two, which sits upon a cliff with the ocean waves crashing below your room. 

This may cause some sleep issues for some, but for us it was a lullaby. The bathroom was big, with lots of counter space. My only complaint about the room though comes from the bathroom. The showerhead sprayed forward and hit the shower curtain causing the shower curtain to be pushed outside of the lip of the base.  A couple times we had water all over the bathroom floor. It’s also only made for one person at a time.  Although the bathroom had a small ceiling window for natural light, the actual lights were very dim and almost a yellow, which made the bathroom very dark especially at night.

Our Own Private Island

So now the nervousness started as we headed down the beautiful walking trails and to check out the entire 22 acres. It’s recommended to remain clothed in the lobby, restaurants and from your rooms to the designated areas.  This is NOT a nudist resort.  It is a clothing optional resort, which also has Nudist designated weeks. We were booked on a designated Nudist Week. 

As we walked the path to the main beach, I already knew I was going to like it. The path from our room led us along the edge of the cliff and the views were magical. Along the trails there were various seating areas and hammocks for your own private space overlooking the ocean. Just before Bliss Beach, we walked through the Black Iguana Beach Bar. The bar has a large seating area and a smiling bartender to greet you every time he sees you. He will happily serve you on the beach as well.  

As we continued through the bar and down to the main beach my nervousness started to grow. I could see naked and clothed people. We knew we were just exploring the trails and not actually staying anywhere just yet, so we looked around and continued on. The paths and little hideaways were located all over the grounds. Up at the end of the cliff, down in a little valley, hidden up in the trees overlooking the main beach, hammocks in the water, hammocks just at the water’s edge and lounge chairs anywhere you decided to stop. The beauty and tranquil setting were stunning in every way. Fire Island has a fire pit area where the staff will set up a late-night bonfire for you. It really felt like we had discovered our own private island. There was also a misting station, a body painting station, if you really want to get creative, and Yoga available. Zone 1 on the other side of the resort was for the textile crowd.  Zones 2 and 3 were for the naturists.

Getting Comfortable Naked

At some point during our walk, I became comfortable enough to take off my top. It was scary at first, but so liberating. We did run into another couple on the trail who were fully clothed (in the naturist zone), which kind of made me feel awkward. Realizing I was only topless and after a quick hello, we continued on our way without any real inconvenience.  We decided to go back to the room to get beach ready and really “do this.” We packed up our stuff (Paya Bay does provide very large beach/sitting towels) and headed back down to Bliss Beach.

There were lots of chairs available right on the beach and a wonder plunge pool with a waterfall to soak in after a swim in the ocean.  It is a small resort and there were 20 to 30 people on the beach.  The first thing I noticed was on one end of the beach, there was a group of clothed people.  And then at the other end of the beach a group of nude people. And then it seemed the middle group was in various dress.  I decided, we were here for the full experience, so we are not sitting with the clothed people.  I also knew I may feel uncomfortable being nude around fully dressed people in beach attire.  So over we went to the group that was quite comfortably sitting around naked. Still being very nervous, I chose a couple lawn beds by ourselves and began to settle in.

I just started to organize my towel on the chair and K dropped his shorts and was naked in about two seconds flat! He is always the braver one, but he did admit that’s how he deals with his nervousness.  Just jump right in and get it over with.  I had a bit more hesitation still. I removed my bathing suit top and took my time.

Now for me, the one thing I didn’t read about before we left was body hair and I was concerned with what other naturists are like.  Do they not shave? Do they just let things grow au natural?  I kept thinking about naturist vs naturalist and what really is the difference.  So this was an honest fear of mine, I am a shaved/waxed person. I was afraid others may frown upon me for being all “out there” and such.  So I took some time and without getting in people’s faces or gawking, I surveyed the other nudists. Sorry to all the nudists, but I had to do it.  I saw people of all shapes and sizes and people with all different pubic hair preferences. This made me feel much more comfortable. We decided to go for a swim.  My thoughts were, “I am at a naturist resort, and although some are still wearing their bathing suits, I’m not going in that water with it on.” Off the bottoms came and we hiked across the sand towards the ocean.

We waded into the ocean nude for the first time and honestly it felt amazing! When we finished our swim and playing in the waves, we walked back across the beach in front of all of these people to the outside showers. We washed off and then jumped into the plunge pool.  After we toweled off, like any other time we have been to a beach, we walked back down the beach and lounged on our chairs only this time, totally naked.  It was about then the nervousness started to fade away.  No one on the beach watched.  They couldn’t care less what we were doing.

Exploring Paya Bay

During our time there, there were not a lot of others staying at the resort.  In speaking to the owner, he did mention it was a quiet week.  They do get a lot of expats and Canadians that now live on the island and come only for the day.  Also cruise shippers come on day passes.  It seemed like there were different people almost everyday, so you really did not get to socialize with others staying there.  The split would be about 50/50 of people nude and clothed, but either way no one seemed to care which category you were in.  So we had all evenings to ourselves. This was fine as we took advantage of moonlit night hikes to the various places on the trails for pictures and just enjoyed each other’s company. 

We spent the days at Buccaneer Landing or at Shell Beach where it was just the two us. This side of the bay was always calm for skinny dipping or naked snorkeling.  We are avid snorkelers and we were surprised to see our first starfish while on the island.

The staff were all so helpful, friendly and amazing. Again this is still Roatan, so everything is definitely on island time. K found it a bit awkward when the bartender would come to the beach fully clothed to bring him a beer.  As we were laying on the beach one day the owner came down with his two dogs.  He immediately took all of his clothes off and jumped into ocean for a swim.  That was great to see.  We had breakfast and dinner in the resort dining hall every day.  The food was excellent. I am a very picky eater! It was very much like home cooking. As with home cooking some days the bacon was crispier then desired or the eggs cooked a little longer than planned, but we were certainly never hungry!

The resort is far away from the crowds and there is really nothing close by.  You will need a rental to venture out to Camp Bay area.  We did climb Mount Picacho, which is within walking distance of Paya Bay.  You can hire a guide if you wish, but we are always up for another solo adventure so we made the trek.  It certainly took us a while to find access or a trail. It is not a typical tourist attraction. We ended up with a few bruises and lot of scratches that made us scream a bit when you jump back into the salty ocean upon your return.  But certainly, the island views from the top made it all worth it.

Getting Comfortable Naked

As our time went on, we definitely felt more and more comfortable with ourselves and with others seeing us nude.  We talked a lot about how we felt about our first experience.  In some ways you feel a bit voyeuristic. Part of your brain is still in the habit of discretely looking and comparing yourself to others.  Another part of the brain feels a bit exhibitionist. It was a wonderful feeling free and natural in those surroundings and in front of other people without a care. 

As our time at Paya Bay passed, we really enjoyed the freedom, the scenery, the relaxation and the liberation of being nude.  Whether it was relaxing on the beach, reading a book, walking the trails, a nighttime, moonlit private photo shoot, or a naked swim or snorkel in the ocean. It was all breathtakingly beautiful and very much a bonding experience for us as a couple. We are not a lifestyle couple and were not looking for that type of resort as our first experience.  Paya Bay was definitely just what we needed!  In our eyes, Paya Bay should not be compared to a five-star resort. What Paya Bay has to offer is much more than anything a five-star resort can offer: peace in nature!

After leaving Paya Bay and moving down to the beautiful resort area of West Bay, we were sitting on the beach and looking at the ocean and we both agreed.  This would be much more fun here naked!

Since being home, I find myself naked a lot more and much more comfortable nude. K is naked probably 75% of the time.  As I am writing this blog, the temperatures outside are warming and soon I can spend a lot more nude time outside. Now that we’re home, I guess the reason we decided to try a clothing optional experience was to see what it would be like. We are naked at home and in the pool all the time.  But you always notice your own flaws and tend to be very self judgmental. It was nice to be raw, relaxed and free. To not be judged and be comfortable in your own skin. We have been together as a couple for more than five years now and we like to try new adventurous things. These things help us to learn who we truly are. We all have scars from life that tend to define us. We found this an opportunity to shed those scars and start something new.      

Maybe some naked hiking and more beach trips are in our future! We have already planned for our vacation next year and booked our first week at a real nudist resort.    

Getting to Paya Bay Resort

Paya Bay Resort is about an hour from the airport in Roatan.  You can rent a car for about $50, get a private driver or make arrangements with Paya Bay and they will get a driver for you. I am not sure of the cost for a private driver, but from what I have read it is about $80 to $100 to hire a driver for the day. From the cruise ship terminal at Mahogany Bay, it is around 50 minutes.  Same applies to car rental or local transportation from the ferry terminal.  A day pass is only $5 per person and they only allow a maximum of 15 people in on day passes.

K&C @loving2Travel