The Irish Tourist Board have been doing a grand job promoting nearly 2,000 miles of rugged Atlantic coastline of County Cork. Dubbed “The Wild Atlantic
Way” (WAW), it's one of the longest defined coastal routes in the world and it brings in a lot of money from tourism.
Along the route are a number of Naturist beaches that Stephen Bolton, from the Irish Naturist Association, believes it’s under exploited. For some time now, Stephen has been trying to get the beaches officially recognised and signposted for the benefit of visiting Naturists.
Naturism is no longer illegal in Ireland. It was liberated by the 2017 changes in legislation that mirror those in the UK. In an interview with The Southern Star, Stephen said: “I have been down to Clonakilty three or four times over the past number of years. They are traditional Naturist beaches and have been for decades, and it’s all locally known.”
“We are trying to piggyback on the WAW – which has been a masterclass in marketing – and if we could get a couple of pinpoint markers on their online interaction maps showing people where to go, it would be great. All we are looking for are signposts to say there is a traditional Naturist bathing area here. If people are easily offended, they can turn around.”
INA’s Leticia Medina told BN, ‘We constantly review our beach list and intend to extend it since all remote locations are suitable for naturism. We get regular feedback from our members and other naturists about beaches where naturism can be practised without offending other people.
Photo credit: Javier Allegue Barros / Unsplash