When you live in Ireland, pondering a sun getaway in
December with the main purpose of recharging vitamin
D levels is not an original thought.
And when I chose Malta as my travelling destination,
I was definitely not expecting naturism to be on the
agenda. I would be more than happy to see a blue sky
and some persevering sunshine.
With the islands having the reputation of being the
least nudist-friendly country in Europe, where social
nudity still seemed to be frowned upon, little did I
know this was going to turn out a naturism-centred
weekend!
Certainly, I did remember how I had had virtual contact
in the past with some naturists from this part of the
world. Once in my Maltese hotel in Sliema, I suddenly
felt it did make sense to try to send a courtesy messa-
ge to that Maltese naturist page.
Big surprise for me when Adam, the official correspon–
dent of the International Naturist Federation in Malta,
quickly reacted to my greeting. He seemed interested
in meeting up, even in showing me around, and I gladly
accepted.
The next hours passed in a frenzied pace. I explored
Valetta on my own and met Adam towards sunset. He
then explained to me that even topless bathing was
prohibited in Malta, as some signs could be seen near
my hotel, and nudists can get fined for it.
Nonetheless, the Maltese Naturist site displays a list of
beaches where local naturists and tourists strip off in
the seclusion of the surroundings:
Ġnejna Bay area with and Qarraba Bay and Ta’ Ċensna,
Munxar White Cliffs in Marsaskala, Slugs Bay in Mel-
lieħa, Imgiebaħ Bay in Selmun, Fomm ir-Riħ Bay in
Baħrija, and some remote places in the Maltese islands
of Gozo and Comino.

After a pleasant conversation about all things naturist,
Adam offered to bring me the next day to see a couple
of the spots listed on the unofficial list of nudist bea–
ches on the Maltese Naturist website.
Only half an hour away from the capital on the
northwest coast, we arrived at the popular bathing are
of Ġnejna Bay Beach after leaving behind a valley of a
typical Maltese landscape adorned with a traditional
agricultural terraced panorama.
From there, we proceeded first to cautiously hike
southwards through the concrete platforms of the dila-
pidated boathouses, before reaching the vegetated sea
cliffs which were habitats for the endemic Limonium
spp., Thermo-Mediterranean and pre-desert scrub and
salt steppes. This landscape was also coloured also by
varying hues of blue clay and limestone.
Shortly after we finally arrived at Ta’ Ċensna. Looking
out from the cove we were met with a stunning sight of
two shades of blue coming together on the horizon.
I understood then how such an off-the-beaten-track
location was a favourite with naturists. We made the
most of the sunny morning by sunbathing in a mild
17C heat. Later on, we changed sides of the rocky inlet
and went on swimming on impressively clear waters
that boasted a temperature of 19C, which felt warmer
than the Irish Sea in summer. Unwilling to get dressed,
we hiked back in our birthday suits until we
approached the boathouses again.
In my mind I was comparing this enjoyable nude walk
under the friendly Maltese sun with our harsh Irish
hiking conditions from only the previous week. The
force of the Irish gale had been enough to support my
towel around my waist.
I paused to reflect, I couldn’t believe my luck: I was
getting not only the much-desired sunshine and the
superb blue sky, but also experiencing naturist oppor-
tunities in breath-taking scenery in the company of
the perfect naturist host, who introduced me into all
aspects of the state of naturism in Malta!
Later that day we also managed to meet further
members of the local naturist community. They turned
out to be very knowledgeable about naturism in other
countries; they could describe and compare nude
resorts in France, Greece, Spain or even the Caribbean.
They would also go to central European spas to pro-
perly enjoy the naked sauna culture.

Naturism in their own country appeared to be a diffe-
rent situation altogether. They complained about the
conservative mindset of Maltese society, about the
small size of the country and the high degree of
connection and familiarity amongst the locals, which
would not facilitate a secure feeling of anonymity when
practising naturism.
It all sounded rather familiar to me… however, they
fared worse than Ireland with their high population
density, a factor that does not easily leave isolated
areas on the Maltese coastline.
I left the island with the satisfaction of being able to
forge deep friendships thanks to our common belief in
naturism, the contentment of belonging to a healthy
international naturist community, and the commitment
to work for the further enhancement of the naturist
philosophy.
Grazzi ħafna, ħbieb tiegħi!
(Thank you, my friends!)
SOURCE: : https://irishnaturism.org/maltese-naturism/