Life/Style

No sex on the beach for nude beaches in this town in The Netherlands

DailyBiteJune 14, 2023 | 13:36 IST

Europe is famed for its nude beaches where naturalists strip down their inhibitions. People often go to nude beaches to be able to strip down, relax and sunbathe. However, some visitors to nude beaches think that sexual activities are also allowed at these places. That is not the case.

In the latest, a town in the south of The Netherlands, Veere, has banned sex on its nude beaches. On Thursday, June 8, Veere authorities put up boards warning visitors that sex is off-limits on the nude beaches.

They also warned of "increased monitoring" in the dunes, nature reserve, and beach.

The dunes are hugely important to the local community and must be protected from undesirable behaviour that damages the natural environment and can disturb other holidaymakers.

- Frederiek Schouwenaar, Veere Mayor (Observer)

Veere started the "Project Oranjezon", Orange Sun, after receiving multiple complaints about naked recreationists getting it on in public.
It was also noted that some of these sexual encounters were being pre-arranged.

Sex outdoors is not naked recreation, and people who come to sunbathe find it just as much of a nuisance as other people do.

- Karlien Lodewijk, spokesperson for the NFN Open en Bloot (Guardian)

While some said that the ban was important to preserve the cause of nude beaches, others said it was prudish to ban sex on the beach.

It has become a bit of a trend in The Netherlands and other countries that, because of a conservative movement, people who are less happy about sexuality and nudity have a louder voice.

- Yuri Ohlrichs, sexologist (The Guardian)

A restaurant owner from a nude beach told The Guardian that he has never had a problem with people having sex in public.

If some people have a rendezvous in the dunes - well, that has been happening since the world began. Some people would rather do it outside than in a bedroom. And others might come to do it because it has been banned.

- Marco Wiechert, Restaurant owner

Public sex and nude beaches

Nude beaches celebrate nudity, but not always sex. It's not just Veere in The Netherlands that bans sex on the beach; several nude beaches around Europe also prohibit the same.
In fact, it is an unsaid rule (among other rules) to not get too frisky while visiting nude beaches.

[ALSO READ: 7 embarrassing mistakes to avoid on your first international trip]

Impact on the environment

The cocktail Sex on the Beach is fine. But sex on the beach isn't great for the local environment.
A study published in the Journal of Environmental Management found that tourists getting hot and steamy were destroying the dunes and native plant species on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria.
The waste left behind by tourists like condoms, toilet paper, wipes, and cans is affecting the local ecology.

So, the next time you are visiting a nude beach anywhere in the world, know that all such beaches may not necessarily allow public sex.

[ALSO READ: How Sweden is inching towards becoming first 'smoke-free' country in Europe]

Last updated: June 14, 2023 | 13:36

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