Irish Week in Vera Playa 2024

We are just back from our third Annual trip to Vera Playa. People often ask us, what is it like? Below we have three different accounts of the same week which will give you a taster!!

Proud To Be Naked

In my wildest dreams I never imagined being on holiday with a group of naked people yet there I was in Playa Vera wearing nothing but a smile and prancing around the pool proudly. I’m new to this naturism lark. It all began when my husband announced that he was a naturist just a few years ago. I had no idea of the true meaning of naturism and wondered if he was losing his marbles in his old age. Our lives drifted slightly apart until I finally understood that naturism is not sinister, sexual, or weird it is just about embracing the suit that we wore coming into the world and being proud of the shape we were given. I now embrace the greatest feeling in the world when I’m naked and have thankfully felt my confidence rise from the depts of shame and guilt to one of love and Joy.

I had no idea what to expect after flying to Vera, but I immediately felt at home when stripped of who I thought I was or who I should be. I saw no naked bodies just the friendliest folks I had ever encountered. In the midst of couples, singles, old and young we were all vulnerable and beautiful together. I immediately felt loved and included as we gathered around the pool for happy hour. Without pockets or designer labels we had nothing to hide. I embraced my lumps and bumps and stood in solidarity with my new naked friends.

Everyone has a story and when spending a week in Spain amongst a group of strangers it is almost impossible not to have engaged at an intimate level and hear their story. The thing that struck me most was the sound of constant laughter and banter. I was left with an overwhelming feeling of loss when we parted ways at the airport and had a deep sense that I had experienced something very intimate and special. I also knew that it wasn’t Vera I was going to miss it was the people who had opened their arms to me and welcomed me into their world of naturism. It left me wondering why nudity still wears a badge of shame.

Thank you. L

Back to our Happy Place!!

My wife and I are just back from our annual trip to Vera Playa with the INA.  We had never considered ourselves naturists in the past, just a couple who enjoyed going to nude beaches on holidays. When the COVID travel lockdown was put in place, we joined the INA and were introduced to indoor swims and beach meetups and of course the annual trip to Vera Playa. This time around the trip to Vera was a highly anticipated trip for us as it was my 3rd trip with the group, the 2nd for herself, and it just gets better each year. There are several accommodation choices in Vera Playa, broadly divided into self-catering or the Vera Playa Club Hotel. Some prefer the flexibility of self-catering, but we stayed in the hotel again this time – we find the convenience and location too good to pass up.

As soon as the trip was announced last November, we booked our flights and hotel without any hesitation whatsoever. The only downside of booking early is then having to patiently wait for the months to tick by until it was time to go back to Vera Playa. As the 1st of May eventually came into view, the Facebook messenger and WhatsApp groups started to come alive with people excitedly counting down the number of sleeps until Vera.

We opted to travel with the group from Dublin airport again this year. We had said last year (we say it every year) that we would try and go from Shannon or Cork instead but in the end, the path of least resistance was just to go with the flow. Flight times were earlier this year, so at least we weren’t driving home at 3 am, but of course, there is always a catch, and we realised that we would be hitting the M50 at rush hour, so we left an extra hour for our travel. After a 5am start and encountering the expected bit of traffic on the M7/M50 we got to the airport in plenty of time. After a quick bag drop, our 20Kg allowance weighing in at 19.7Kg(!), we were free to have a leisurely full Irish breakfast in the garden terrace while waiting for others. As others started to arrive, you could feel the excitement starting to build.

Messages started flying about who was where in T1 (or even in T2!) and how to get to each other. It’s always a great start to the holiday to meet such a great gang of people, several of whom we hadn’t met since the previous year. It’s a very nicely mixed group of singles and couples that unite in a common goal of seeking a week of naked sunshine.

Everyone is always so supportive and inclusive which really makes the holiday. Of course, none of it would have been possible without the trojan work in organising the trip put in by Derek and Ger, to whom we are eternally thankful.

As we boarded, someone noticed the plane was brand new. It had only been delivered from Seattle a couple of days prior to the trip, which prompted a joke or two about how it might crash due to having someone in the group on board who apparently hasn’t had much luck with new cars. As soon as we were onboard I fell asleep. Apparently, we were delayed 20 minutes taking off but I can’t say I even noticed. Landing and bag collection at Murcia was quick and easy. The bus transfer from Murcia was efficient and took about 2 hrs. On arrival at the hotel, in my rush to get in line for check-in, I soon realised I left my backpack in the overhead storage on the bus.  One panicked phone call to our chief cat herder, Derek (poor Derek), and it was sorted. He made sure to check I had it with me on the return journey – can’t blame him for that.

Check in at the hotel tends to be a bit slow – especially when 30+ people all arrive together. If we had been further back the queue we would have gone for a bite to eat first like last year but the wait wasn’t too long. Knowing the layout of the hotel I asked what room we were in and was happy to learn we had ground floor pool access as requested. After a quick turnaround, we headed out for a pizza and a beer to finish the day. Luckily there were still plenty of eateries open.

The hotel was exactly as we remembered. Clean and comfortable, though a little dated in parts, but the facilities are very good. The pool was cool (I’d say refreshing) but the indoor spa pool and the jacuzzi were heated, not that you’d want that in the mid-day sun. The palm trees by the pool provide shade and there is a sun terrace if you don’t want any shade.  The rooms were cleaned every day and the staff were very friendly and helpful.  I saw lots of familiar faces during the week – clearly, the hotel gets many repeat customers.

The breakfast for me was a highlight of my day. Freshly cooked to-order eggs and bacon every morning. Lunch was usually a later affair and more often than not we ate au naturel at the poolside bar which serves food good most of the day. Apart from the occasional walk on the beach I rarely left the confines of the hotel during the day. Once the sun began to go down it was frequently tempting to pop over to the poolside bar (all of a 20m walk from the sunbeds) for “happy hour” where slightly confusingly you order only one drink but two arrive! The buildup to happy hour always started with one table with two or three people seated, but by 6pm it was more likely to be 7 or 8 tables joined together as the group would grow.

Walking out of the hotel room into the corridor or lobby naked feels a little strange the first day but very soon it feels completely normal to the point where I worried if I was in another hotel on business after the trip would I forget to put clothes on?  That would certainly be interesting.  While most eateries and bars are textile only, I was happy to be naked everywhere I could, even walking the street to the naturist evening dinners, while herself felt more comfortable in a sarong while eating or having a drink.  Either is perfectly acceptable. The month of May can be cool in the evenings and I brought my clothes with me to the naturist evening events. I was usually dressed again by 9pm or so for comfort. I was glad to be I was wearing jeans and a jumper most evenings. Daytime temperatures were in the 20’s which is all that mattered as far as we were concerned.

Direct access to the beach is a huge benefit to staying at the hotel and a daily beach walk was part of our routine, with a sea swim or two thrown in too. I was glad I got those aqua shoes in Decathlon though. The beach had seen some major work since we were there in September, where it had been nearly completely washed away in parts. The pirate bar was in full operation again, as was Natsun although as it happened we never made it there for lunch.

We had several evening events this year, possibly too many if there is such a thing. Three evening meals and a trip to Mojacar Playa as well.  It was nice to finally see Mojacar since that’s where we tell our friends and family we went on holiday! The only rain we saw all week happened as we were sitting down to eat outside Frankies, which actually worked in our favour as relocating indoors made the evening more enjoyable as we all sat together inside. The other evenings we were free to do our own thing but invariably with such a large group we met up

with others in the group. The Spice Hut Indian restaurant is a new addition to Av. Ciudad de Barcelona, the street outside the hotel, and was enjoyed by many of the group. We didn’t get to Lua or some of our other favourite restaurants. Most nights finished up predictably in Broadway Bar Musical where Mercedes and Aurora are well used to serving us a nightcap or two. There was even a competition on WhatsApp to see who was last to leave the night before. I’m over 50 but too young to keep up apparently.

Alas, the week passed way too quickly and we were soon on our last night. We were informed pick up would be at 12pm on Wednesday so we made sure to lie out as long as possible Wednesday morning to catch every last photon of sunshine that we could. We quickly regretted not making it a 10-day or even 2-week break and got quite jealous talking to those who come for months at a time. We brought home half our clothes unworn -will we ever learn not to overpack? Probably not.

Many thanks again to Derek and Ger for organising the trip and the nights out and also a heartfelt thanks to all the group who made the week so memorable and fun.  Only 352 sleeps until the next one!

My Annual Naked Pilgrimage!!

If you’re looking for a fun filled week in the sun in your birthday suit, then you can’t do better than a week in Vera Playa with fellow INA and BN members. There are plenty of choices of accommodation from the Vera Playa Club Hotel to the many naturist urbanisations in the local area. The wonderful 2.5km naturist beach with various bars, cafes and restaurants dotted along it offered good food and plenty of choice for an alcoholic beverage or two. There are a number of organised nights out to meet fellow naturists, enjoy good food, drink and dance the night away. As usual, a big thanks to Derek and Geraldine for the organisation throughout. It’s always a fixture on my calendar every year and hope it continues to be for many more years to come. –

David from Belfast