Postcards from VP

Look back in lycra!

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:20:57 GMT

Steve remembers the standout events of the 2022 season in Vera Playa

As I sit here writing this and watching the initial preparations for the buoy removal, I am filled with a just a tinge of sadness.

To me the removal of the buoys signifies the end of the season, summer has truly gone, soon the lifeguard chairs will disappear along with other seasonal beach paraphernalia. And we will have to wait til next year to get the summer vibes back.

But hold on, also as I write this it’s the start of October and it’s 27C and beautifully sunny, so in a sense summer hasn’t really gone. Sure there are less people in the resort but also there are enough people who prefer the comfortable October temperatures to keep the naturist zone going well into autumn and even later into winter.

In fact what would Vera Playa be without its naturists at this time of year…the ‘textile’ ends of the beach are now much less occupied than the naturist stretch so it is very evident how important the nude euro is to Vera.

So it seems with this popularity of the naturist beach in mind, finally the much-awaited green light has been given for the breakwater/espigon project to protect the beach from further damage and erosion.

The Costas authority who are responsible for protecting Spain’s coastline have stated that work will start within a few months, after a final environmental impact study has been completed. We’re not quite sure why this hasn’t already been done given that the project has been in the pipeline for a very long time, but nonetheless one really does hope they pull their finger out and do this sooner rather than later. The naturist beach really does need some kind of protection from storms and high tides and the current plan includes a 40m breakwater between the Pirate Bar and Chiringuito Naturista and a very large 260m one at Garrucha port.

You may have seen photos in the last month of either the exceptional high tides or the extremely heavy rain which caused damage to the beach. The town hall sent their teams out to make remedial repairs of course but everyone waits for the long-term solution.

AS EVER… we’ve been here before but we must all remain hopeful and optimistic! WATCH THIS SPACE…

It felt like a weird season to us but in another way the most normal since Covid. After all it was the first season in 3 years where mask-wearing was no longer mandatory in so many places, and people seemed to have loosened up this year with social distancing, so it takes a while to get used to what normal looks like again after a couple of years of extreme behaviour and in most cases cautiousness and anxiety.

The resort was definitely its busiest for 3 years, it was the year a lot of people decided to return to VP post-Covid. And families with young kids were more evident than in the last few years.

We also got the impression that not only were there many new faces but a load of older faces who had needed to cancel their 2020/2021 VP holidays and they too returned to swell the numbers yet further. At times it was tricky to get a table in a restaurant!

We had a successful season ourselves continuing to welcome an-ever eclectic mix of new international guests and some old favourites too. And it’s still not over!

Dreambeach music festival took place in July after a Covid break in 20 & 21 and although numbers were substantially down on the previous one in 2019, 110,000 ‘Dreamers’ attending is still a respectable number considering the on-going travel issues plaguing the season.

The festival organisers have just announced a return of Dreambeach in August 2023 – this is extremely strange since there was a much-cited rumour going around that it wouldn’t be held here again on account of some new houses allegedly being built in the vicinity of the festival ground.

Just goes to prove…never trust gossip!!!

Gay Pride came and went – to us it seemed a little smaller than the previous year so that was a shame. Hopefully next year will be more fun, brighter and brasher than ever!

Also Spain ‘s answer to the Tour de France (well…sort of!) the Vuelta a España , passed through Vera Playa on the last day of August and it seemed there was quite a good turn-out to cheer the cyclists on…even some naturists, although I don’t think that our small section quite made the cut to live TV…in fact the TV stations probably went into panic mode at the sight of bare flesh…no wonder they always have a delay with live broadcasts!!!

The weather this season has been the cause of much consternation especially amongst the locals. Since the Calima/Sahara cloud of dust showered us with its mud back in March the dust has kept re-appearing intermittently and bringing a sometimes unbearable humidity with it. In fact the season has definitely been marked by being more humid than is usual. But then look at the weather events around the world, it seems we weren’t the only ones getting unusual weather. Whether the cause is climate change we can only make an educated guess but in any case let’s all hope 2023 season is a more regular one…in every respect!

We’ll certainly raise a glass of cava to that!

In the meantime, keep your VP dreams and memories alive and hope you can make it back next season.

Til then!

Raining tsunamis, Sahara dust and building sites

Thu, 19 May 2022 17:39:15 GMT

As the 2022 season snaps into action, Steve explains the setbacks that resulted in the season getting off to a difficult, slow start

Dear readers, firstly apologies for the longest ever gap between blogs! It’s taken an age to get things going this season in every respect and we are feeling a bit like the beach at the moment….work in progress, but finally getting there!

If you think some of the locals are looking a little bald and frayed round the edges when you arrive it’s merely because the start of 2022 was beset with setback after setback, mostly weather-related.

Normally we are fairly lucky with our winter weather here in VP, a storm or 2, a bit of localised flooding and usually no more than 2 or 3 continuous days of bad weather at any one time.

Cut to this winter however and it was a very different story… a LOT of record-breaking rainfall. Actually the rain was fine at first, filling up reservoirs, turning the mountains lush and green and bringing out long-dormant wild flowers. Then the dreaded ‘Calima’ hit for a few days Mid-March – an unprecedented swathe of Sahara dust which due to our proximity to Africa turned the skies completely orange and the air almost toxic and difficult to breathe. Just as well a lot of people were wearing masks at the time! You may have seen my social media posts about it but if not we include a couple of photos below.

The worst was yet to come when the rain joined forces with the Sahara dust to provide us all in the region with muddy rain…we’re used to occasional dirty rain here but this was thick, slimy and worst of all, staining mud! Very difficult to remove and in fact some previously brilliant white buildings are now forever stained pale orange until they are painted again.

People were tearing their hair out…do we clean, do we wait? Those who cleaned too early just had to do it again and again while the weather system kept circling around and around for what seemed like weeks, dropping its dark, dirty cargo on us relentlessly.

Personally that set us back with our own ‘grand opening’ this April, only just managing to clean up in time for the season and open our doors to paying guests once more.

As if that wasn’t bad enough the worst was yet to come…a tsunami! Yes you heard right, a tsunami!

OK, answers on a postcard if you know the difference between a regular tsunami and a meteotsunami, but VP received the latter at the start of April, hot on the heels of the Calima. Well it’s nothing to do with seismic activity but more to do with air pressure and severe weather events out to sea which combine to create prolonged, huge waves. And so it was that Vera Playa, along with much of Spain’s coastline, was bombarded by this tsunami to devastating effect.

We are used to winter storms here and as everyone knows by now, a lot of the naturist beach’s sand simply disappears in winter.

This was the worst we have personally seen since 2016, the water came right up to beachfront properties taking not only sand, but gardens, trees and in a few cases actually entering properties.

In fact some of our neighbours and chiringuitos, are still attempting to get everything ship shape again 6 weeks later.

It’s hard to say whether this wave phenomena would not have affected the naturist beach so badly had the breakwater/’espigon’ already been in place, but something tells me not much could have held back the sheer force of the sea this time.

As a consequence, understandably everything is late this year and as usual beach repairs have been taking place. Normally these sand-shifting works would have been taking place during the day in time for Easter/Holy Week before the beach gets busy.

Already as we are approaching the end of May, during the day there are now too many beachgoers and holidaymakers using the beach for the big dumper trucks to be able to do their work, unless they close the beach.

So the answer has been to work at night…sometimes they have still been working at 3am. I guess unless you live on the beach some people may not even have known it was happening.

Anyway it’s getting there, at time of writing the beach is looking wider, we’re just hoping that whenever the groyne/espigon is in place, the beach will naturally become wider once more, then a little more beautification can take place including perhaps a tree replacement policy. It would be nice to provide a haven for wildlife that has suffered at the hands of the tsunami with loss of habitat.

As I look out, I can see the pipes for new showers are being laid and very soon the bins, paths, lifeguard chairs and the nautical lanes shall all appear…the final pieces of the mid/high season jigsaw.

Despite everything that has been thrown at the beach this winter, somehow, phoenix-like and rising from the ashes, Vera Playa beach has been awarded a Blue Flag for its beaches!! Yay!!

Apart from the repairs in and around the beach, there have also been new road layouts, pavements, sewers and water pipes laid over the last few months…it has been, in some parts of the zone, like a building site. The final road markings were painted the other week and it is looking quite smart.

There has been a reduction in parking however as a result of the wider pavements so we’re wondering what can be done about this bearing in mind Vera Playa is becoming more and more popular all the time and now with its Blue Flag status surely only more so.

We wonder if the town hall will be considering a temporary summer car park set-up somewhere? We’re sure there was parking on the beach on the scrappy land in front of Vera Natura/Chringuito Naturista a few years ago or perhaps there are other unused spots crying out for overflow car park usage for summer visitors? It would be a shame to think after all the promotion of the beach, that people would arrive, find nowhere to park and then have to go somewhere else. Watch this space.

It has been lovely lately to watch the sea and beach come to life as the resort creaks into action for another year.

It’s so nice on a breezy day to see our resident superstar and champion kitesurfer Adelaida out at sea, making her skill look so easy and effortless, but we have seen how much practice she puts into this over the year and she deserves her success!

The parasailing also seems to have started or at least they’re practising for the start of their season.

Local paddlesurfer Lolo and partner Natalia will soon be painting and opening their ‘Maktub’ surf shack and are already offering all sorts of watersports and skateboarding opportunities.

Of course for those who just like to kick back, be chilled and enjoy the ambience what better place to do it than Vera Playa with all its beach bars and facilities.

It feels like there is a more positive energy in the air now and from what we understand from other apartment owners, hoteliers and restaurant/bar owners it’s looking like this will be a very busy season indeed and the most ‘normal’ in three 3 very long years!

Well, we’ll drink to that and we hope you can too!

See you soon in paradise…

¡salud!

Where did the year go?

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 09:05:05 GMT

Ladies and gentlemen it’s: ‘The final blog of the year’

As I sit down in the sunshine and contemplate writing this long overdue blog, it strikes me how lucky we are to be enjoying such lovely weather in mid-December. Although officially it’s only 21C today, our terrace thermometer in the sun (which never lies) is telling us it’s 35C! That’s more than most countries get in the height of summer and we are just about to enter the Christmas silly season!

Not only are we fortunate enough to enjoy uninterrupted views of the coast but in the distance I am also keeping an eye on the highest point in Almería to see signs of substantial snowfall…nothing much to speak of yet, but we’re so looking forward to our next trip to the mountain when the snow does fall . The wellies will get their annual airing!

And our imminent trip to a nearby pine forest also gets us in a seasonal mood to smell the pine and collect some fallen cones for our Christmas display.

Not sure if a woolly jumper and a bobble hat will be required however…

So you see it’s not just the sun, blue sea and sky we enjoy here.

Talking of skies we have been treated to some absolutely phenomenal sunrise and sunset skies lately, ablaze with every colour imaginable. Knockout! In fact I have taken so many photos of them that I made a pact on social media not to post any more such photos. I’m boring myself let alone anyone else! Not sure how long that will last, but in posting them I have received some useful advice. When one of our followers saw one such dramatic photo the firm advice was a definitive ‘Do not go sailing tomorrow’. Thankfully we heeded that advice since our super yacht is currently in dry dock being anti-fouled anyway…

So here we all are, the year has virtually disappeared hasn’t it? Is it just us or is it all just one big blur that has been going on for a couple of years?

As we look back we can be thankful that this season was a much better year for us and Vera Playa as a whole. We have needed to be flexible and adapt to the ever-changing travel landscape but in so doing we have realised that operationally everything is working better for us.

Despite the late start, the season was very busy and we continued to welcome an eclectic, international clientele.

If enquiries are anything to go by it really looks like 2022 will be another busy one. Staycations are all very well and good but can you rely on the weather for comfortable naturism at home like you can at Vera Playa?

What has been on our minds since the new dates for Dreambeach 2022 were announced is just what kind of impact on the area it will have, changing the dates from the usual second week of August to mid July.

Apparently, in consultation with local hoteliers and other accommodation providers, it was thought that the influx of 150,000+ ravers (‘Dreamers’ as they are known) would be more useful to the area in July than in August, which is always really busy anyway. Effectively this would mean accommodation should be a little easier for Dreamers to find and will also be good news for businesses who can spread out their trade.

After 2 successive Dreambeach festivals were cancelled it’s a given that 2022 will be the biggest ever. Dust off those glowsticks….

Finally about the condition of the beach, I won’t harp on about it at length as it’s kind of old news if you follow social media, but if you did miss anything then here is a short update.

A good few weeks ago now Vera Playa naturist beach suffered quite badly at the hands of a heavy storm. Usually advancing high tides and crashing waves are to blame for the biggest devastation to the beach. This time however it was the huge amount of rainfall in a short time that saw roads and ramblas become fast flowing rivers with all the water and debris heading rapidly down to the sea, carving out huge chasms in the sand and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Thankfully the council were straight onto it and over the course of the next two weeks we saw the beach repaired and also widened at the narrowest Natsun section of the beach. In the pictures below you will see the progress of the works.

Of course now the beach is fixed it remains unprotected, having no sea defences such as the mooted groyne in place. If reports are correct it seems that administrative red tape is to blame for holding up the signing off of the groyne project which would protect the beach from further erosion.

If nothing more substantial is done soon then of course with further winter storms the sand will need to be replenished again in time for the 2022 season.

So if everyone could now just write to Santa or the Three Kings requesting the gift of a breakwater for the naturist beach, maybe everyone’s wishes will finally come true.

Here’s hoping eh?

All that remains to say now is that we hope you all have a peaceful, relaxing season and here’s to a more positive new year. Hope to see some of you back after a long break away.

Salud!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here .

Too hot to blog

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 08:39:51 GMT

Steve and Chris reflect on a long hot summer at VP

So we have finally made it to autumn at Vera Playa naturist beach …For the love of Factor 50 how did that happen so fast!!

It only seems like yesterday we were writing the last blog but in reality it was nearly 3 months ago…ooops… what can we say? Summer got in the way! And what a long, hot busy summer it was: too hot to blog, too hot to do most things in reality. In all the years we have been here we have never seen VP so busy in August.

Yes, it is always the busiest month but this year the crowd seemed fuelled by an increasing number of staycationing Spanish, in addition to the locals and some other random Europeans who managed to slip in somehow.

No worries of a disastrous summer here then.

It was like a regular August in Vera but with 1 and half times the normal number of people. Many were determined not to miss out for a second August after not coming last year. The growing, desperate need to tear off clothes and inhibitions and hurl oneself headfirst into the sea had reached fever pitch.

One person made a very interesting point to us, they had noticed a lot of people with –for want of a better word- “white bits’ on show this year. I suppose this can be explained by the fact that maybe many were not able to go to a naturist resort last year and perhaps holidayed somewhere closer to home that wasn’t naturist-friendly. Or perhaps they stayed home tanning on their overlooked balconies or terraces sporting bikinis and trunks rather than the preferred au naturel approach to sunbathing. Could it be this tan-lined throng were even newbies converted to the wonderful world of ‘sin ropas’ thanks to the prolonged home imprisonment during lockdown.

So yes ‘white bits’ can be a naturist’s worst nightmare but completely understandable all things considered!

This year we welcomed back to our apartments some familiar faces but also some new ones, especially staycationing Spaniards. One such staycationer arrived to our beach apartment in what can only be described as a state of shellshock. This angel was actually a nurse from Barcelona who had literally been physically and mentally battered by the pandemic since its start in what had been one of the worst affected regions in Spain. 10 Days later, Vera Playa had weaved its magical spell and the nurse set off back to Barcelona looking noticeably calmer and more serene…possibly even 10 years younger. It was gratifying that our beach apartment had helped in the healing process that was so obviously needed for this weary soul. We give praise to anyone who has helped keep the wheels on during all of this.

There was certainly a lot of ‘letting the hair down’ this summer, perhaps some was a little on the mad side but I guess it was inevitable that it was going to be a crazy August. At one point VP reached a crescendo when it looked doubtful the resort could accommodate that many people.

No-one likes turning any kind of business away in a seasonal resort but that is what we were all doing. Turning people away from apartments that could have been booked 5 times over. And the restaurants had to turn so many people away that reserving a table in advance became not just the norm but essential if you didn’t want to go hungry. Hopefully next year we’ll be as back to normal as possible with a steady trade more evenly distributed throughout the season.

While so many out-of-towners were in the resort this August, the town hall well and truly launched their campaign to attract them to come and live and work in Vera ( bienvenidoavera.com )

Chris, you may remember, featured in a little film extolling the virtues of achieving that life/work balance here in VP (see previous blog). Subsequent to the film he also featured in the posters that supported the campaign all around Vera (how embarrassing) even getting him recognised from time to time! Across our social media pages we have many Spanish followers and a few have actually got in touch to tell us that they are now considering moving from their big cities like Madrid to come to the coast to work from home or from the Town Hall’s new work hub. It would be nice to have some more year-round residents here.

On another note about having Spanish guests and friends we have been lucky this year to eat our own body weight in Spanish cakes, thanks to them being bestowed upon us by the aforementioned. One such couple from Northern Spain introduced us to some typical cakes from Burgos called ‘Chevaliers de nata’. Wow!! Possibly the best cake we’ve ever eaten…like eating a cloud full of the lightest cream imaginable! They can come again.

And our dear friends from San Sebastian always make a cake for us. It has become a tradition now to present us with a light lemon sponge made with olive oil. Well, it’s virtually health food…pass me another slice! No, make that two!

So as the resort allows us more breathing space we can now look forward to the rest of September and October with renewed optimism, especially since C-word numbers continue to dwindle. Thanks to the easing of testing requirements for the double-vaccinated it looks like there will be a few more naturists taking advantage of the late VP sunshine which even in October can be akin to that of a Northern European summer.

Also we continue to hope and pray that the naturist beach will finally receive its beach defences this autumn.

As I write this I can see a new path being laid in the vicinity of the mooted siting of the new groyne. Will this perhaps provide pedestrian access to and from the beach while construction is under way?

Hopefully we can tell you for sure next time…!

Until then, don’t each too much cake and leave a slice for us!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here .

Time to pack your bags and head for Vera…forever!

Sat, 17 Jul 2021 17:58:51 GMT

Steve and Chris explain how living and working in Vera Playa could become more than just a dream..

Don’t know about the rest of you but we are certainly feeling this year is passing by so quickly. One minute they’re fixing the naturist beach, the next minute there’s hundreds of grateful bodies soaking up the sun and enjoying the summer vibe that Vera Playa naturist beach always offers. But the enjoyment is not only to be had at the beach.

Just last weekend those who got to know about it, were mesmerised by the spectacle that is the LGBTQ+ Gay Parade that has become an annual feast for the senses as it snakes its way around the back streets of Vera Playa to eventually wind up down by the naturist hotel. Blaring music, dancing, rainbow flags it’s a colourful riot of feathers, make up and outlandish outfits one could not fail to be indifferent to!

The only issue it seems this year is that not enough people knew it was even taking place until they saw the photos on social media the next day and were gutted to have missed it. Since Covid protocols were still in place due to the potentially large crowd with mask-wearing, distancing etc requested, perhaps over-promotion of the event could have caused more problems. Hopefully next year it will be back, bigger bolder and bouncier than ever before! And don’t forget to bring an outfit just in case! Remember less is more and more is always more! You can see a short clip on our Tik Tok .

The fact that Vera plays host to this event when neighbouring towns don’t, surely reflects how inclusive it is here. And it is this very inclusivity along with the pandemic that has brought about a new exciting initiative by the ‘powers-that-be’ at Vera. Acknowledging how the last 18 months have adversely impacted on this coastal municipality, the town hall have come up with a plan to get the economy moving again … and not just for the holiday season.

The initiative is to make Vera become the ‘go-to’ place to telework/remote work. To work from home while living in paradise, rather than the city, now that does sound like living the dream doesn’t it? The pandemic has clearly demonstrated how so many office-based jobs especially can actually be done from home, thus ringing the changes and enabling workers to move further away from the office hubs of their employers. It may not suit everyone but it does seem more people have embraced the flexibility homeworking can bring.

Vera are doing a lot right now to promote the area as a teleworking town, drawing more people to settle and work here all year long. Not only would this boost the property market but would enable local businesses especially coastal restaurants and bars to remain open for longer periods of the year.

Vera has the infrastructure and support network to make teleworking a real, viable option for achieving the perfect work/life balance. They are even starting a ‘work club’, to help people work remotely using shared office space and high tech facilities.

Chris and I are already lucky enough to have achieved this work/life balance and it was Chris’s role as a remote worker that resulted in us being asked to participate in one of the promotional films supporting the campaign. We were very flattered to have been asked and it was an easy decision to make knowing that we would be working with two of the most talented producer directors around - ‘La Pita y El Pitaco’ whose films of the area are always a complete joy to watch. See some of them here .

Below you can see some of the ‘behind the scenes’ photos of the shoot along with some from the press launch and radio interview recently. Imagine Chris’s surprise when he was asked to give an impromptu speech in Spanish after his video was shown…he had everyone in fits of laughter, not sure that was the plan but it was fun anyway. Likewise he was also interviewed by the radio station on the seafront, again an unexpected treat! Almost as good as the delicious meal we were treated to afterwards! The town hall has created a really helpful website for anyone considering moving to Vera Playa (whether for teleworking purposes or not).

You can see the promotional films including ours on the town hall’s You Tube channel .

Ours was deliberately recorded in English with Spanish subtitles to demonstrate the international appeal of Vera. So far the whole initiative has been met with praise and positivity by the press and public alike, so let’s hope it brings more people here to enjoy paradise for longer periods.

Apparently the pandemic has helped increase an interest in naturism as some people have obviously been working from home in various states of dress or undress throughout! Just because they could! The next logical step is to move to Vera Playa zona naturista and complete the circle!

Finally, it seems a bit crazy at this point in the season but there are still some last minute additions/improvements to the naturist beach. Just the other day a new wooden path to the Natsun chiringuito was completed. That will have been welcomed by many.

Most notably however, until recently we had no sunbeds at all on the naturist beach while the textile beach had quite a lot.

But then all of a sudden and without fanfare some sunbeds were set up south of the lifeguard tower near La Cañita Loca, then a few days later some more appeared in front of Chiringuito Naturista (Sol y Luna) and now as I write this I can see the Pirate Bar has plans to put some out…. And what with Alexandra’s sunbeds at Natsun also due imminently anyone who likes a little luxury in life will now know they will be well-catered for here at Vera Playa naturist beach. Now you just have decide which part of the beach or chiringuito you like the best! Decisions, decisions eh!

Either way, if it is your first time here then ‘Welcome to Vera’ or as the town hall would say: Bienvenidoavera.com!

Enjoy the summer all… wherever you are!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here .

The season begins. How did that happen?!

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 18:19:48 GMT

Beep-beep-beep-CLUNK Beep-beep-beep-CLUNK is how…

The sound of reversing trucks, diggers, tractors and heavy machinery clanking, banging and screeching has become background white noise for us these last few weeks while the beach repairs have been carried out. So used to the sound are we, it will be weird when it is no longer there and is instead replaced by the gentle buzz of beach revellers in holiday mode frolicking in the surf.

The beach repairs to the middle section of Vera Playa naturist beach have been fraught with problems, setbacks and delays, but finally it’s looking like almost everything is in place for the season to begin. Familiar sights lately have included our daily dose of seeing men in high viz gesticulating, shouting, chin-stroking; all flailing arms and sweaty brows while having their mini alpha male dramas and meltdowns. It can’t be easy working in this heat while trying to negotiate your way through a heaving tangle of naturists to do your job fully clothed.

We’ve included here in this blog a photographic chronology of the beach works for anyone interested to see what has been going on at everyone’s favourite naturist beach.

You’ll see some previously unpublished photos showing from the start how the sand was delivered to the naturist beach, dumped and preened to widen this section for this season - at least until the long-term solution of a breakwater is finally installed… we hope some time in the autumn.

But it wasn’t just the major sand-works, smaller changes have taken place, such as renewing the beach paths, replacing broken showers, painting the lifeguard tower, delivering freshly painted lifeguard stations, flag pole bases…it has been a hive of activity here and you wonder what could possibly be next. Ah yes as I write this, it’s the first day of the lifeguard stations being manned and it’s a green flag day, hopefully a good omen for the season!

Probably the biggest news of late has been the drama of the re-siting of the pirate bar. As one of the pictures below show, the pirate bar always comes under attack from high seas in the winter and is usually fully or partly destroyed or at best badly injured in the battle.

Since we don’t have a groyne in place yet and the beach is too narrow in its current position it seems to have been decided to move the bar back say 10 metres from the shoreline. Whether this has been for the safety of customers or to allow emergency beach vehicles (SOS, Guardia, rubbish collectors etc) to pass by easily, we are not exactly sure.

The moving of the bar did not go to plan. The first attempt at moving the bar (which is in 3 separate container sections) ended in failure as the green crane was too small and not powerful enough for the job. A couple of days later a ‘super-size’ white crane was on the beach and the job was completed in little more than an hour or two (pics below).

Perhaps at least for this year only it will be a slightly different pirate bar to the one people are used to, but maybe next year - and if the beach grows in width post-groyne - there’s the chance it could return to the shoreline and people can dip their toes in the sea once more. Either way we will keep our eyes peeled and publish any photos when we can to show the finished look for this year.

Talking of photos…

Since we are snap-happy and addicted to taking photos, we usually share photos either on our website or on social media platforms. However even those aren’t enough to cater for the volume of photos we take and we don’t want to bore people with over-posting and clogging up their newsfeeds. To this end we often put otherwise unpublished or extra photos on our Google page. Recently and for no apparent or obvious reason there has been an upsurge in people viewing our photos - 80,000 views last month, increasing to 90,000 views this month. If you are interested to see our extra photos please take a look here and look at the ‘latest’ section.

The resort is getting busier and busier by the minute. Most of the people do seem to be second homeowners (mainly Spanish), weekenders and locals but there is a steady influx of other tourists from overseas.

The vaccination programme has been ramped up here in Vera and the numbers currently low so now could be a good time to consider a trip here, depending on the current travel restrictions from your country. From next weekend in Spain, the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors will be dropped. *SIGH* We can all breathe again...

We predict August is going to be busier than ever which will be fabulous news for all the bars, restaurants and other businesses.

Talking of businesses, VP is about to up its cool quotient thanks to a forthcoming new ‘surf shack’, currently under construction on the main road down to the beach, fingers crossed they have a successful first season there. More later.

So you see there really is something here for everyone…come when you can!

Til next time!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here .

An Eggs-iting Special Delivery for Easter

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 09:22:35 GMT

Easter greetings, VP aficionados!

Hopefully you will be ‘eggs-tatic’ at the prospect of reading a new blog this Easter (don’t give up the dayjob Steve, Ed)!

Winter and spring is traditionally the most popular time to make renovations to properties here in the naturist zone, when there are fewer tourists and residents to annoy with all the noise and dirt.

And this spring we have been no strangers to renovations ourselves, especially to our beach rental apartment ‘Mediterráneo’.

Its amazing frontline position, benefitting from the most spectacular sea and naturist beach views, does however mean ‘Mediterráneo’ requires more care, attention and maintenance due to the elements than many other apartments in the area. Especially as we have 2 generous balconies and a large side terrace to upkeep!

Our building has a lovely design that incorporates blue beams or ‘vigas’ as they are called here in Spain. They would traditionally be used to attach shading material or grow climbing shrubs such as buganvilla or vines to help provide respite from the searing summer sun. Our original beams were made of concrete and had sadly contracted concrete cancer rendering them no longer repairable.

Each winter, Chris would make it his task to sand, fill and paint them in an effort to keep them presentable but this year he decided enough was enough, so we have now had the vigas replaced with brand new sustainably-sourced wooden beams, freshly painted in the building’s nautical blue colourway.

Our apartment’s tricky access and altitude meant the beams could only be delivered from outside the building via a big lorry blocking a tight passageway and airlifted in by crane! It gave the neighbours something to talk about while I was dying of embarrassment. But then everyone understands it’s the time of year to renovate so hopefully not too many people were inconvenienced. I have recorded this ‘special delivery’ in the photos below.

Nobody really knows yet exactly who will be able to visit VP this season but if they make it to our beach apartment then they will certainly have nice spangly blue beams to wonder at!

The bar and restaurant owners seem optimistic that they will do better this year and many have already re-opened since the last lockdown and have been doing steady trade with locals and over-winterers who had made it to VP before the pre-Christmas lockdown.

Indeed most of the café bars in the naturist zone are already open again: Puntonat, Paso Doble, Chiringuito Naturista, La Golondrina and Natsun Ina’s.

On the corner where Castellón meets Lerida, opposite Puntonat, is a previously unused scrappy plot of land that has now been cleared and is apparently earmarked for a new paddleboard rental shop-cum-bar venue. It will be interesting to see how this unravels and it’s good to see that there is still optimism for starting new businesses in the area.

Although Easter was effectively cancelled in Spain and travel between communities hasn’t been allowed for some time, this should change and hopefully we will all have more to look forward to as we approach summer. Wouldn’t it be nice if it was deemed safe enough by ‘the powers that be’ to ditch the masks at last, we have been wearing them in Spain inside and out since at least last June!!!

I know Facebook isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (personally we have always had a love/hate relationship with it) but there have been some lovely groups spring up or grow in popularity since all this started.

One such sweet page was started by a Belgian lady back in March last year called ‘View From My Window’. Her idea was to try and connect confined/quarantined people all around the world by posting their photos of the views they could see from their windows and to create a fascination between the countries and their differing landscapes/cityscapes. It’s a lovely feast for the eyes if you care to look at it here .

I often take photos of the beach from the terraces and balconies of our beach apartments that can sometimes be quite impressive. I wanted to put VP on the VFMW map by including a photo of the naturist beach. Instead of cheating and taking a photo from the terrace or garden like some blatantly do, I wanted to stay true to the original concept and ensure our submission was a snap taken from one of our seaview windows.

So it wasn’t the best photo I have taken but at least it was real and managed to capture a moment when there was a queue of 6 ships off Vera Playa naturist beach.

It wasn’t the most popular photo VFMW has ever posted but I would call nearly 7,000 ‘likes’ a success by our own standards! It was lovely to read all the comments from people all around the world, some of whom were tagging on their own beautiful views.

Meanwhile, Chris has been gaining design inspiration from a FB page dedicated to Spanish homes and gardens and posted his own project – an upcycled pine table he painted in Mojácar blue for our terrace. While comments from group members were kindly acknowledging his handyman skills, it was the sparkling Mediterranean in the background that stole the show.

While we are on the subject matter of social media we have started up our Tik Tok page in an effort to dedicate a space to share our short video clips of the naturist beach. As we attempt to ‘get down with the kids’ please bear with us while we find our feet, but you can see the early results here .

Talking of beautiful views, we are spoilt for choice in terms of mountain ranges to visit in Almería and now we are able to travel again more widely we are back to having our wonderful spring picnics and herb-foraging sessions. We know quite a few spots to collect the most wonderful fresh herbs, somehow they just taste so much better when they have grown naturally, wild on a mountainside rather than our terrace in a pot or purchased from the supermarket. But sorry reader, our hunter-gatherer locations are a closely guarded secret. You will have to just come and visit us and maybe we will let you know!

In the meantime enjoy what’s left of Easter and hopefully you will be able to make it here to paradise some time this year…don’t eat too much chocolate in the meantime, you have a ‘beach body’ to consider!!

Hasta luego!

You can help preserve the boundaries of the naturist beach

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 14:44:10 GMT

Will you sign the petition for this peaceful protest?

We’re fast approaching the tail end of February and we’re already wondering where the year is going, especially as time should be going so slow right now all things considered.

Only a month or so ago I was talking about the possible implementation of a groyne at Vera Playa naturist beach. We were waiting to see if the Costas authority who manage the coastline would at last unveil their Grand Design for the beach to help prevent the erosion that is occurring between the Pirate Bar and the Vera Playa Club Hotel groyne.

Apologies if you already know this but the Costas did recently reveal their plan to build a groyne at the end of Avenida Ciudad de Castellón roughly midway between Chiringuito Naturista (Vera Natura) and Cota Zero, the Pirate Bar. This is great news for the preservation of the beach. Cue fanfares, Hallelujah, Amen etc

However, there is a major snag with the proposal that the Costas have put forward. In their proposal they have said that this breakwater could also serve as a natural dividing line between naturist and non-naturist sections of the beach. Anyone who knows where this section of the beach is will know that Vera Natura is very much still in the naturist section of the beach and in fact it is long after the lifeguard tower in the southerly direction where the naturist beach should officially end. A local pressure group consider this proposal would effectively cut off 500m of the official beach, although we believe it to be more than that.

The local pressure group who regularly fight for the interests of naturist beach users have instigated a petition to ask that the Costas remove all wording in the proposal pertaining to this division between naturist and non-naturists. It is very important anyone interested in the future of Vera Playa naturist beach should consider signing this petition. You don’t need to be a resident of VP or a holidaymaker. You could simply be someone interested to visit for the first time or someone who is interested in preserving and defending naturists’ rights.

Whoever is reading this please could you possibly sign the petition so that the Costas will listen to this peaceful protest against the potential shortening of the naturist beach. We are all in favour of having the longest stretch of dedicated naturist beach we can. We really need more signatures and there is still time to sign so here is a link to the petition .

You do not need to donate any money or share the information.

Thanks for your help!

I can’t lie, there isn’t too much to talk about right now since Vera is still currently in lockdown with its non-essential shops, café’s and restaurants (except for takeaways) all closed. Hopefully when it’s deemed safe to do so we shall start getting back to some kind of normality. In the meantime it is still nice to see the occasional interesting activity going on.

One such sight that caught my eye the other day was that of the most incredibly speedy kitesurfers whizzing along the sea at an eye watering velocity. In fact I could barely capture them on camera! Luckily I did manage to get a few snaps which I posted on social media, you can see these below. Miraculously one of the kitesurfers saw my pictures and commented on my post saying that she was one of them! Once in contact it turned out that this daredevil couple, Adelaida & Ignacio, actually use the waters at Vera Playa to train for the Spanish championships. Now I’m not an expert by any means but they already look like winners to me and as you can see from another photo below they have already won 1st and 3rd places in a championship last year.

Now it is Adelaida’s plan to win or come 2nd in this year’s Spanish championships so that she can be one of the 2024 Olympics team for her discipline of Formula Kite. I have seen some footage and I have to say it is amazing to watch them race in what is a highly regulated and technically challenging sport. Not to mention super fast. Who would think that we would be lucky enough to have potential Olympic champions training off the naturist beach. How cool is that!!! Good luck to them both, hopefully they will keep in touch and let us know how they are progressing.

One interesting nugget of information Adelaida gave me about the waters off Vera Playa was that after coming out of our initial long lockdown sea life had become incredibly abundant. She said that when they were out kiting they would be joined by many flying fish playing with them along with rays and other sea creatures. It is very heartening to hear how wildlife can replenish and thrive once human intervention is reduced. We certainly know the sea around here is festooned with huge shoals of fish that are clearly visible to us from our elevated position.

The sea birds aren’t complaining about the lack of fish for sure. Only the other evening we enjoyed a massive murmuration of terns out at sea. A wonderful sight to behold and one that my snap below doesn’t really do justice. You’ll just have to take my word for it.

Of course it is not only the sea that plays host to our feathered friends. The Salinas opposite Consum supermarket is another inland haven for many native and migrating species of birds. We enjoyed a walk around there the other day and took a few snaps which I have included here.

So the unfortunate situation we all find ourselves in has at least been beneficial to the animal kingdom it seems. It makes me wonder how long it will be before naturists can start migrating back to VP for a well-earned holiday. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Vera Playa will see you all at some point this year. Try to keep the dream alive in the meantime.

Til next time!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here .

Filomena and TV Crews

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 08:48:41 GMT

How late is it when it is simply too late to wish anyone Happy New Year?

Well hopefully it’s still not too late so…. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We are always optimistic, but even with the current state we are all in there is real hope that we may get a normal-ish summer this year. We hope by the time summer tourists arrive the beach will be as lovely as ever.

You may remember last time we were discussing the fact that land surveyors had been on the beach with their measuring equipment, taking photos etc and that maybe at last there could be plans afoot to finally install a breakwater by Natsun. Well no sign of work as yet unfortunately and there has been a blip insofar as there has been something of a Filomena storm recently here in VP which you may already know about.

So the beach is currently in a bit of a shabby state with a sunken pirate bar, sand washed away and path broken all in the usual area between the hotel breakwater and the pirate bar. By usual winter storm standards there wasn’t much wind, there wasn’t even that much heavy rain but we did get ferociously high seas which is what usually causes the damage every winter. So the long term plan for sea defences really does need to come sooner rather than later so that we can all continue to enjoy this central stretch of the naturist beach.

In previous years sand has been transported from Puerto Rey to the Natsun area to widen the beach but it is clear that this has only given short term relief and soon gets washed away with the next storm.

A handful of us here have sent our storm damage photos to the Costas requesting the sea defences now but also one of the beach residents’ committees invited a film crew from Spanish TV down to the beach this week to report on the condition of the beach. The crew filmed the damaged sections of the beach and interviewed residents…even Chris was interviewed while he showed the crew just how far the sea comes up.

Any publicity is good publicity even if the news item kind of got lost in a news show that contained back-to-back items about weather damage and Spain’s recent ‘ola de frío’ (cold snap/cold wave, call it what you will)…at least we can say we tried and will continue trying.

The best we can hope for is that the Costas will implement the final scheme before summer. Whether this will be the large 200m defence at Garrucha which will protect the whole Vera coastline as favoured by residents or a smaller one between the Pirate Bar and Chiringuito Naturista for the naturist section – or even both – we will have to wait and see.

Either way some sand-shifting will almost certainly have to take place at the same time. We shall continue to wait and keep them peeled in the meantime.

By the time most tourists have arrived, they would never usually know much has changed after a lot of cosmetic beach fluffing is done with the bulldozers and tractors in readiness for the season.

There isn’t really so much to report at this point in January especially with restrictions still in place, but enough bars and restaurants remain open to make it feel we are still in the land of the living. As the weather begins to warm up again it is lovely to have lunch out in the sun.

In the meantime it has been splendid to have a few daytrips out as the photos show, enjoying the lovely sunshine. A few of our favourites include the Ovens at Lucainena de las Torres, the wild beaches of Cabo de Gata, but best of all in winter is to make our annual visit to the lovely white snow at The Calar Alto observatories atop the highest peak in Almeria province. Simply stunning.

It’s a shame with the tourism situation currently as we would usually be recommending visits like these to our winter guests. Never mind, there’s always next winter and perhaps those guests will be you!

We should really get out and exercise more rather than sitting around stuffing our faces with Christmas leftovers…but it’s difficult when you interpret ‘Be Kind’ as ‘pass me another sausage roll will you’.

We’re not quite ready for any self-flagellation yet…but we will have to tackle the thorny issue of how we will ever get into our swimwear this year….(and therein readers, lies the big problem with naturism, one never realises how one’s waistline is expanding)

And on that bombshell…til next time!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here .

Moving forward with optimism for the New Year

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 16:39:42 GMT

What better way to feel more at one with the elements than to be in your most natural of states in the sunshine?

Yippee we’re blogging again after a lengthy hiatus/pregnant pause, call it what you will, but we felt it was finally time to break the silence, this ‘blogger’s block’ we have been suffering of late and get something down.

In truth it has been getting harder and harder to write about VP, especially when we know so many people were disappointed not to be able to visit this year for obvious reasons…what do people actually want to hear about we ask ourselves especially when in reality not a huge amount is happening… but I shall try…

Looking back I see last time we were bemoaning the removal of the lifeguard chairs saying how it kind of signalled an end to everything for the year, season over. And I remember saying that the buoys would be the next to disappear…and how right I was, they were indeed next to vanish (see photo)! Then the showers got it…then the disabled platform and finally the bins! All have gone leaving the beach a bit empty, although I must confess it is quite nice to see the beach return to its natural state for the winter.

It is winter where we can see higher than average tides and occasional storms. One such problem arising from these phenomena, which most readers will be aware of, is the beach erosion and narrowing of a certain section of the naturist beach, south from the hotel breakwater roughly to Cota Zero, El Pirata.

This central section of the naturist beach has narrowed over the years and this is known to have been caused by the 2 breakwaters at the naturist hotel and at Quitapellejos beach. While effectively widening the beach there, this central section in turn has narrowed.

The national Direccion General de Puertos y Costas (“Costas”) are responsible for the management of this coastline, not Vera Town Hall as some suspect, and over the last few years they have attempted unsuccessfully to rectify the erosion issues by importing tonnes and tonnes of sand from the far, Puerto Rey end of the beach to ‘our’ section. The problem is that almost as soon as the sand is deposited it washes away again in the next storm or high tides. We understand from a meeting we attended that the Costas didn’t think that this was a permanent fix more that it was part of an observation period.

This covid year, the narrowing of the beach presented more problems to the central section. All was fine while only few people were using the beach in early summer but as soon as the main Spanish holidays began in earnest and native holidaymakers visited en-masse, pressure for space on the sand on that section of beach became more apparent.

This narrow section was barely enough to accommodate 2 lines of sun worshippers who had to keep the social distance enforced by the Playa Seguros beach warden team. It reached the point where a makeshift ‘road’ on the sand at the back of the beach had to be created to keep people out so that the emergency vehicles, bin collectors etc could pass without having to weave their way through impenetrable clusters of bodies.

Both the sanitary guidelines and the narrowness of the beach meant that Alexandra’s sunbeds couldn’t be laid out this year either and water lapped up to the feet of the Pirate Bar. We still have plenty of space elsewhere on the naturist beach but this eroding middle section does represent a real threat to the livelihood of businesses and the homes of many, in addition to the sun worshippers who favour this part of the beach.

We live in hope that the Costas will do something this winter to finally correct the beach. We know of two solutions proposed to fix this issue, one of which is a 25m breakwater roughly south of the pirate bar and the other more favoured proposal is for there to be a much larger breakwater at Garrucha.

We have also heard rumours that there is talk of extending Garrucha port and perhaps if that were to happen then maybe something would be done then to fix the erosion issues at the same time. It does seem with multiple ships often queuing from the naturist beach to Puerto Rey waiting for their slot to enter the port at Garrucha, that perhaps the port can’t cope with the demand and could do with being larger.

We shall wait and see and report any events happening as and when we see them. We are hopeful that with a couple of pressure groups on board trying to reach a solution with the Costas and with the erosion being publicised in the media, that something more permanent will eventually be achieved.

And on a hopefully positive note this Thursday I spotted official land surveyors out measuring the affected part of the beach as my photos below show.

Do get in touch with us in the meantime if you have any further information.

Luckily Vera Playa is a resilient place and still has so much to offer and luckily the beach is long, so we are sure 2021 holds good things for those who can make it here.

With all the news of vaccines slowly being rolled out and the chance for a better holiday season with restrictions on travel inevitably being lifted, 2021 should be the year a lot of people can make up for their lost 2020 holidays.

There certainly does now seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

We have received some enquiries recently from ‘newbie’ naturists.

It strikes me that quite a few people during lockdown have had the time to re-connect with nature, the environment and themselves. For some, and particularly those lucky enough to have access to private outside space, this manifested itself in a spot of nude sunbathing while Europe especially was basking in some good summer weather. What better way to feel more at one with the elements than to be in your most natural of states in the sunshine? And so I do feel this year will prove to be the year many discovered their first taste of the naturist lifestyle. And what better place to try your first naturist holiday in 2021 than at Vera Playa? It’s so laidback here, no one could feel more comfortable for their first time.

There are also some fun and adventurous beach activities which will hopefully be returning next season, such as paddleboarding lessons with Lolo, paramotoring above the shore, jet-skiing from Garrucha or the beach volleyball. And for those of us slightly less athletic or daredevil in nature then there’s always floating around in the water or visiting a watering hole for a refreshing drink!

The weather has been fairly kind to us this winter so far, minus the odd blip, and it is certainly still possible to sunbathe quite comfortably from around mid-morning if you are sheltered from any breeze. In fact it’s a lovely time of the year just to wile away an hour or two in the sunshine without any real fear of getting burnt. And right now they do keep harping on about keeping your Vitamin D levels up don’t they! You are reminded why in normal years we have quite a sizeable over-wintering population in VP particularly from Northern European countries.

Winter is always a lovely time of year to tour around and sightsee in other towns, villages and countryside, the outlying areas from VP offering so much to see and do. Once our own local restrictions are lifted we will be able to hit the road again. Bring it on! There’s only so much ship-spotting and shoal-watching one can take!

All that remains to say is whatever your beliefs or denomination we hope this festive holiday season is kind to you, albeit being a completely different one. We’ll see you on the other side when I am sure we will all be moving forward with an increased sense of optimism for the New Year.

Have a good one, til next time!

S teve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here .

A different kind of season comes to a close

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 08:25:50 GMT

We've made it to the end of the season...

Finally we’ve made it to October in this weird on/off/on/off season. These blogs are getting rarer than a snowflake in VP, sorry about that, but while not managing to coerce others to write the blog for us this month, we’re back doing it ourselves!

As we limp towards the end of the traditional season in VP it’s hard not to feel conflicted. On the one hand just wanting to see an end to the year, draw a line under it and move on. But on the other hand and while the weather has still been nice it still seems a shame that fewer and fewer people are able to come right now and enjoy this naturist paradise.

On a good day we still see quite a number of people using the beach, sunbathing, swimming and partaking in beverages and nibbles at the beach cafes.

It was a shame to see the Pirate Bar close early this year but of course the numbers of tourists that would be in VP had been impossible to predict after the main Spanish holidays ended and bar owners still had bills and staff to pay.

Luckily the two other main naturist beach bars Natsun (Inna’s) and Chiringuito Naturista (Sol y Luna) remain open and are still reasonably busy. Just off the beach so too does Oh La La.

It has been personally very disappointing not to see some of our personal friends and favourite guests, but let’s all look forward positively to a time when travel is less restricted and people feel safe again.

Nonetheless due to the dogged determination of a few of our guests we still managed to welcome some old and new faces to VP this season.

We had a pair of lovely new couples in our beach apartment this year both bringing more than a splash of glamour to VP during their stay.

One lady arrived wearing matching leopard print dress and mask (how 2020!) and seriously cool hair!

She and her husband were first-timers to VP and loved the beach so much they would while away the entire day there enjoying their favourite spot by the rocks at the hotel breakwater. I guess everyone has a favourite spot on the beach. I wonder which is yours and why…

It was so lovely to see this couple supporting the local economy by using all the bars and restaurants. We sincerely hope we see all the businesses back next year.

The other couple were also first-timers but fell under the VP spell almost immediately and also enjoyed eating out al-fresco the whole time. Of course there is nothing better in these times than being able to dine outside in the fresh, open air and we have been blessed to still have quite a few of these places open this year… despite everything.

The lady in this particular couple was also pushing the boat out in the glamour stakes. Beautiful long talon-like nails in alternate bright orange and glittery colours…one wonders how easy it is to apply one’s tanning products with nails like these, I must admit I forgot to ask her as I was too busy admiring them. I guess this is where it is very handy to have a partner…to apply the lotion for you!

Talking of lotion, a very wonderful thing happened while we were standing chatting to them on the sand. A seriously tanned local Spanish man came over to them and in English said ‘I have some sun oil for you, you can look like me!’ He handed over a brand new bottle of his tanning oil to them (I’ve not seen this make before) then off he sauntered, refusing any payment for it. How lovely! It turns out our couple had been asking him how on Earth he managed to get that deep mahogany colour and he had explained about the oil. A couple of days later he gave them this present…so there you go, a random act of VP kindness to lighten up some dark times.

Both the aforementioned couples were also kind enough to leave reviews for us along with their stunning photos taken from the terraces of our Mediterráneo apartment. Have a look at them here .

It was also a sheer joy to welcome back some firm favourites guest-wise. This lovely couple who had recently been through the mill emotionally finally managed to get to VP for their much-needed break after many flight cancellations and travel disruptions. Their determination to visit was much-appreciated, after all we need visitors here, VP is a tourist resort at the end of the day and without them we can’t exist.

I have become very matronly with my upkeep of cleanliness and hygiene, even more than usual during Covid, although we have always been known for our OCD on the cleaning front.

So to this end we have perfected a routine of mask-wearing, anti-bac’ing, wiping and squirting hand gel on anything that comes within a two mile radius of us (forget the 2 metre rule, we do miles)…and yes, this does include guests. I had warned this couple what to expect when we saw them, you will be squirted with hand gel, must wear masks, social distance blah-blah-blah.

However we had more than met our match with them in the cleanliness stakes as when they turned up before I could even squirt them with my squirter, they’d already squirted themselves with their own squirter in front of my own eyes…I mean, pardon me, self-squirters! Why take away one of the few little pleasures I have in life �� I will get them next year when they least expect it…but it was so good to see them that I have managed to get over this episode.

The beach is as inviting as ever, perhaps some of you follow our social media pages and see the photos we post.

A lot of the beach users now are locals, second homeowners and long term overwintering renters.

It’s always a shame to see things disappear off the beach in readiness for winter (I swore I wouldn’t use the W or C word and I’ve done both – curses!).

Just the other day I sat and watched as the beach tractor removed the lifeguard chairs…there was something quite bittersweet not to mention undignified about the scene. I managed to catch that moment on camera, see below. No doubt the buoys marking the swimming/watercraft lanes will be removed soon and more irritatingly, most of the beach bins will disappear…

Never mind we have next year to look forward to and judging from the level of interest in VP as a holiday destination in 2021 with a bit of luck we will see more visitors. Let’s hope so eh. We all want it. Onwards and upwards!

Til next time!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here .

The Guest Spot: This time it's a guest blog!

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 16:27:19 GMT

What's it like at Vera Playa during social distancing measures? Our guests tell you their experience...

Hot on the heels of our own blog, we thought it might be interesting for our blog-readers to hear from our recent guests who stayed in Vera Playa during the ongoing pandemic and to understand what it was really like for them to holiday during this period…so without further ado, over to Nick and Viv:

Well, what a privilege. Chris and Steve have asked us to give a guest blog. Not sure if it is a good idea but hey ho let’s give it a try.

Up front disclaimer: We have been renting from VPV since 2015 and have kept coming back, so they must be getting something right!

This year, as world events unfolded, it looked like our trip to Vera Playa wasn’t going to happen and I have to say, we were bitterly disappointed.

As travel restrictions began to ease, we kept in contact with Chris and Steve to understand what conditions were like in Vera post-lockdown. My wife and I had been maintaining a strict isolation in the UK and were only leaving the house once a week for essential groceries. As lockdown relaxed, we maintained our isolation as we were genuinely concerned about the behaviour of the public at home.

Then, Brittany Ferries announced that they were resuming ferries to Spain on a much-reduced passenger loading. We now had a dilemma; would it be safe in Vera Playa? Would the ferry trip be safe? What about an overnight stop driving through Spain? You might have noticed I didn’t mention would it be safe at Chris and Steve’s apartment; well we have no worries there as we found in our first visit that everything is spotlessly clean and they have maintained their extremely high standards every year.

Brittany ferries seemed to be running a very tight ship (sorry) and masks were mandatory apart from when eating, drinking or in your cabin. All fears allayed.

Holiday Inn Express have a hotel just south of Madrid and they were enforcing high standards, so things were all looking good.

We spoke at length with Chris and Steve and yes, the holiday was on. Ferry booked together with the hotel, so we were now getting excited and at the same time a little concerned. We talked over all the different scenarios many times and packed loads of hand gel, disinfectant sprays and wipes for every eventuality on the drive down.

The ferry trip was reassuring, everyone wore their masks correctly, social distancing was imposed with every other table and chair, blocked off, and staff and passengers were always respectful of each other. Once off the ferry it was obvious that Spain was totally behind the wearing of face masks and our fears were easing as we drove out of Santander onto the motorway. It is a 4.5hr drive to the hotel and we only stopped once, again everyone was masked up with hand gel dispensers at the entrance to the café and there were markings on the floor. Again, at the hotel you sanitised your hands on entering and stood back from the receptionist who was behind her plexiglass barrier. A buffet breakfast is the norm but now you are given a tick box list so you can collect a picnic bag in the morning together with your preferred drink which was freshly made. We were again extremely impressed with the hotel, all literature, kettle and associated items you find in the rooms were removed so it was like sleeping in a cell (no, I have not)! The TV remote was in a plastic heat-sealed bag and was renewed when we left.

Chris and Steve had explained that on arrival we would all be required to wear our masks and there were no hugs and kisses and social distancing must be adhered to inside. So it was a strange check-in but again it reinforced how well they are dealing with all the new rules. Steve had hand gel for us all and a sanitized pen for signing the Police forms.

I should have said we were staying in Almodóvar with its swimming pool all of 20 paces from the apartment door. Within the swimming pool area, there is hand gel attached to the shower, strict distancing rules and you are only allowed to locate yourselves in the marked areas on the grass. If they are full, come back later. We were staying in the main holiday time, but it was never an issue.

The day after we arrived, mandatory mask wearing was imposed throughout Almería so you must wear one at all times. We spent a relaxing 12 days in Almodóvar and felt totally safe at all times. and the short walk to the beach wearing a mask was fine. In ‘normal’ times, the beach is patrolled by the police and lifeguards but now there are beach security staff also patrolling. It is their job to ensure there is correct spacing between sunbathing groups and that face masks are worn if you walk the water’s edge. When it is busy on weekends, they position themselves on the boardwalk and direct you to any available spaces.

One day my wife and I went to the water’s edge for a swim but were not sure as the waves began to rise. A short time later as we were pondering a young beach security girl told us off for not wearing a mask. I explained we were deciding whether to go in, but she told us we had been stood too long and must go in or back and sit down. (Editor’s note: I wonder if this was “Poison Pill?” of our previous blog fame).

We spent the first part of our stay at Almodóvar, and the final part in the other apartment - Mediterráneo. We felt so much safer at VP than in the UK.

As we have been visiting Vera for fourteen years, we have visited most locations and we were not planning on travelling much this year but the bio security really impressed us so we drove out to Nijar and visited again the amazing Cactus Nijar garden centre. It is also the home to a music society and in normal times have events in the cool evenings with food and drink available. It is well worth the 35min drive down the motorway. We have also returned to the Cabo De Gata natural park with its beautiful villages all along the coast and enjoyed a cool soft drink in many of the bars. We always visit San Juan De Los Terreros but have never stopped at any of the small coves on the way. This year we found some absolute gems, a number run down but still with a certain Spanish charm.

Every bar and restaurant we have visited all have reduced tables for social distancing and staff all wear masks. They all have hand sanitizer at the entrances. I have heard they will be closed down instantly if the rules are not complied with.

So, are you worried about coming to Vera Playa? We had concerns but Chris and Steve soon put our minds to rest and the way the Spanish are dealing with the regulations is reassuring. Sorry if this sounds like a fan letter but I can assure you they had no input and if it’s on the blog they must be happy.

Editor's note: Thanks so much Nick & Viv for taking the time to write this for us, it is much appreciated. We understand that everyone's circumstances are different and the current quarantine rules on returning home are making a trip out here impractical for some, but if this is not an issue for you, we have the details of a reputable insurance company who specialise in travel under unusual circumstances and have policies that cover Covid. Please ask.

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here

You can leave your mask on!

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 16:58:09 GMT

Weird and wonderful sights make this an unforgettable VP summer

Ooops! Missed a month…

What happened to July? Last time we were apologising for June’s long- overdue blog…well, erm, halfway through August we shall just pretend July didn’t exist shall we, easiest that way.

Let’s just say when high summer arrives with its sizzlin’ hot weather it’s hard not to join the crowds and slip into holiday mode.

This July/August of course has been like no other before in VP. For obvious reasons fewer foreigners have managed to make it here but the indigenous Spanish certainly have... in bucket ‘n’ spade-loads!

The naturist beach is very much alive despite the pandemic we are all still living through. Unlike many other beaches around the world, we have been fortunate to have a team called ‘Playas Seguras’ (‘safe beaches’), a group of beach stewards who help the Guardia Civil ensure that common sense is observed on the beach. So social distancing is being actively enforced by the stewards. We must confess that one of the beach stewards has stolen our hearts. Boy is she on a mission and loving her job, telling people off. We love watching her from our terrace, flailing her arms and ordering the nude folk around if they don’t comply with her wishes. A masked dominatrix not to be messed with. Only when walking from A to B and arriving/departing the beach must masks be worn but if you forget she comes down on you like a ton of bricks. And she is a formidable force of nature, believe you me! Chris calls her Poison Pill… we shall miss her when the resort gets quieter and the stewards will no longer be required to manage the large crowds.

The beach chiringuitos continue to attract good numbers of visitors to their socially-distanced tables. Of course the Pirate Bar is a stalwart and favourite for some, yet Chiringuito Naturista (Sol Y Luna) and Inna’s Natsun chiringuito continue to hold their own, especially for food. Our lovely neighbours swear by Paso Doble for a quieter, shadier refreshment or something more substantial like paella which is their ‘usual’.

We wonder what the rest of the season will hold for VP once the Spanish holidaymakers return to their towns and cities. We do worry that local businesses will really struggle if the usual foreigners don’t return for their September/October breaks. We know they will really be hoping for some trade since the season didn’t kick off properly til July, please come and support the resort if you feel you can come safely and the decision hasn’t already been taken out of your hands. We personally feel that this special naturist village is as safe as it can be currently with all the necessary safety measures in place.

Already we have managed to welcome a number of guests this season, not as many as we had hoped to due to cancellations, but nonetheless those who have made it here, have all had a fantastic time, and the ‘mask thing’ really hasn’t proved to be an issue for them…in fact, you soon get used to being naked but for wearing a mask. On that basis alone it is a year that will never be forgotten in the naturist world and it still remains a sight that amuses us greatly. Well, you can’t let the world get you down can you!

One set of our regular guests, recently enjoyed a stay at our popular beachfront apartment ‘Mediterráneo’. In fact one night they made it very homely by customising one of the terraces into Blackpool Illuminations meets Santa’s Grotto, in honour of the good lady’s birthday! Talk about ‘move in why don’t you’?!!! You can see the result in one of the photos below.

A funny sight I have literally just witnessed… VP’s own leather gift maker who can always be found beside the Pirate Bar selling his wares, has just been spotted in the sea in front of the Pirate, up to waist in seawater, busting some real rock ‘n’ roll moves in time to ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and ‘La Bamba’ pumping out from the bar. It was a sight to behold until a wave crashed over his head. Oh the shame.

We’re never quite sure what the Pirate Bar is doing with its musical playlist…eclectic doesn’t even come close but right now, rock ‘n’ roll? Was Elvis a naturist? He certainly came into the world naked… and on that bombshell dear readers, it’s time for our afternoon dip in the sparkling Mediterranean. The water couldn’t be better!

Til next time…

Ps. Have just heard Tom Jones ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’ blasting out from the Pirate, maybe it’s time for a Covid-aware re-working of that striptease classic…’You Can Leave Your Mask On’ perhaps… anyone up for recording that??

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here

The Nude Normality

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 22:00:00 GMT

Coming out the other side of lockdown at VP

Dear all,

Hope this long overdue blog finds you all safe, happy, healthy and getting through whatever you’re doing, wherever you are.

The longer this process goes on, the more you learn about yourselves and it’s interesting to note some positives that can weirdly begin to surface out of the dark places we have all visited in our lives.

We can now communicate with people in new ways that will actually enrich our lives going forward. Maybe we can work in more flexible ways or we have unearthed skills we never knew we had… perhaps we’ve started new careers, businesses, creative pursuits, hobbies, exercise regimen etc. And of course we all still salute the key workers who have been keeping everything going everywhere around the world.

Sadly the skill we were working on last time we spoke – home hair hacking/dressing – hasn’t improved much, but at least the arguing has decreased and the process is mercifully shorter each time as we become ever more adept with the clippers (anyone for a flat top?!!). And thank goodness at least this task can be done outside while enjoying the beautiful view of Vera Playa naturist beach. To be fair hairdressers are open as normal but there is now an element of self-flagellation about us doing it ourselves!!

While looking down on the beach, it’s wonderful to see the Vera Playa naturist beach life get back to ‘normal’. It’s almost impossible to remember when Spain and other countries were in the eye of the storm back in March.

Now when we look, all we see is people enjoying soaking up the sun au naturel, taking a well-deserved dip in the sparkling Mediterranean, energetic types doing sports, dog walkers and of course people enjoying food and refreshments at the naturist beach bars.

Chiringuito Naturista and Natsun (Inna’s) have of course been open - observing all safety guidelines - for weeks now and the eternally popular Pirate Bar, Cota Zero is currently undergoing storm repairs but is set to open in the next couple of weeks. So really it’s almost impossible to remember Covid here…there are certainly no cases here in Almería or deaths so it is currently one of the safest places to be at time of writing.

Vera Playa needs its tourists to return as soon as it is safe for them to do so. If you are considering a trip here yourself then please do come this year if you can. The local economy, small businesses, shops, restaurants, bars all need your support to survive into another year. Perhaps even an autumn or winter break is worth thinking about. We are lucky to be blessed with a mild climate where a break in VP can be pleasurable at any time of the year!

In celebration of a certain person’s birthday weekend ‘festival’ recently we explored the wider area once more, into the mountains and further along the coast to enjoy a picturesque beach chiringuito or two. So there are always so many places you can visit while on a trip to VP, even out of season.

The beach continues to be maintained by the daily tractor sweeping the beach (very loudly around 06:30 this morning I hasten to add!!!), rubbish bins arrived a week or so ago, then new showers were finally installed.

Elsewhere in the zone, Puntonat bar has re-opened sporting new signage and with Luis back at the helm, currently with limited hours. Just down the road so too has La Golondrina.

Oh-la-la has opened its doors and along with most of the non-naturist establishments open again, the choice is there for those who can make it here to Vera.

The perfect naturist holiday awaits and we shall all hope to see you at some point.

All that remains to be said is ‘keep the naturist dream alive’ and embrace the ‘new normality’ when it arrives!! Some of us didn’t even know what the old normality was of course…

Til next time!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Strange times call for a strange blog!

Tue, 05 May 2020 07:52:43 GMT

At last...a walk on the beach...the best things in life are free!

Well strange times call for strange measures don’t they? I’m sure by now we have all had our worlds turned upside down, inside out or round about in one way or another.

And so we start with a strange new measure of our own…yes, for a change, I, Steve, am writing this blog not the self-styled control freak Chris! And let me tell you he is not happy about it at all, no Sir, not one little bit! Ha!

Chris has been otherwise engaged on other business and has reluctantly conceded that I can take his limelight and steal his thunder on this one occasion (otherwise dear reader you could have been waiting til Christmas!).
We know all our international readers are in various states of lockdown and social distancing themselves right now, so I thought we’d share the little news we have from our very own VP lockdown.

The April weather this year wasn’t that great in VP so instead of learning a new language or refining his pastry-making skills like everyone else was doing, Chris locked himself away and ahead of schedule completed our tax returns for both the UK and Spain. It was a time when I knew to leave him best alone because he always finds the combination of software and the phone queue to HMRC brings out the worst in his personality. But rather him than me!

In other news, like the rest of the world, we had also taken to cutting each other’s hair…with mixed results it must be said!
In fact a neighbour, on seeing Chris from a social distance just now, called across to him: ’Crikey, what the **** have you done to your hair?!!’
How rude! Not everyone can carry off the skinhead look can they…? Poor Chris.
If you have been hacking at your loved one’s hair we hope you have achieved a more skilful ‘salon-beautiful’ look than we have managed ourselves. Don’t worry we have no plans to give up our day jobs! And thankfully the hairdressers have now re-opened here in Vera Playa!

It’s amazing the things people have been doing to fill their time locked up, ‘en casa’.
We heard on the news that a certain UK department store had all but sold out of jigsaws during this crisis. Jigsaws!!! Wow, the return of the humble jigsaw is indeed amazing in itself in these technological times, however the last winter guests we had in our beach apartment ‘Mediterraneo’ were actually jigsaw trailblazers. Far ahead of the masses in fact, they completed our ‘Compton Acres’ jigsaw way back in March…just take a look at it in the gallery below!!

Another activity people have been taking part in around the globe is of course exercise. Even people who have never done a day’s exercise in their life are suddenly and somewhat miraculously, finding their inner Olympian it seems. Here in Spain, as we're confined to our homes for 7 weeks without public exercise we had to improvise.
Chris found a workout series on YouTube to perform on the terrace. So there he was one sunny afternoon, computer set up, speaker set up, primed and ready for his first session… he pressed ‘play’ and he was off for an intense 30 minutes of flailing limbs and ear-piercing grunts. I later went outside to find him collapsed in a damp, slippery heap on the tiles. This was Day 1 reader…Day 2 of that routine never happened…! As we have been able to get out and exercise now…there is no excuse. Must say there have been a lot of relieved faces exercising on the beach…swimming and sunbathing on the beach isn’t allowed yet of course…but that should be coming in the not-too-distant future.

Having a good view of the beach we were able to see exactly what had been going on during the closure. It was good to see the welcome return of the beach tractor making its periodic trips up and down the beach, removing washed-up debris. Not only this but we spotted the water company out fixing the pipes for the beach showers and also workers repairing the boardwalks. Of course at the moment we don’t know exactly how long it will be before the beach opens fully or when foreign visitors will return but it was good to see that maintenance was being carried out while no-one was on the beach.

I have been taking loads and loads of photos while out on walks and from above the beach, so keep an eye out on social media pages if you’re interested to see more of these!

The weather is now set into its usual pattern of long sunny days and the sea has been taking on a beautiful blue colour so we’re hoping it won’t be too long now before we can all enjoy our beloved beach again. Let’s stay positive everyone and hope it’s a case of ‘business as usual’ soon. Talking of business as usual, is that Chris I can hear in the background, filling up his ink well and sharpening his quill?! Fear not reader, he will be back with you next time!

Til then…stay safe and keep the faith!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Surviving the lockdown and tips for staying positive

Sat, 21 Mar 2020 13:54:00 GMT

Spring is coming so let’s look ahead with optimism and hope.

Well dear reader, here we are coming to the end of our first week in Spanish “lock-down” but here I am to bring us all some much needed inner peace, calm and positivity…stay tuned...

Consum (our local supermarket) is more than capable of dealing with hoards of people descending on it en masse – it does so every summer, especially when the massive Dreambeach festival is here in August. But like the best of us, it just needed a little notice. So last Friday people from Madrid with second homes here on the coast had fled the capital and brought their panic to little old us. Consum (bless it) was emptied.

Fear not, for by Monday morning you would never have known the panic that had ensued over the weekend, for Consum was re-stocked (including multiple pallets of multi-pack loo roll!) and ready for action.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, the Spanish Prime minister had announced that we were in a ‘state of alarm’ and by 8am this Monday morning, we were officially in lockdown. Prior to lockdown officially commencing, on Sunday afternoon the police were blowing their whistles at naked sunbathers ordering them to leave the beach which was a most entertaining sight from the comfort of our terrace – better than TV!

You are allowed to leave the house only for clearly defined reasons and must provide proof that this is what you are doing and furthermore, you must leave the house alone, go straight there and come straight back. Of the two of us, I seem to be more resilient than Steve when it comes to colds and flu, so I am the household’s nominated shopper. Considering we do EVERYTHING together…we work together, we go to the recycling together – we’re never apart – so doing the shopping solo is a strange experience for me and Steve knows only too well not to complain if I come back with a kiwi that’s too ripe or punnet of pears that are too hard!

I did another shop this morning armed with a shopping list created to accurate precision on exactly what we needed to survive another week. As there can only be a certain number of people in the supermarket at any one time, a short queue (only about five people) outside is the norm until it is your turn to be called in (and suitably sanitised). While I was standing in said queue, the heavens decided to open, so up the umbrella went, only for an old Spanish lady to stand right next to me in my personal space looking at me all soppy eyed. The next thing I knew, my arm had extended to cover her with my umbrella while I was getting completely soaked! “Muchisimo gracias” she kept saying and then she just disappeared “doesn’t she know what social distancing means for god’s sake” I said to the fellow people queuing who were already laughing at my plight. Oh yeah, the virus is probably incubating in my lungs as I type this. Great. Then I looked at my shopping list which was by now illegible because my dear Steve had written it (knowing it was due to rain)…in fountain pen. I felt embittered.

But it's easy to get paranoid and worried every time you have a sore throat, or cough or you feel a bit hot or cold. We've both had sore throats on and off for a while but recently our neighbour explained it was all the pollen in the air from our pine tree and eucalyptus all flowering and covering everything on our terrace in a film of yellow dust even as I type. We can't blame every isolated cough as a symptom of the C-word.

The information from the Spanish authorities has been plentiful, clear and concise. It makes sense. I saw an info-graphic which explains the benefits of reducing human contact = reducing the number of people infected. So, as a couple, if only one of you goes out for the essential food shop, already you are 50% less impactful on further infection. It’s a simple case of maths and most of us – especially the Spanish - are taking it very seriously – and we should.

Sadly, certain (but not all) expats – and not just the Brits to be fair, are having difficulty getting their heads round these protocols. You should see some of the questions on social media. Question: “My neighbour wants to come with me to the supermarket. Can she come in my car with me?” Answer: “No, she must drive herself.” Question: “but what if she suddenly lost the sight in both eyes or lost her arms ‘n’ legs? Can she come with me then?” We all hate a troll, but honestly, sometimes you just feel like you’re being pushed to it…

Have you ever seen that film The Exorcist? The bit where the demon possessed little girl’s head goes green and turns 360 degrees? Well, that’s me when I see neighbours not observing the very important protocols on home isolation and social distancing. So when I see neighbours receiving visitors (plural) sitting in the garden socialising – I am that little girl from The Exorcist. Steve was worried my head was going to spin off and suggested I find a way to channel my negative energy. So what did I do? Commit murder? Fire a catapult? No. I quietly sat down at my computer and created public information leaflets ready to post into the mailboxes of the offenders! Oh my God I’m turning into a mailbox troll, el. oh. el. reader, el. oh. El. and pee em es el at the same time!

But on a serious note, we don’t know how this will affect business and businesses. We will just have to wait and see. It’s scary for us. We have already had to have a couple of difficult conversations with people that were due to come this month. We remain on the ‘wait and see’ front but we really do appreciate the understanding and cooperation of those we have had to speak with already. We also appreciate the little text messages from guests past and present who have asked how we are. We really appreciate it and it especially helped us last weekend when it all started to take a turn.

If you are reading this from a country that is yet to go on lockdown (and your turn will come I’m sure), please take heart that it is okay. If you need reassurance on anything, just drop us a line.

So. What are my top tips for keeping coron-anxiety at bay?

Only get information from official sources – if I had a penny for every self-appointed expert on Facebook …and people actually act on their advice!
Don’t overdose on news. I found myself falling into this trap and it just increases anxiety. Instead, schedule one time each day to get yourself up to date, then leave it until the next scheduled time tomorrow.
Don’t make it the one and only topic of conversation with your partner – think of different topics to discuss…that annoying neighbour, perhaps? Flowers in the garden? How you can get revenge on that relative that said nasty things about you on Facebook? Fantasising becoming a witch and casting evil spells on anyone that’s ever wronged you in your life? The list is endless.
If in lockdown, do positive things with your time, rather than just scrolling through the internet and going mad. Is there an elderly neighbour you can phone to check if they are okay? Perhaps you can finally write that poison pen letter to your worst enemy but have never had the time before? Never speak nasty words, just pop them on a postcard. And so on.

You see? We must keep positive at times like this.

Everyday since lockdown, Steve has been posting photos onto our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter of the beautiful beach here at VP. The reason, as he states in the caption of these posts is “During this period of essential closure we will bring you some of our recent photos to remind us all of the beauty of Vera Playa naturist beach. Good times will be back, stay positive everyone, we will enjoy again” – so do enjoy them, positive that we will get through this uncertain time.

So, keep that chin up (all of them) and we shall be right as rain in no time. Spring is coming so let’s look ahead with optimism and hope.

Keep safe, speak soon.

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

It's getting closer!

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 12:54:11 GMT

...and we're sunbathing on the terrace in February...

Reader, it’s coming towards the end of February and I’ve come indoors for a break. We’ve been sunbathing on the terrace this morning and I think I’ve had a bit too much sun, so I thought I’d take a break and write this blog as it is long overdue.

Yes I know, I know. Friends and family back in the UK have been saying about Storm Dennis, Storm Laura, Ciara whatever…I even had my mother-in-law on the phone the other day reading the whole list of storm names that were due…”Oh I’ve got to write them all down because I’m old and I’ll forget the na-yyy-mes otherwise” she moaned.

Have you.

Anyway, as we are coming up to March we really feel the difference weather-wise now – you really get the sense of summer being well and truly on its way. The past couple of months have been sketchy but overall mostly nice. You get a run of sun which includes naked sunbathers on the beach and even (gasp) swimming in the sea, followed by the odd day of cloud and coldness then back to sun again. Not bad really considering it’s supposed to be winter.

We didn’t get much rain in February, just a couple of days when a storm came. Whenever we get a storm here, the phone rings and it’s the local newspaper reporter asking if she can speak to Steve – he’s her resident weather reporter for Vera Playa beach now: “storm’s passed – the beach is still here, Laura” (real name withheld to protect the innocent!) is his usual reply followed by a photo she can use for the paper. It’s good to be of use to the old journos.

Paying guests that have been in VP at this time of year have been quite surprised to find the weather here in the dead of winter to be similar to a mild English/Northern European summer and have taken the opportunity to drive out into the mountains and enjoy the beautiful almond blossom, carnivals and of course Andalucía day not to mention stopping for lunch at one of the traditional Spanish restaurants for a menú del día. Perfect! Of course this all has to be scheduled in between sunbathing sessions! Good reasons to think about VP for next winter if you want to break up a long cold and harsh winter – get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

Back on the beach, the town hall have been doing out of season maintenance works around the naturist zone…mending pathways, cutting trees, cleaning the streets – all good work to keep the naturist zone looking and feeling special.

Remember the mystery running man being pursued by a drone in my last blog? Well, those lovely people at la pita y el pitaco were kind enough to send us a video of the Vera town hall’s unveiling of their video promoting Vera Beaches and naturism at a special tourism seminar in Madrid last month. The full promo video can be viewed on their FB page and you should recognise the stone groyne by the naturist hotel! Well done la pita y el pitaco. We look forward to seeing you on the beach in the summer!

And what about you? Will you be on the VP beach this summer? Be sure to say ‘hi’ if you are…it’s only round the corner now. Bring it on!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

It's a blue, blue Monday here at VP!

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 09:46:53 GMT

New year blues? Yes, blue sky, blue sea!

Blue Monday. Heard of it? No 80’s hipsters, I’m not talking about the iconic 12-inch single. It’s the third Monday of January, this year falling on the 20th.

Allegedly, someone with a PHD in clinical psychology calculated it as the following formula: W+D-dTq underscore MNa…allow me to translate. It’s weather (W), debt (D), time since Christmas (T), time since failing our new year’s resolutions (Q), low motivational levels (M) and the feeling of a need to take action (N). The pinnacle timing of all these combined equals Jan 20th. Now I could use this platform to tell you that the antidote is to come and enjoy blue January here in Vera Playa, yes, blue skies, blue seas…blue, blue, blue (I know, I do this gag every year)! Only it turns out someone beat me to it, because this Blue Monday calculation was actually just a clever PR exercise by a travel firm! The cheek of it!

Talking of mood-defining dates, I heard on the good old beeb radio 4 this morning that the optimum age we feel dissatisfied with life and the prospect of getting old is, wait for it….47.5 years! Well, I’ve got a couple of years to go, but it’s put the seed in my head that I should use this milestone to run my own little PR exercise - I’m thinking expensive gifts and attention from my nearests and dearests as I approach the very vulnerable blue ‘47.5’ (at least that’s my plannnnn…queue wicked laugh).

So the new year of 2020 at VP started with the usual New Year’s day skinny dip. A good crowd as always turned up and the weather was sunbathing standard anyway so it seemed the done thing to do. Interestingly, there are people who take a naked morning dip every single day of the year ALL year (and they are no spring chickens either), so it was quite amusing to watch them take their normal dip but slightly away from the New Year’s skinny dip crowd in a show of defiance that this is nothing special, simply a daily occurrence that needs no fanfare. As for us, well we had guests checking in that day so we made our excuses and watched from afar. Steve took a photo from the terrace – far enough away so as not to identify anyone. I’ve included it in the picture gallery below.

The other morning, there were a few souls sunbathing au naturel on the beach as normal, but come the afternoon it got a bit cloudy so the bathers had disappeared and the beach was empty. As I took another glance out the window, I saw a man wearing nothing but running shoes, jogging along the shoreline….hotly-pursued by a drone! The mystery running man turned and gestured to the drone then carried on running. The drone was being controlled by two people – possibly naughty youths – from the Pirate Bar.

“Well, I’m not having that!”

I said to Steve who was on the phone at the time. So, keen to protect our naturist beach from rogue drone pests, I ran out the door and onto the beach. I went straight up to the drone offenders ready to give them a piece of my mind, phone in hand ready to call the Guardia for immediate assistance!

So, all guns blazing, I spoke to the lady in charge who was directing the drone operator and whose very own husband was none other than our mystery running man! Turns out this lovely lady and her team (la pita y el pitaco) had been officially commissioned by Vera Town hall tourism department to make a short promo film for the 2020 season. And the jigsaw made sense as I realised it was the same team I saw filming earlier that day at the Salinas – the theme being ‘Nature and Naturist.’ We exchanged business cards which enabled me to see some of their work. Well, if you have a look at their Facebook page and watch their video for food producers Huerta del Molino – never before has the humble spring onion been so elevated and beautifully filmed as this! On their FB page, you’ll also see previous promo videos they’ve done for Vera tourism, so we can’t wait to see their video promoting Vera and the naturist beach. It should be ready in February, so I’ll keep you posted.

Judging from the flurry of enquiries we are still receiving from guests past, present and future, it’s going to be yet another bumper year not only for us but Vera Playa at large. From the years we have been here we do think the word about Vera Playa does seem to spread a little year on year within the naturist world. If you are thinking of a first visit to VP then try to make 2020 your first time! You'll be in good company as we have a handful of first-timers this year. In the meantime, as I type, my back to the window with the sun making me very hot, we enjoy our lovely mild winter climate…no winter blues here I can tell you. See you soon!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

It's a very Vera Playa Chriiiiiiiistmaaasssss!!!

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 15:47:32 GMT

What's Vera Playa like at Christmas time? I'll tell you...

It doesn’t take much to get me into the Crimbo spirit. In actual fact, Christmas started in our house the last week of November. The tree was ceremonially shoved into the front window much to the amusement of passers-by. Then, at the beginning of December, Steve and I opened our respective Advent Calendars. Three days into Advent, a local supermarket was doing a special deal on leftover super-luxury Quality Street Advent calendars…so of course we had to buy one on the agreement that I would be odd day numbers and he would be evens. Chocolate-appreciative reader, on the evening of day four after a couple of glasses of wine, we lost all self-control…opened our respective windows then spent the next half hour trading chocklits with one another. It ended surprisingly amicably!

So, what’s been happening this yule time at VP? Well, no rest for us. I had promised to Sellotape my mouth shut in order to kick-start the old diet however at the very beginning of the month, our neighbours had a birthday party – venue for same being on their terrace and the sun was blinding…and I got all red faced on account of over sun exposure which due to my ethnic heritage is rare for me! It was a great afternoon and it was really nice to meet a number of people properly whom we have seen time and time again on the beach in the summer time but until now had never actually spoken to…we even invented a new language that day, a cross between Dutch, German, Spanish and English. A typically cosmopolitan VP party in other words.

Literally, two days later, a storm came to VP. The waves forced part of the front section of the pirate bar to dislocate from the main structure and we watched from our dining room window as the sea spray came perilously close to the foot of our building.

“Oh, the sea, it does not bother me”, says our neighbour who has lived here for over 30 years, which gave me a little comfort that night as I heard the waves crashing outside my window.

By the following weekend, the sun returned and many naturists were back on the beach sunbathing exactly where the earlier storm of the century had taken place. Ironically, post-storm, the sand on our section of beach was smoother and more bountiful than ever – the tides have washed up a load of the fresh stuff. Nevertheless, we still need to continue the pressure on the Coastal Ministry to improve the coastal defences as we are very vulnerable here in the winter – as, of course, are many coastal locations around the world.

Being the season of giving, we are getting a lovely steady trickle of cards and e-cards from guests past and present. We even received a parcel of chocolate goodies to hang on the tree and a chocolate Santa each from our lovely friends and guests Diane and Simon. Needless to say, Steve had bitten the head off his Santa within moments of opening said parcel. Oh and the chocolate tree decorations? Well you can decide whether or not they actually made it to the tree!

This weekend, we are off to some friends for a Christmas get-together which we know will happily involve too much of everything…too much eating…too much drinking…too much talking…too much laughing. These friends of ours are nothing short of culinary geniuses and they blow us away with their inventions every time. This time however, they are on the ‘Keto’ Diet. Reader, we’ve Googled it already and are intrigued to see how this talented couple will interpret Keto into their culinary delights – can’t wait. The following day, more excess as the nice German people who bought our old apartment have invited us over for a little Christmas soiree. Add to the fact that the town hall have adorned all the street light posts in the naturist zone with sparkly Christmas lights, the whole ambience is very festive…with some sun thrown in – a perfect balance!

Steve has been overjoyed because one of his favourite birds of prey – a Kestrel – has taken regular perch on a pillar on the edge of our terrace. It’s the perfect place from which he can survey for prey on the naturist beach before swooping down for his quarry. He doesn’t seem at all bothered by our presence. I think Steve’s up on the terrace as I type, trying to take a decent photo of Kessy.

So with only a couple of weeks left before the big day, I’m wondering for Christmas lunch this year, what shall it be? Turkey or Duck? Hmmm, how about Kestrel? I wonder what Steve would think if I managed to capture Kessy and rustle up something with roast potatoes? Oh stop it!

Happy holidays everyone and best wishes, health and happiness for 2020! For those coming to VP next summer, we’ll see you on the beach as usual, Cheers!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here

Hay making in the winter sun...life carries on at VP!

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 15:18:25 GMT

Still sunny and beach weather even in November

The saying goes “Make Hay While the Sun Shines” – well if the sun keeps shining, you just have to keep making the hay, right?

So it’s November and we’re still making hay…because our guests are still enjoying the sun – it’s a vicious circle, reader. Will I ever get a break?

Perhaps I will, now that the super busy period is over…but only just. Last week, both sets of guests in our apartments were enjoying the beach, swimming in the sea…yes, in November! Guest Nathalie took a photo of a beautiful November sunrise taken from the terrace of our ‘Mediterráneo’ apartment – I include it below.

Does everything stop now that we are in the middle of November? No, not really…it just slows down and enables us to take a well-deserved slower pace for a few months. We take it down a gear and have a gentle sprinkling of winter sun seekers until the full season starts again in April. So there’s still hay for us and sun for our guests, but just at a more relaxing pace. Well-deserved all round!

The other week we saw the annual beach maintenance work completed. Over the course of the summer, a lot of the sand from the naturist beach drifts further down the bay. So come November, the powers that be arrange for a fleet of massive dumper trucks the size of houses to gather and load the sand and bring it all back up to the naturist section of the beach. Of course, the long term solution would be to build another groyne like the one constructed outside the naturist hotel some years back, but until that happens, at least they are doing something. By putting extra sand where the existing beach is, the hope is that while a lot will get washed away, the majority of the original beach will still be there post-winter…but there’ll always be the moaners, won’t there (eyes roll heavenward).

The thing is, while technically it is the end of the official season being November, the weather still allows naked beach days with some days being genuinely hot. So the naturist beach still attracts beachgoers soaking up the sun, splashing about in the water.

Ordinarily, in today’s world of Health and Safety, one would expect the beach to be closed and cordoned off so that the dumper trucks could go about their work unencumbered, but this is Spain. Instead the shoreline is awash with sunbathers and their beach paraphernalia, slumbering away right next to the huge track marks where the dumper trucks thunder past at 80 kph with a plume of sand spray behind them. A most amazing sight to watch.

Off the sand and into the water, there are buoys that mark where watercraft cannot cross in order to protect swimmers and bathers. Recently, these have been removed for the winter which means that local fishing boats from the nearby fishing port of Villaricos come daringly close to the shoreline of an evening in order to place their fishing nets for the evening. Come nighttime, you can see the marker flashing away until the same little fishing boat comes to remove the marker and nets the following morning. This proves that our part of the Mediterranean that fronts our naturist beach is teeming with marine life – a healthy barometer for our waters.

Today, we have been watching the ongoing dismantling of the infamous Pirate Bar – putting the place to bed for winter, ready to return next season. Don’t worry though…there are still naturist establishments open throughout the winter months, namely, both the Natsun and Vera Natura chiringuitos right on the beach and both serving proper food menus, and Puntonat street bar which so far remains open (and only this weekend were doing a special Paella day). Add to this the selection of non naturist bars, restaurants and cafes that remain open all year and within walking distance of the naturist zone – the buzz at VP continues right through the so-called winter months, albeit a little slower paced out of the main season.

So there you have it…life at VP goes on…and so must I…I’ve got an appointment with a pitchfork. Until the next time, happy November!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here

Moving times, in many senses!

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 13:16:16 GMT

The main season at VP comes to an end.

I’ve had a few messages asking where the latest blog is. It’s nice to know that it is anticipated, but in my defence M’lord, we have had the slight issue of moving house to contend with, so you’ll forgive me if I have been otherwise distracted.

Oh, and spare a thought for little old us. We may have bought our dream home in the naturist zone, but to even call it a “project” is a crime against trade descriptions. We are currently without a proper kitchen and there are only so many pasta-in-a-jar meals one can cope with. Thankfully, we have had rather a number of very kind neighbours who, realising our plight, have invited us over for dinner. In fact, this weekend we are booked in for a 'full works' Sunday Roast – maybe we’ll delay the new kitchen (queue wicked laugh and pointed out little finger). Another Spanish neighbour baked us the biggest sponge cake we've ever seen...allegedly healthy having been made with olive oil and no sugar...so of course we just had to eat the lot because it must be zero calories!

Talking of kitchens, we were chatting to one of our neighbours only the other day on the naturist beach. I couldn’t remember the word for kidney in Spanish but I pointed to where my kidneys are and said that I shall be selling one in order to pay for our new kitchen. She screamed with laughter, cupped my face and said “No Chris. ¡No es tu riñón!” (“No Chris, not your kidney!”) then play-slapped Steve on the cheek. We all laughed, but to be frank, I don’t think I’m entirely joking about the kidney!

Domestics aside, a month or so ago we got an alert from a regular guests of ours about an article featured in the latest issue of H&E magazine – the longest running naturist publication in Britain (and the only monthly naturist magazine in the world). Teresa writes a regular ‘Eye on Spain’ feature for H&E Magazine. She had come across a strange article that didn’t sit with her personal experience of VP. She quoted a bit from the article and asked readers if they had experienced what the article was claiming. With the help of our dear Spanish friend and neighbour, Rafael, light was shone on the truth behind the article Teresa was referring to. It was ‘El Español’ – a far right publication close to ‘VOX’ which is a homophobic, xenophobic, anti-feminist far right political party. The article intentionally creates a false war between Gay and straight naturists. Why? It’s simple – according to Rafael, VOX voters resent that gay people are getting integrated into the community, and that straight and gay people celebrate Gay Pride together in total freedom - which is a freedom we so much love about Vera Playa. H&E editor-in-chief, Sam, kindly allowed me a reply which was published in the following edition, along with another VP aficionado’s opinion. So, thanks to Teresa for originally raising the point, the guest for alerting me to it, Rafael for his help in translation and Sam for enabling the matter to be set straight. A win all round! You can read the full article by subscribing to H&E magazine on-line.

Getting back to the nicer things at VP, it always marks a certain point in the year when Alexandra’s sunbeds are put to bed (pardon the pun) for the upcoming winter months. Steve took photos from above of the tractor removing said beds and posted it on our Facebook page. Alexandra saw Steve’s photos and posted “Yes, its safe home now. Ready to get sandpapered and protection painted. I will be back for the 1st of May 2020. Wish you all a good winter time. Hugs and kisses Alexandra.”

We’ll see you in May Alexandra!

So, with the main season coming to a close for the year, a new wave of people arrive to VP – the affectionately named ‘Snowbirds’ or, ‘Snowflakes’ as a certain neighbour who shall remain nameless incorrectly but hilariously calls them. Steve and I kept a straight face but then sobbed with laughter once round the corner and out of sight. You know who you are, bless you!

The Snowbirds are the Brits and other northern Europeans who flee the coldest time of the year and come to VP over winter to enjoy the mild climate here. For the past few years, once our last of the paying guests have gone at the end of the season, Steve and I have always moved into our 'Mediterráneo' apartment for the winter months. Even in winter that apartment is a fabulous place to be. The stunning views give the ambience and the south terrace and windows give the warmth. Now that we have moved into our dream home, 'Mediterráneo' is for the first time this year open for winter bookings (and yes, you’re right, this is a shameless plug). We have already taken a few bookings between November and March, so if we can help tempt you into breaking up your long cold winter at home with a warm break at VP, take a peek at our Winter Sun page.

Did you know that on average, VP gets full sun for over 300 days a year? The weather here is quite tropical, and as such, when we do get a storm it can be intense but is over very quickly. A rare deluge of rain can come in the morning, and be gone by lunchtime with the sky turning back to clear blue just as fast. A few weeks ago, we were predicted a terrible storm (actually due the day we were supposed to move home – typical!). Thankfully, the worst of the storm missed us but hit further up the coast instead. Nevertheless, the bit of weather we did get, washed up lots of wood and branches onto the beach which served as a new home for a little chameleon! Our guests Derek and Carol managed to capture him on camera – let’s call him ‘Karma’ (as in Chameleon) – and I include it in the photos below. We don’t know what ever happened to Karma because soon after, the council tractor was on the beach cleaning it all up. The council were slightly criticised for dragging their heels to do the clean up operation on the naturist section of beach, but in fairness to them there was a simple explanation for this: The non naturist stretch of beach was almost deserted so it was easy for the clean-up to commence there, whereas the naturist beach was really busy - a testiment to the "bare pound" - so the council had to wait for things to quieten down a bit before they could move in. Anyway, all ended well and people could resume normal sunbathing activity. Away from the beach and back at their 'Almodóvar' accommodation, Derek and Carol celebrated their holiday and new found love of reptiles with some pink sparkles on the terrace and sent us proof of the half-drunk bottle (ermm where was the invite guys?!!) – which I include below to show you how fast weather returns to normal blue skies so soon after a whistle-stop storm!

Puntonat naturist street bar is under new management and has had a lick of paint and new signage. It’s looking good. They have been doing a barbeque every weekend and seem to have quite a good following. It has always made us chuckle in the winter months. You’d be driving down the road, and sat outside Puntonat would be a group of people, completely naked enjoying a glass or three, then you’d drive by a little later and they would still be there but having moved to the opposite side of the street to keep up with the moving sun, then you’d drive past later, and the same people would have moved their chairs literally into the middle of the road to ensure every last drop of sun is received onto their bare flesh. Technically this is a traffic hazard, but no one seems to mind – not even the local police – it’s just accepted as part of the laid-back naturist zone. I hope the new owners will continue to stay open through the winter months. We’ll have to wait and see.

And so, it’s time for me to wrap it up (although no need to wrap up in clothes – it’s so hot out there – yes, October, that’s normal here). I’ve set up a little table for two on a shady part of our lovely new terrace. Time for lunch with a view…Perfect. See you soon.

August? Closed. Closed due to summer!

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 12:52:30 GMT

Battling the sun and temperatures into the 40s!

I will start with an extract from an email a paying guest sent us just a couple of days ago…I will not name said guest, but you know who you are:

“Evening gents, It is with great regret that we may have to cancel. Have been checking regularly and still no update on the blog. Are you just lazing around in the sun? There are customers hanging on your literal creations who have been suffering the wind rain and no sun.”

Well, excuse me…while you are battling wind, rain and fog in what is supposed to be your summer, we have been battling high sun and temperatures into the 40s! You try working in this heat! It’s no wonder that generally speaking, most businesses in Spain more or less close down during the month of August and flee to the “costas.” You try organising anything formal at this time of year and it just won’t happen…we wanted to order a new front door but no-can-do – factory’s closed for August holidays…we needed to contact our solicitor about a matter – office closed due to August holidays…contact our accountant – closed due to August holidays ad inifinitum…you get the picture. And so in that spirit, this blog and my creative brain have been closed due to August holidays.

But I’m feeling generous. I’ll give you an August update for all things that have been happening in and around the naturist zone, although much is old news by now! Sorry about that!!

Firstly: Surviving Dreambeach. Every year, at the far end of the bay a massive music festival is held called Dreambeach. It looks amazing, the lasers, the ferris wheel all lit up, the various stages and platforms. The headlining acts are pretty impressive and no wonder they attract over 150,000 people over the four-day period. In fact the audience this year topped 160,000 ravers! Now if those headlining acts were the likes of Bananarama, or Spandau Ballet, or our plumber’s mum’s favourites Duran Duran…then yours truly would be there in the blink of an eye. Sadly for me though, the main demographic are teens/early 20s and the music…techno dance. You should read the local on-line forums…the sympathisers, the haters…the ambivalent (that’s us). In any case, the music boom, boom booming through the night, the packed-out supermarket and the general crowds certainly challenge the senses. We always warn people about staying with us over those four nights because our demographic is definitely, erm, mature-ish, so they do appreciate the advance warning. But the bars, restaurants, and other business make hay during the festival and the kids enjoy it (get me, “the kids” …I feel old) so there is a balance to the argument. Wouldn’t say ‘no’ to a more diverse mix of music on offer though!

Second: The annual naked run. During a baking hot August evening and these crazy people run the 2.5 or 7km (two options) route around the naturist zone. Did we attend? Of course! Wine glass in hand, cheering on the runners – well someone’s got to encourage them. And local photographer/legend Tony Unwin has immortalised the event in photos.

Gay Pride: With only a few floats, it’s not exactly the extravaganza you see in various cities around the world, but it’s our own extravaganza in Vera Playa and it attracts people from all around and is always a great night of acceptance and camaraderie regardless of your orientation. For such a small resort to have such a festival every year speaks volumes about this special place.

Flags around the naturist zone: A certain community-spirited group are trying to arrange with the town hall a scheme where flags are suspended from lighting poles around the zone making it clear where you are free to be naked in the streets. It’s early days at the moment but on the night of the naked run we bumped into one of the organisers of this charming idea, and he showed us some impressions and explained the latest developments. It’s a case of ‘watch this space’ so I’ll certainly be sure to keep you informed as I hear anything new.

Our Vera Playa Galleries page has been updated: Yes, during one of these hot August evenings, I locked myself away in an air-conditioned room, sorted through all of Steve’s photographs, re-arranged the ‘Galleries’ section of our website and added a new section entitled “Local Festivals and Fiestas” in an effort to show some of the more cultural events that take place annually in the area. As Steve takes more photos, I’ll add them but if you are a past guest then please feel free to send me any you think may be of interest as there are already a few there that are courtesy of some trigger happy guests of ours already. Check out the galleries here.

So there we have it. A round up from yours truly. I need a lie down now, the heat is killing me, then we might pop down to the beach for a swim in the warm bath I MEAN, the Mediterranean.

See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here

The Hot, High Season Is Upon Us - Relax and Enjoy!

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 12:04:19 GMT

VP bursts into high season

So, here we are already. It’s July and another gear change – this one into the official high season. You need to smother on the sun lotion, drink plenty of fluids (preferably non-alcoholic during the daytime heat. There. Public safety announcement over.) be close to water, be it pool or sea to keep your body temperature moderated, and sit back, kick back and enjoy the wall-to-wall blue skies, sun and heat.

So with high season in full bloom, the beach and pools are teeming with Spanish families young, old and anything in between, leaving a trail of sandcastle estates along the shoreline.

It’s good to see these young families raising their children as naturists, the future generation of genuine naturists in Vera Playa is assured. It’s just all so laid-back and relaxed in Spain, nudity is no big deal here, as a rule… just the natural way to enjoy the great outdoors.

All the beach bars, street bars, restaurants, ice cream parlours and shops are open and doing good business. All the lifeguards are on duty along the beach and swimming pools. Consum (the supermarket) is now open on Sundays so you can get your fresh watermelon to take to the beach.

Yes, it’s busy and buzzing but still there are some more isolated spots to be found further from the main facilities if that’s what you prefer.

Sometimes I look up at the lifeguards in their towers and I wonder what they must be thinking about all these naked people taking in the sun and splashing in the sea. But then the other day, I noticed that during his ‘afternoon break’ the young lifeguard climbed down from his tower, and lay on the sand – naked. So, he has either been brought up in a naturist friendly environment, or he is a latter convert. Whichever it is, it was refreshing to see that one of the ‘workers’ is also ‘one of us.’

I do love swimming in the sea (well, bobbing around and daydreaming in my own world, more like), but I do have an irrational phobia. Fish. Yes reader. I love fish dishes, but the thought of one swimming past me, or worse of all – jumping out the water in front of me (as they love to do here) makes me scream “we’re all gonna die” as I run out the water. Now, I’m smart enough to know that this irrational fear is exactly that – irrational – so I try to put these thoughts out of my head and enjoy my bobbing in the water. However, a few days ago, Steve and I were in the sea chatting away when all of a sudden I saw… a fin. It flippered around briefly then disappeared. And so did I. I didn’t even bother to try and save Steve – I just exited to terra firma and fast. My natural reaction was to shout ‘Shark! Shark! Get out of the water!’ in 5 different languages but on consideration what I had seen was probably a dolphin that had drifted too close to shore by mistake – or even maybe a turtle (after all, the road down to the beach translates as ‘Boba Turtle Avenue’), Dolphins are often spotted off the coast of nearby Garrucha and Mojácar so perhaps this one wanted to enjoy effortlessly gliding alongside some nude swimming pals. Anyway, after a 10-minute sulk, I was persuaded back into the water with not a Jaws sighting to behold.

So there we have it. July speeds on. Where are these summer months going? Well I know where I’m going – to the beach! Toodle pip. Keep cool and enjoy the summer.

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here

It's not all just sun and sangria, you know!

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 11:05:26 GMT

Chris goes back to his French while Steve does a magic trick with his food!

Back in January I mentioned that we would have some French guests staying later in the year and that it would be the perfect opportunity for me to practise my French. Well, they came, they enjoyed, they went, they enjoyed so much that they are coming back! Steve was highly amused at my “schoolboy” French. The cheek of it…I was in the top set for French at school I’ll have you know, and my grandmother’s first language was French…in fact, did I tell you that she worked as an interpreter in an American hospit... oh, I can see your eyes rolling from here – I’m even boring myself. Anyway, a while back we had purchased some rather stylish coasters for our 'Almodóvar' apartment. They consisted of arty imagery with French writing. Yes, I know we’re in Spain reader, but they just looked so stylish and had the ‘joie de vivre’ of the French – ahh, the French. So we bought them. Turns out – our lovely French guests informed us – the coasters’ artwork is a play on (rude) words…like, double entendre (think Carry-on films or Benny Hill if you know British culture). And there Steve and I were thinking were we were being so sophisticated! Thankfully, the French guests loved them and thought them hilarious. You live ‘n’ learn, eh.

Talking of sophisticated, meanwhile over in our 'Mediterráneo' apartment, we had a very charming couple who enjoy the finer things in life. The lady of the household wanted to get a few bits in from the supermarket to tide them over. She is an unashamed food and wine connoisseur and as we were walking around the supermarket aisles (except she wasn’t walking, she was wafting in her elegant manner) she mentioned in passing that

“Am I right to assume there is a proper connoisseur’s cork screw in the apartment?”

In a moment of panic, I doubted everything about my good breeding and upbringing, but this short-lived meltdown quickly passed as I gave myself a proverbial slap with the realisation OF COURSE we have a connoisseur’s cork screw in the apartment. Hellooo!! This is Steve and Chris’s establishment we’re talking about if you please!

Steve and I were treated (yes, treated) to a fabulous night out for dinner at the new-for-2019 ‘La Golondrina’ chiringuito in the naturist zone. We had a delicious meal rounded off with homemade desserts. Our dinner hosts looked at Steve’s plate and asked jokingly “What’s happened to your food, Steve?” It was empty and knowing him as I do, had we not been in polite company he would’ve licked the plate clean. So, yes – we are recommending ‘La Golondrina’ for the food and also for the service, which is both very friendly and efficient.

In Spain, it is custom when you order an alcoholic drink, to also be served a tapa. We’ve noticed a certain chiringuito had gotten a bit lazy and just served a little bowl of plain crisps or peanuts which to me doesn’t count as a proper tapa. It would seem that the likes of new kid on the block ‘La Golondrina’ helps existing establishments up their game because we have heard on the grapevine that they are back doing proper tapa again. It’s good to have new blood as it keeps everyone else on their toes and the quality as it should be.

For my birthday, we took ourselves to the lovely Armony Beach club which although the owner is a fellow naturist, this establishment is ‘textile’ and only a few minutes walk further along the beach. I wanted to spend my birthday drinking fine wine and eating fine tapas – and Armony beach club has a reputation for both. We sat there enjoying the food and drink, watching the waves and hearing the chill-out music mix gently with the sound of the waves. It’s a great vibe there. If you want a real taste of style and extravagance, then walk a little further to Maraú Beach club and you’ll get that in spades. Another day perhaps, but for my b’day I fancied the gentler vibe of Armony, and I wasn’t disappointed.

If you’re planning a trip to VP for the first time, similar to how I was feeling on my birthday, you won’t be disappointed either. There is so much to enjoy here. If you want activity, gastronomy, or just to chill on the beach and do nothing but soak up the sun – it all comes in buckets (and spades) here. We try to represent everything about the area on our website so people have plenty of ideas on what to do or see. We had a guest last month who it turns out is a bit of a twitcher. He sent us some wonderful photos of bird life (the feathered ones before I get any jokes, please) around the playa and surrounding area. They were so good that we just had to curate them into a new collection of photos on our ‘Galleries’ page entitled ‘Birds and places for nature.’ Take a look. You see, it’s not just sun and sangria here, you know. Not that I’m against a glass or two of course. Speaking of which, it must be five o’clock by now somewhere in the world, surely.

Until the next time. ¡Salud!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here

The sun and vibe is waiting for you…just don’t forget your sun lotion!

Thu, 02 May 2019 14:19:48 GMT

Even in April at VP you need to make sure you have enough sun protection.

Note: Title photo is courtesy of Alexandra who hires these sun beds on the naturist beach at VP.

‘Hate’ is a strong word, reader is it not? Steve used that very word while proof-reading this very blog you are reading now (four eyes are better than two).

“Oh I HATE the way you hyphenate ‘of-course” he exclaimed.

“They are TWO. SEPARATE. WORDS” he articulated.

Well excuse me but it’s a habit – I can’t help it. Talking of habits, our habit of going to the beach was enhanced in April because it’s happened already…in April. Yes. We’ve been in the sea already and the outdoor pool if you please and I repeat – in April! In fact, during the month of April, apart from a few dodgy days, we actually had quite a few full-on beach days. Even in April at VP you need to make sure you have enough protection on because that sun is strrrong!

Easter week (called Semana Santa here in Spain) I swear was the busiest we’ve ever known it to be all the years we’ve been coming to VP, and it feels like that busyness of Semana Santa has kick-started the whole season, because we’ve just returned from a lovely morning on the beach and it feels like summer already.

Alexandra who runs the sunbeds in front of the Natsun chiringuito returned to the sand only a couple of days ago, ensuring her workmen put all the lovely thatched parasols up properly, and the Pirate Bar is going strong already with all the sunloungers ready to hire too and of course (this was the offending “of-course”) more sunbeds to hire at the lifeguard tower end of the beach. These latter sunbeds are a handy staggering distance from beach bar La Cañita Loca which itself is also buzzing and is a joy to behold with its painted fish-themed blue barrels.

Our rental apartments have been in full swing since March. Last weekend we saw some new guests into our ‘Mediterráneo’ apartment. They haven’t stayed with us before so we always worry that everything is going to be comfortable and good for them. We needn’t have worried because after their first night, they sent us a message to say that the apartment is “close to heaven.” Well, that’ll do us fine but next time I’ll aim for the pearly gates…always room for improvement.

The council finally gave us our new naturist beach signs, after last year's yellow and the previous year's blue, this year we seem to be a minimalist white – how arty.

We’re going out to dinner tonight to a restaurant in the heart of the naturist zone, it’s called Paso Doble. They tend to open from April to October and do a very good value 3-course ‘menu del noche’ for only 15€ which includes a glass of wine or a beer! This’ll be our first visit of the year so we’re looking forward to it.

With all the naturist venues seeming to be in full operation now plus the good weather, I’m getting a bit disorientated about which month it is…I keep thinking we’re in July not the beginning of May.

On your way to VP soon? The sun and vibe is waiting for you…just don’t forget your sun lotion, of course...(see what I did there!)

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here

It's all happening...here's to summer. Cheers! ¡Salud!

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 14:54:31 GMT

It's the end of March which can only mean one thing...Vera Playa is getting ready for the 2019 summer season ahead

He’s given me a list, Steve has, of things to include in this blog.

“It’s all happening, get the blog out or you’ll miss the boat” he commands.

“I’m a creative” I protest back “I can’t just write to order!”

So, what’s with this list anyway? Let’s have a look shall we…

Well, first of all, are you sleepwalking into losing an hour's sleep this Sunday? Yes, the clocks go forward this weekend signalling the start of even longer, lighter evenings here at VP – bliss!

During the month of March we’ve already had a couple of sets of guests enjoying the spring sunshine in our apartments meaning our season has started unusually early this year. When telling a neighbour about our early start, he did the ‘money rolling in hand gesture’ at me…I just said “no, actually it’s...” and did the knocking back cheap wine and munching chocolate bonbons sign.

Oh, I’m looking back at this list I’ve been given…reader, it’s numbered. The rebel in me wants to change the numbers for bullet points but on this occasion I’ll tow the party line:

So the new developments around the zone in time for the start of the 2019 season are:

1. The welcome return of ‘La Cañita Loca’ opening party next Friday (free drinks and tapas to celebrate)

2. A brand new chiringuito called ‘La Golondrina’ is set to open next Saturday (again, free drinks and paella to wet the bar's worktop)

3. We have been hearing whispers that Luis from ‘Puntonat’ will also be opening soon.

Good to see so many naturist bars opening so early.

We had a chat with Marina from La Cañita Loca who was busy painting the inside of the kitchen vibrant blue. She was gesticulating and announcing that the sun shades will be decorated and painted blue and it will all be gorgeous and lovely. We love this little place – the perfect pit stop as you leave the beach for a caña and tapa...and of course Marina's infectious 'cackle' is always a joy to hear.

Additionally, a couple of weeks ago while we were sunbathing next to 'Cota Zero' (aka the legendary Pirate Bar) we were rudely awoken by the sound of drilling and sawing, so we would assume an opening here soon also?

Of course ‘Oh La La’ has been open some time already this year and ‘Sol y Luna’ and ‘Inna's’/’Natsun’ chiringuito didn't close over winter.

Other things going on in time for the 2019 season starting:

The return of the sun umbrellas, a new, slightly strange, sundial roundabout and many of the textile beach bars all doing their refurb works.

Following a week of strong currents the beach will be getting prepared and groomed in time for Semana Santa (Easter).

The ‘Ruta de la Tapa’ in neighbouring Garrucha is also causing great excitement among the local VP residents. It's a tapas trail of 57 participating restaurants/bars all having their own signature tapa which can be sampled with a drink for just 3 euros a shot. You can meander from bar to bar trying them all, having your "passport stamped" and if you have at least 10 stamps you can enter the draw to win an exotic holiday. Even better, show the bus driver your ‘Ruta de la Tapa’ passport, and you get a free bus ride home – ambassador you spoil us!

It's a gastronomic 'bar crawl' of epic proportions! Today being day 1 of the week-long event, we collected our Ruta de la Tapa "passports" enroute to our Spanish class this afternoon. Thank goodness we don't have to squeeze into any bikinis or for that matter mankinis on the naturist beach this year!!!

On that bombshell and with that image spiralling around your mind , I wish you all a great Daylight Saving Time. Here’s to summer!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here

Facing winter in VP... Mojito in hand

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 13:23:46 GMT

A weekend mini-break in our regional capital - Almería.

You know some films you watch just stick in your mind? Well, a few years back I watched this film (the name escapes me – it was that good) about some kids on their gap year who find themselves stranded in some remote South American coast. They look over the cliff and spot a wonderful looking beach bar with Latino music playing loudly, overfriendly staff, everyone dancing with flowers in their hair and knocking back Mojitos like they were going out of fashion. “Great – we’ll have some of that” they thought to themselves. Next thing, they wake up from a drug-induced coma, the bar is deserted, the over-friendly bar staff have stolen their passports and are holding them captive while the surgeon arrives in order to operate on them while still alive to remove vital organs which will be sold on the black market.

Anyway, we’ve just come back from a weekend mini-break in Almería, the region’s capital and this year’s Spanish centre of gastronomy. We never tire of this wonderful city. It’s real Spain with Moorish influence in abundance. It’s less than an hour’s drive (or bus) from Vera Playa and if you love historic places and culture – this is a must to visit. This time, we visited the cathedral which as you step inside, literally makes you go ‘wow’ as your eyes are trying to take it all in. We’ve done it before, but we love it so much that we visited the stunning Alcazaba again. The constant restoration enabled us to access more areas than we could last time we visited. The view from up there is spectacular – looking over the city, across the Mediterranean and out towards the coast of North Africa. Of course we spent the evening finding the tapas bars that our Lonely Planet and Guardian guides recommend, and ended up at some wonderful Cuban bar with Latino music playing loudly, overfriendly staff, everyone dancing with flowers in their hair and knocking back Mojitos like they were going out of fashion. I don’t quite remember getting back to the hotel, but our passports and wallets were still with us and we weren’t being held captive – not that after that many Mojitos – black market or not, our livers would have been any use to anyone.

We got home just now and it was a joy to look out the window and see the VP naturist beach full of people enjoying the wonderful sunny Sunday afternoon and it’s only the beginning of March! You know, I often hear Steve on the phone telling people calling from the UK just how pleasant the temperature is here at VP even in the dead of winter. “Really?” they question him back “but I was looking at the weather forecast and you don’t seem to have it that warm” then off Steve goes, resident expert in weather reports that he is…explaining that the nearest weather station isn’t actually at VP where we have a micro climate, and besides, if you are out of the wind but in the sun it actually feels warmer than the air temperature and besides … looking out the window right now there are naked people on the beach despite it being the middle of February blah blah blah. Listen, why do you think Vera Playa is full of northern Europeans all the way through winter, propping up the naturist bars, doing their naked pétanque tournaments, bashing the poles to their windbreaks into the sand almost every day on the naturist beach. Face facts, it’s bliss here all year round, and if that fact makes you feel sick with jealousy, well, you’ll just have to try it for yourselves next winter won’t you? See our photos below taken this weekend in Almería to see just how lovely and sunny it was!

Last week saw Día de Andalucía to commemorate Andalucía being an autonomous community in Spain. The adult education schools in our area got together for a little celebration. We were lured there on account of the free bus and sandwiches. Well, free bus yes, but sandwiches? They lied…more like bits of cheap cake from Lidl, but it was a day out I ‘spose, and a good laugh. And we even got to see inside a Sorbas cave, visited a pottery (again!!!) and sat through a seemingly endless “show” in the auditorium.

Us foreigners, none of us can speak each other’s languages, but we have one common language with which we can communicate to each other – Spanish, and still we don’t have a clue what we are saying to one another half the time.

Talking about learning the lingo, if one more person tells us they are learning Spanish with the app Duolingo, then I will have a stroke down one side of my face. Do you know it? That Duolingo? You know, the one where that stupid owl winks at you every time you get an answer right? No reader, we don’t need lingots and owls to motivate us. And don’t get me started on that annoying pinging noise either.

Anyway, we’ve got a lot on our plate at the moment because our season this year starts early…in just a couple of weeks! That’s our winter break well and truly over, but I’m not complaining. It’s nice to have the apartments inhabited and enjoyed again and of course the spoils of such keeps me in wine and chock-lit. And if you are reading this as someone who will be visiting us this year then of course I would like you to know that we are very much looking forward to seeing you! Roll on holiday time, hey.

Toodle pip for now…I’ve got a Mojito to make and some Cuban music to play…

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Blue Skies or Blue Monday?

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 11:49:54 GMT

Well, we only have blue skies and blue sea here at Vera Playa.

So, there I was, sat at the kitchen table, sunbeams bouncing around the room, trawling the Daily Trash on-line (don’t judge reader) for titillating gossip when Steve told me that it was about time I wrote a blog for it has been over a month since I last posted something. “Alright” I moaned while begrudgingly moving my cursor away from an article about Cheryl Tweedie’s tattoo.

Anyway, Happy - albeit belated- New Year to you all. It all seems an age away now doesn’t it – that Crimbo. Which leads nicely to this little topic:

Yes, it was Blue Monday last Monday. It is an officially recognised date in January with its own formula and everything. If you don’t believe me check it out on Google! Doubleyou doubleyou doubleyou dot Google dot co dot you kay, forward slash, slash my wrists and down pills and cheap vodka.

But seriously, the formula takes into account the worst of the weather, debt level, time since Christmas, time most likely to have failed already on New Year’s resolutions, time you last saw yourself naked with a tan (OK so I made that one up!), low motivation levels and so on – get the picture?

How did yours truly fare on this year’s Blue Monday date of 21st January? Blue, reader. Blue. Blue skies, blue sea. We took our breakfast on the terrace in the sunshine, we took a stroll along the seafront – pretty uneventful really. In fact, on our Blue Monday walk, Steve took a photo of the beach which I’ve posted below and if you look carefully, you’ll see naked people venturing into the sea! Yes, middle of January. Not bad eh?

Anyway, as an antidote to Blue Monday, we’ve just made available our new Vera Playa e-brochure for 2019/20. So, if you fancy a pick-me-up to bring some sunshine in your minds, drop us a line and we’ll happily send you a copy.

Many years ago, I found the temptation too much and surrendered to buying a new pair of sofas interest-free for twenty English pounds a month for the rest of my life. Ironically, when I paid off my mortgage at the tender age of 39, I realised that I still owed money on a pair of old sofas that had long gone! Well, it seems that the Vera town council have been to the same school of economics as moi, because this month the town hall have decided to remove ALL the street lighting around the playa and replace them with state-of-the-art low energy consumption lighting. Oh, it’s great…the monthly energy bills will be slashed to a fraction but just don’t mention the 757,000 euros it cost to install the little darlings. By our reckoning the lamps will have paid for themselves by Blue Monday 2099.

Economics aside, at least it proves that the council value the importance of keeping the naturist zone well-tended and secure. We had the grand switch on and I have to say, they do produce a lovely glow and light up the streets and pathways nicely without polluting the night skies above. Also, Steve has noticed that already, birds of prey are using these as their new perching posts while stalking their quarry.

We have another truly international guest list for 2019. Fortunately, most guests of other nationalities speak English, but we’ve had two separate French bookings where they speak neither English or Spanish.

“That’s okay…I’ll speak to them in French” I proudly declared to Steve.

“I wasn’t in the top set for French at school for nothing, you know” I boastfully continued

“and as you know, my grandmother worked as a translator in an American-funded hospital in Uganda – she spoke English, French and Swahili.”

So Steve gave me a test, which I passed…well, sort of…well I didn’t but anyway, we shall both use mime, dance and song to get the point across when our French cousins arrive come summertime.

Oh, and I’m signing off this post with a public health warning. Steve has decided to take up driving again. He is legal to drive and we both swapped our driving licences for Spanish ones a few years back but living and working in central London for his entire adult life, he’s never needed to do the driving thing.

“What if we were out somewhere and I broke my leg?” I asked him

“Better not learn to drive when under that kind of pressure” I reasoned.

He’s had a few lessons now that haven’t resulted in too much bickering, but he did say that today he wants to drive to our nearest A&E at Huercal Overa in case of emergency.

“Why there? Are you planning on putting me in hospital?” I asked.

So on that note I’m signing off … and going to check my life insurance policy.

See you soon!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Yes reader, It's my Crimbo message!

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 10:40:02 GMT

It's the 21st December and as I look seawards I can see people sunbathing au naturel

This will be the last one from me before crimbo. Yes reader, it’s my ‘Christmas Message to You All’ as I pretentiously call it.

We have a special treat lined up for Christmas in the form of a seven course dinner, however, as the entrance fee requires a small mortgage, we have been determined for it not to be ruined by contracting the dreaded lurgy that tends to do the rounds this time of year. We’ve got three days to go and so far we’ve remained safe from the disease. Our secret? Keep everyone and everything at arm’s length! Just the other day I was wandering aimlessly down one of the aisles of our local supermarket rolling my eyes heavenward as the in-store radio tinkled out Leona Lewis’s “One More Sleep” for the umpteenth time when a lady I know (names have been changed to protect identities) spotted me, rushed up, gave me a hug and a peck on both cheeks only to proudly announce “ooh, I’ve got this terrible cold.” Well, I literally pushed the woman away from me as if I was a member of the ‘me too’ movement rejecting unwanted advances. Sounds mean doesn’t it? Well, I don’t care because come hell or high water NOBODY is ruining my Christmas.

There. That’s my Christmas message. I’ve said it. So if you see me over the next couple of days in a public place wearing marigolds and rubbing hand gel on my upper lip like some crack addict – you’ll know why. Cheers!

In other news, today is the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year – and you know what that means don’t you? Well it means the days are now getting lighter and longer…which is a roundabout way of saying that summer is on its way. “Oh no it’s not!” I hear you cry… Oh yes it is! So if you are full of midwinter blues, don’t fret as your summer deliverance is getting near(ish). We celebrated winter solstice by watching the sunrise over the Mediterranean from our terrace and taking a moment to reflect.

We took a little jaunt out to the mountains yesterday. A particular favourite of ours is a tiny little village called Tahal (pronounced Taaal). It is completely unspoiled, a little white village with a maze of pretty streets cared for by the locals with pot plants and trailing flowers. A pretty little square in the centre and soaring above the village are beautiful pine forests. At the top of the village is a tiny castle-cum-tower. Every time we visit though, the tower is locked, so this time we went into the town hall and asked if we could see it. The friendly staff told us to go straight there – which we did – and an employee of the town hall arrived a few minutes later with the key.

He diligently switched everything on for us, including a video – beckoning us into the booth to watch it.

Well, you would never have thought that inside would be such an oasis. Interactive displays, models and multimedia telling you the history of this sweet little village – and as you climb further up the tower, there are more displays interspersed with stunning glimpses of pine forest through the small windows of the tower.

All in all, a very typical and friendly little village and a taste of the real Spain that is just on the doorstep dare you explore a little further from the bright lights.

Talking of friendly, here in Spain at this time of year it seems local businesses like to show a token of their appreciation for your custom. We did our usual refill of petrol at the local garage. Before we drove off, the attendant disappeared into his little office and came out with a bottle of wine “un regalo para ti” he said (“a gift for you”). I promised not to drink it while driving home – oh how we laughed. The same thing happened at our local pharmacy but instead of wine, we got two bumper sized scented hand soaps – I’m a cheap date, I was over the moon and what an appropriate gift for someone with an OCD handwashing fetish!

Steve and I always make an effort to converse in the language and I’m convinced that it’s this effort that makes them embrace us foreigners and treat us like locals. It’s possible to live somewhere like this and not speak a word of Spanish…but we can honestly say that our experience has been enriched by putting in the effort to learn the lingo. In that small village we visited this week where no one speaks English, the fact we could walk into the town hall and speak with the staff who were so helpful and friendly says it all really. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re getting there poco a poco.

And of course our paying guests are very friendly too…I mean, the nice Christmas wishes be it by email, Whatsapp, text or yes…snail mail even, has been very happily received indeed. Thank you!

It has been very interesting hearing our guests’ homeland weather updates, whether that be Bonn, Brussels or Birmingham! Most of the time we have been hearing how cold and dark the days have been for them…it’s hard for us to imagine this suffering sometimes especially as I am writing this now outside on the terrace on the 21st December and as I look seawards I can see people sunbathing au naturel or even some hardy souls taking a brief dip in the sea! No wonder so many Northern Europeans choose to spend Christmas and the winter months in VP.

So on that note, Steve and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2019. Enjoy the break and we hope to see you in the New Year…who knows, maybe even next Christmas! Santa suit or birthday suit, the choice is yours!

Meltdowns and Bah Humbugs

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 10:25:28 GMT

We are treating ourselves to a beach day today, yes, in December!

Margot Kidder (RIP) the American Actress many years ago, suffered a terrible mental breakdown. She had spent months writing a novel but got herself into a bit of a mental pickle and her delusional state caused her to believe that the novel she was writing contained critical information that the CIA didn’t want publishing…so when her laptop crashed and she lost all her work, well, the poor woman went into a total meltdown, and was later found by search helicopters, hiding in a neighbour’s garden naked and front teeth missing – all of which was being broadcast live on CNN. She spoke about it candidly years later having made a full recovery albeit on anti-psychotic medications for the rest of her talented life.

Me? Well, I had a Margot Kidder moment this week. This very blog which you are reading disappeared off the face of the interweb. The reason? Simple – while doing a routine edit, I pressed ‘delete’ by mistake. There wasn’t an ‘are you sure?’ prompt, the ‘undo’ button showed but was greyed out (despite my pressing it over and over in ever increasing panic before realising the undo button just wouldn’t damn well work!). Yes, reader, I was moments away from knocking my front teeth out, stripping off naked and hiding behind the nearest wheelie bin on all fours and barking like a dog.

Fortunately, my years of corporate web publishing taught me to always back-up my work. So, composure regained – that’s what I did. Panic over. We’re back.

In other news, we are the 7th of December and Steve and I are treating ourselves to a beach day today, yes. Put that in your on-line back-up and smoke it. I watched from the terrace yesterday evening, a Spanish family who had set up on the shoreline from about nine in the morning. They had blankets for the kids, loungers for the adults, a little transistor radio (remember them?!) and cool boxes with food and drink. There they stayed all day and literally enjoyed every last drop of the beach until 7pm when they finally packed up and went home. – it was a joy to see.

Those of you who know the area well, will know that the naturist zone is nicely sandwiched between the golden sandy beach on one side, and the salinas (salt marshes) on the other. Although the salinas are outside of the naturist ‘zone’ – they are always worth the short walk to because there you will spot migrating birds including flamingos.

We often take a walk over there – it reminds me of a nature reserve I grew up by back in Blighty. We often wonder how many people appreciate what this oasis of nature holds. It seems it is appreciated, because the town hall have plans for it. A collection of viewing platforms, hides and a visitor centre with huge glass wall taking in the stunning views over the salinas is in the pipeline. You can view the computer generated film of what it would look like here.

Our opinion on it is mixed. We love the thought of this area being appreciated more, but my experience of nature reserves like this is that the paths and hides are discreetly placed around the very edges of the reserve – allowing nature to continue in relative peace, undisturbed by humans. The plans from the town hall look amazing, they really do. I was impressed at first, but on reflection, walkways, bridges and visitor centres are literally being carved right through the middle of the lakes. Already I can see people letting their dogs off the lead and chasing flamingos, kids screaming at whatever wildlife they get up and personal to…am I being bah humbug? Well, it is the season I suppose.

Happy festivities!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Wrap-up or undress? The choice is yours!

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 10:02:13 GMT

November at VP for many is pure bliss – positively balmy in fact

One November, we had some paying guests who had just come to Vera Playa from a very cold England. They found our 18 degrees in the middle of November pure bliss – positively balmy in fact, and immediately stripped off and soaked up the winter sun. Steve and I on the other hand, having had our blood well and truly acclimatised and suitably thinned for this exotic climate, 18 degrees for us is quite frankly, erm cold. Especially when you consider our summer climate can reach in excess of 40 degrees, so while 18 degrees is positively sunbathing material for most, when you live here all year round, well, you get spoiled, don’t you.

We bumped into these guests on an afternoon stroll, they completely naked while Steve and I were safely protected from the blizzard in our coats, hats, gloves, scarves and anything else we could find to throw on. We looked at them, and they looked at us…we couldn’t quiet work out who was madder! How quickly our human bodies get used to the status quo!

This is the time of year when we get the usual text messages from friends, family and past guests alike, all complaining bitterly about the cold weather they are experiencing back home. How do we respond? Are we sensitive to their plight? Do we offer sangria and sympathy? No. Steve sends them a photo of our breakfast table on the terrace in full sun – adorned with a fruit salad platter. Can you believe this is November? Pure bliss.

Of course the weather is not what you’d call summer holiday standard, but a mild spring wouldn’t be far off the mark. When the sun is out, although far less populated than in the summer months, the beach will still have a smattering of naked people – dare I even mention that some of them even venture into the sea for a short sharp cool-down burst. There’s a corner in the of the chiringuitos that is a sun trap, so most afternoons a collection of locals will spend the afternoon there completely clothes-free, whiling the afternoon away over cerveza and tapas.

The afternoon pétanque crowd continue to be a major afternoon force outside the Sol y Luna chiringuito, noisily throwing their boules, celebrating the match wins (or losses) all at various states of dress or undress. It’s a good vibe.

This is the first year the new Plaza behind the supermarket has been open for winter and there seems to be a steady flow of footfall which is good to see. Certainly there is a wider choice of places to go at this time of year than ever before.

We are heading fast into December – the first part of which sees a lot of Spanish people descend of Vera Playa for the long weekend of celebration and public holidays. Yes, December 6th is Constitution Day (celebrating Spain becoming a democracy) followed by Day of the Immaculate Conception (Virgin Mary with child). This is why the seasonal bars and restaurants still have yet to completely close for the season, because they will be alive and buzzing for this upcoming public holiday, then of course it’s (whisper) Christmas…here in Spain that celebration is called the Three Kings and goes right into January…but I am getting carried away, for reader, between you and me…I love Christmas – it can never come soon enough. I am so looking forward to December 1st and opening the first window on our chocolate advent calendar…little things…

In the meantime, Happy rest-of-November…keep warm. I’ve got a Tinto Verano waiting for me on the terrace, cheers!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

The End (of the Season) is Nigh

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 11:12:44 GMT

It’s been a good season, welcoming back familiar faces and meeting new ones.

Yes blog readers…it’s THAT time of year, when finally, in but a couple of weeks time, Steve and I can finally sit back, kick off our well-trodden flip flops and enjoy a bit of down time after yet another incredibly busy season.

Not that we’re complaining! It’s a good life on the beach, but it is jolly hard work making hay while the sun shines, I can tell you. From April to the end of October as one set of guests leave an apartment in the morning, the next set will be arriving in the afternoon. So that gives us just a few hours to make sure the apartment is spick and span with no compromises on standards.

Alas, but yes…same day change overs can get in the way of essential R&R you know! But that’s fine by us, because I’d much rather our apartments be so spotlessly clean that you could practically eat your dinner out of the toilet bowl (sorry if you’re eating your din dins – couldn’t resist). So it does take us longer than most to get the apartments in perfect order for each set of paying guests, but it pays off…dare I use the phrase ‘USP’ now we are in TV’s 'Apprentice' season?

When we do a clean and changeover, there are often workplace accidents. For example, Steve is always rushing around so fast that he often stubs his toe whilst turning mattresses or pulls muscles lugging furniture and cleaning equipment – often turning the air blue at the same time. Talking of blue, just this week, while holding a loo brush in one hand and a bottle of ‘Blu-Loo’ (other brands are available) in the other, in my zeal I accidently squeezed the Blu-Loo and it squirted in my left eye and all down one side of my face. As a former classically trained actor and in an effort to find a way of making cleaning more interesting - it remains in my instinct to always think how I can use these life experiences in character even though I retired the boards years ago. So I staggered to the sink and immediately washed off with cold water. Bathing the Blu-Loo away, I was also bathing emotionally in character as an acid attack victim. If I had an agent I’d be calling them to get me a casting with Holby City.

So it’s been a good season, welcoming back familiar faces and meeting new ones. Most of our guests now are people that return year after year, and when they do return, they often come bearing gifts (no reader, this isn’t a begging letter). Gifts this year have included a bird house in the shape of a VW campervan, key hooks (very practical), a massive Austrian cake (naughty but very nice), scented candle melts (cookie dough flavour – do not eat, repeat do not eat!), handmade dice and erm…knitted placemats. Yes, you read correctly. We were knitted a pair of chunky cable knit placemats and have been promised another matching pair to make a full set when she returns next year! Well, they are machine washable!

It is also an opportune time to reflect on the fact that naturists come from all sorts of different walks of life. This season alone, we have had an archaeologist, a builder, teachers, mechanics, an accountant, and even a pastry chef. Make mine a shortcrust Bakewell tart if you please (yes, okay, this has now turned into a begging letter).

So this weekend the clocks go back and even here in our Vera Playa paradise the days get shorter... what do we look forward to at this time of year...well Halloween of course! Stay tuned to our Facebook page for a few Halloween inspired photos...you know, the ones that didn't quite make it to the holiday brochure!!!

Autumn is also a wonderful time of year here for keep fit, the climate is better suited for power-walking, hiking, cycling, running or maybe best of all, licking an ice cream on Mojácar seafront.

We are also treated to some quite spectacular lightshows in the skies in autumn. Be they sunrises in the east over the Mediterranean or sunsets in the west over the salinas accompanied by the sound of chattering, roosting birds, VP has a very special light in the autumn and winter months...in fact most of our favourite photos from our website have been taken at this time of year.

I included a weather report in my last blog, so will do the same again this time: The weather report for the last weekend was that there was going to be a MASSIVE deluge. A terrible rain storm. It was due to happen from approximately midday on Saturday. Steve and I went for an early morning stroll along the beach to make the most of the outdoors before being holed-up all weekend. It was 8am and the local council workmen were poised at the end of every street in their special water pumping van thingies, the main road had had a wall of sandbags built and the street down to the beach was cleared of parked cars in an effort to divert the coming flood water down the street and out to sea. It was all very reassuring to think the powers that be were going to such lengths to keep us locals and holidaymakers safe and sound.

So, midday came…midday went…the sun continued to shine and there was maybe a little drizzle for five minutes but that was it. We felt relieved and even managed an afternoon on the beach the very next day. We even enjoyed a swim in the sea – yes, a swim in the sea and we are at the end of October – how about that? And I promise I tell you the truth when I say the water was actually a rather pleasant temperature. I’m not going to call it the last swim of the season…there may be more so watch this space, and besides, with the end of the season upon us and only sporadic bookings here and there to worry about, there’s going to be more R&R in this household so swim in the sea again I just might. I’ll let you know next time.

Happy downtime.

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Beware guests bearing gifts of after sun lotion!

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 10:00:30 GMT

A brush with san tan lotion and a bit of rain...

If there’s one thing we love being left by guests checking out, it’s sun tan lotion. We’ve got a whole cupboard load at home – all donated – we’re the equivalent of the local food bank only for sun tan lotion. One week we could be on Garnier, the next Piz Buin, the next Asda own brand…we’re not fussy. The other day we were even left – luxury of luxuries – gasp…after sun!

So after a day sunbathing on the beach, we got home, showered and got ready to go out for dinner with some friends and I thought to myself “ooh, I’m going to try that after sun – what decadence!”

On I smothered it, like the stuff was going out of fashion. I emerged from the bathroom feeling soft-skinned and refreshed. It wasn’t until later when we were in the restaurant that Steve noticed I was covered in glitter – head to toe! Returning home, I re-checked exhibit ‘A’ the guest-donated after sun, only to notice that in Spanish it said something along the lines of ‘soothe your skin and glitter all night long.’ Thankfully my tan this time of year is so dark that it hides my blushes!

Moving on to a weather report now. Even in winter, rain is a rare occurrence here at VP. We’ll go for months without seeing any – then we’ll get a deluge for a few hours, it’ll stop, the sun will come out, the sky will turn blue... the rain drains away and you’d never know there had been any. That’s how it works here – perfect. So when we got the full works last weekend – thunder, rain and terror of terrors – lightening - social media went into meltdown. Honestly, you’d have thought it was Noah’s Ark’s second coming!

Our Whatsapp, email and Facebook messengers were pinging from concerned friends, past guests and relatives. Neighbours who don’t live here all year round were getting in touch to ask if their property had been swept away along with the unicorns. Now let me set the record straight reader: This happens every time we get a bit of rain. The flooding means you must take swift action for your personal safety and head for higher ground immediately - that’ll be, erm, the pavement. The photos look dramatic, but look closer and you’ll see the water is no higher than the bottom part of the car tyres.

Being Spain, everyone loves the drama, folk leave their homes and flock to the streets, gossiping, pointing and lapping up (pardon the pun) the drama with the aid of old broom handles as walking aids because it can be very dangerous wading in water that comes up to your ankles you know! It brought a tear to my eye watching the local menfolk rush to the aid of the most severe casualty – a beaten old 1998 Renault Clio that had inhaled too much water through its exhaust pipe and needed to be pushed to safety. Then there was a plume of acrid smoke bellowing into the air above VP – an old BMW 5 series having had the guts revved out of the clutch in order to get through the water had sparked an electrical fault and the whole car went up in flames – honestly, it was like Armageddon. I was half expecting Jason Statham to appear and rescue us all from the bedlam. As the drama waned, the surface water drained away, the council workers arrived with their usual cleaning equipment, all returned to normal. End of weather report.

It is at this time of year you see a real sea-change in the atmosphere at VP. Gone is the hustle and bustle of July and August when most of the Spanish families take their holidays. It’s lovely to see several generations of families on the naturist beach enjoying quality time together as nature intended. Now we are way into September, you notice the beach is more couples enjoying the quieter beach while the weather is still scorchio – and as for the sea…it has had all summer to bring it to the lovely warm temperature it is now – no wonder it is the month in our calendar that gets booked first.

Anyone impressed with the latest series of X Factor? We’re not. So when we settled down the other evening to watch the opening show of the series, glass of wine ready to have its first sip gulped, we were almost relieved when a lovely couple staying in our Almodóvar apartment phoned in a bit of a daze.

They had gone on a sightseeing jaunt to Mojácar Pueblo – a pretty white washed village a short drive away, and had returned to the car only to discover a flat tyre. Initially unfazed, they opened the boot to get the spare and change it over only to discover the hire car company had in their wisdom removed the spare! We have since learned this is an increasingly common practice of the hire car companies for some reason unknown to the logical thinker. Anyway, they had already spoken to the hire car breakdown people, but we decided it would be far easier if we just popped up there and got them home ourselves, then the recovery can be dealt with in the morning, in daylight. I certainly wouldn’t want to be stuck half way up a mountain at 9pm on a Saturday night – nor did we want to watch X Factor, so it was an easy choice to make. Our lovely couple were eternally grateful and the whole thing got sorted in the morning in the form of a hulking great brute of a truck driver with whom they had to share the front seat of the recovery truck. It’s at times like those you just have to rely on small talk albeit in another language.

Anyway, I’m signing off. Got a changeover to do…if they’ve left any after sun, I promise to check it for glitter content before applying – it’s called the sparkle factor!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

The Naturists are Revolting!

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 07:25:01 GMT

15 minutes of fame!

A couple of blogs back, I started the post with an amusing newsflash concerning non-naturists being quite literally frog-marched off the beach by the local Guardia Civil (military police). Well, it seems there are further rumblings in the naturist paradise here at Vera Playa – and yours truly was involved in a protest march! Yes, me!

Did I chain myself naked to railings, I hear you say? Am I languishing in some filthy hovel of a Spanish prison cell waiting for the UK ambassador to intervene and rescue me from the depths of depravity lest little old me becomes jail bait for some hulking great brut doing porridge for murder? Well, do read on interested one and you will find out!

To set the scene – a history lesson for you: Back in time, long before any of the residential development at Vera Playa was ever built, the officially designated naturist beach existed – wild and natural.

In the early days, only the naturist hotel and campsite were there. Then, just south of the hotel the completely naturist ‘zone’ of individual naturist urbanisations was built – connected by public streets where, to this day, you are free to walk naked around the ‘zone’ and down to the beach. This is considered the ‘main’ section of the naturist beach even though the officially designated section stretches further than people think, beyond the naturist residential ‘zone’ where textile urbanisations have in latter years been built - two kilometres in total, and because the backdrop of modern development has adhered to strict guidelines, it is all low rise – no ugly towering blocks – the only thing soaring above you is the beautiful mountain backdrop.

The Playazo (massive beach stretching the whole sweep of the bay) comes under the jurisdiction of the Vera town hall and the two kilometers of officially designated naturist beach is just a small part of the bigger stretch. There is no formal demarcation saying you are either entering or leaving the naturist section – nor does the town hall think there needs to be because Vera town hall are fully aware of the all-round financial benefits naturist tourism brings the area and are very supportive of our cause. Just look at any of the official Vera marketing and it always makes room to promote not just the Playazo but the naturist section and zone too.

It’s always nice that the town mayor comes and makes a special presentation at the annual naked run within the naturist zone – presenting the prize to the winner and telling how important the naturist euro is to the area when he gives his speech at the end. That’s fine, because Vera council continues jurisdiction of the massive beach beyond the southern boundary of the naturist section. At the northern boundary of the naturist beach though, Vera town hall’s boundary ends, and another town hall – Cuevas del Almanzora – begins. It is this separate council who have decided to erect a sign at the northern boundary of naturist and non-naturist beach prohibiting the practice of naturism beyond that point.

It is written into the Spanish constitution that it is perfectly legal and okay to be naked on any of Spain’s beautiful beaches. This doesn’t affect our beautiful naturist beach, because we are still free to continue to use the 2km of designated beach as nature intended, but the issue nevertheless is that by prohibiting being naked on the ‘textile’ beach, Cuevas del Almanzora town hall are actually at odds with the Spanish constitution. So, with this in mind, the Spanish naturist association and the International Naturist Federation (INF) organised a rather exciting sounding ‘protest’ at the offending sign one day last week.

I’ve never considered myself a radical, even back in my student days – many years ago – I would roll my eyes heavenward when fellow students tried to enrol me in the student union on account of some flaky issue that bothered them.

We got a Whatsapp message from a Spanish neighbour the night before telling us of the protest. So, off we marched along the beach not before ringing the doorbells of friends and neighbours telling them of their civic duty to protest.

In typically Spanish relaxed style, the protestors continued to swim and sunbathe right up to the last moment before finally dragging themselves away from their water front spots.

Meanwhile, the rest of us northern Europeans, including our German neighbours – all fastidious about time keeping - were stood at the protest spot an age before our Spaniard friends.

So, they were ready for us. TV cameras, crew, reporters, riot police – ready for a bun fight…then the protest started…It was all a flash in a saucepan really. We didn’t even cross the line into Cuevas del Almanzora territory…we just waved a little red flag that said in Spanish “leave your clothes here – naturist beach” as if to say “so there” …then went home.

It made the national news that evening, and it was fun watching the telly and saying “ooh, that’s so and so” but that was it. The beach is still there, the naturists are still enjoying it, the sun is still shining, the sea is still gorgeous…life in paradise goes on! Weeelllll, it’s something to talk about I ‘spose.

We’ve also had the annual Dreambeach festival…over 150,000 young’uns descending on the area for the five-night techno dance festival. We were all young once and I don’t begrudge the youngsters having their fun, but I am far too old for all that jungle music – if it was an 80’s revival festival then yours truly would be there ‘biggin’ it up large like’ as I think they say, but sadly it is, and I’m not, so let’s just say we’re glad it’s all over.

We had some glorious Kiwis (no, not the fruit darlings, the nationality) staying with us over the dance festival period. Steve had already warned them when they booked last year about Dreambeach, so, on our recommendation, they booked a two week stay at our 'Almodóvar' apartment, fled to the mountains for the Dreambeach nights, then came back and stayed another two weeks in our 'Mediterráneo' apartment (I think they call that in the biz a ‘twin centre break’ you know).

Well, they just love it here and are already musing over dates for next year. Not only do they love all that VP has to offer, but they appreciate how you can take yourself off exploring to other Spanish naturist havens all within a couple of hours drive away!

So, that’s what’s been keeping old Steve busy the last few days – opening up the calendar for 2019 bookings, phoning the waiting list, etc. Someone even wanted to book 2019 AND 2020!! Alright for some, eh…but we simpletons can only deal with one year at a time.

Well, that’s all for now folks. No doubt some drama will have happened in time for my next blog, but hopefully I’ll still be free and out of prison to tell the tale. In the meantime, I’ve got a red flag to go wave at someone…

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Flybys, walkways, lunar eclipses and, erm…hand knitted placemats!

Tue, 31 Jul 2018 07:13:29 GMT

Not the actual lunar eclipse but a good representation

I start this post with a public service information announcement – but first, a bit of background. A couple of years back, we had some guests, who as soon as their plane landed, they picked up their hire car, drove to the nearest supermarket, did a whole two weeks' worth of shopping, then, in the supermarket car park, stripped off and started the drive to Vera Playa.

So from the supermarket car park onwards, for the entire two weeks of their holiday, right up to returning the hire car at the airport car park...they were without clothes all that time. Great. Different strokes for different folks as they say.

Anyway, the other day I overheard Steve on the phone to an upcoming guest who was asking Steve about the practicalities of being au naturel on the drive down to Vera Playa. Not wanting to be a party pooper but nevertheless conveying his sense of public duty, Steve had to explain why this may not be such a good idea.

The Spanish traffic police (Tráfico) will certainly have something to say if you are stopped or worse still, involved in a road incident.

It may – on face value – sound petty that you can be heavily fined for, say driving shirtless, or for driving in flip-flops. You could also be fined if your passenger puts their feet up on the dashboard. Even I, Mister Health and Safety Inc. rolled my eyes heavenward when I first learned of these arbitrary fines. But actually, having read up on the reasoning behind it, there are very good reasons for your own safety why ‘driving au naturel’ along with a host of other do’s and don’ts must be observed when driving in Spain.

So our advice is to remember that even though you are in holiday mode, keep in mind that these laws are there not to be fun-killing, but to protect you from being killed. For more information on the laws regarding driving in Spain visit http://n332.es/

So, at the start of last weekend, the world enjoyed a special lunar eclipse. Apparently, one of the best places in the world to observe this phenomenon was the east coast of Spain! Some of the bars/chiringuitos on the naturist beach stayed open til the early hours so that lunar followers like us could enjoy the view right on the water’s edge. The famous ‘Pirate Bar’ was our venue of choice. VP’s resident professional photographer Tony Unwin was there for photographic evidence and someone had set up a telescope on the sand. A very nice Norwegian couple staying in our ‘Mediterráneo' apartment were there and him being a fisherman and captain of his own boat, was regaling us with all sorts of technical information about the lunar eclipse.

“Do you know all of this stuff because you are a fisherman?” asked someone? “No” came the reply “I just Googled it.” How honest of him I thought.

Sadly, a misty evening made the view of the moon a bit, erm, disappointing, but the warm breeze of the evening, the sound of the waves lapping and the good company as we sat looking over the Mediterranean Sea more than made up for it.

On a different topic, I am personally relieved to see that the town hall are continuing to upgrade the old clanky boardwalks along the whole playazo (means ‘massive beach’ of which the naturist section is a part). While the old fashioned wood planks are somewhat romantic and make a nice clanky sound as you step along them, protruding planks are a trip and splinter hazard. I have witnessed a few people have their whole lives flash before their eyes and last year, yours truly fell spectacularly ‘arse over tit’ so to speak.

The new upgraded walkways look just like the real wooden thing but they are actually look-a-likee concrete pathways. They don’t perish and become a trip hazard nor do they need to be taken up over the winter. So the naturist beach is even more accessible year round.

Talking of accessibility, last year, the new walkway included a new covered area for wheelchair users – right by the lifeguard tower and the lifeguards themselves assist people with mobility issues in and out of the water on specially adapted water buggies! No reader, it’s not Lourdes but we’ll give them a run for their money.

It’s nice that the town hall are committed to keeping our beach accessible and nice, thank you Vera council!

On Sunday, it was time to say goodbye to our Norwegian guests only to find that Mrs Guest had hand knitted, in true Nordic fashion, two dining placemats as a gift to Steve and I (see the pics below). We were over the moon (pardon the timely pun) with them and we made a deal that if they come back next year, then she’ll knit us another two so we have a complete set for four. It’s a deal. They loved their time in the apartment, saying that it was “the best holiday in all my history.” Perfect and music to our ears!

While we were getting ‘Mediterráneo’ ready for the new people arriving later that day, doing the laundry etc., down on the beach a group of Spanish people had set up a trestle table with food, drinks, balloons and bunting. A short while later, a young lady appeared to the sounds of ‘Happy Birthday’ being played on toy harmonicas. She was on cloud nine and we watched her little birthday party from our terrace. Nothing quite like having a bird's eye view!

After we had met the new arrivals and showed them around the apartment, Steve and I decided to treat ourselves to a few late afternoon hours on the beach. We were just taking a dip in the sea when all of a sudden out of nowhere, there was a huge thundering sound and we looked up to see right above us and flying very low the ‘Patrulla Águila’ – the Spanish equivalent of the Red Arrows - returning to base from a display at the festival Aéreo in Torre del Mar, Málaga. An unexpected but very welcome treat.

And so the summer rolls gloriously on in paradise. What a joy to behold!

‘Til next time…

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Now WE’RE going on a summer holiday…wish you were here?

Sun, 01 Jul 2018 15:08:41 GMT

People watching on the playa!

OMG. Newsflash: Naturists often complain because they are being persecuted against or because they have to stand up and be counted when it comes to protecting the status of officially designated naturist areas. Well, today Steve and I were actual eyewitnesses to a turning of the tables. We had set ourselves up on the Vera Playa naturist beach and noticed that a group of five lads – textiles – were very conspicuously laying on the beach making a lot of people feel uncomfortable. Then all of a sudden, the Guardia Civil appeared, asked to see all of their IDs, radioed them through to check they weren’t villians, then in no uncertain terms, explained to them that this is a designated naturist area and that unless they are naturists themselves, the far end over there and the other far end over there is where they must go. The lads didn’t go without a fuss, but the Guardia were having none of it. When they finally disappeared, the two Guardia Civil officers then proceeded to approach the other few groups of people who were not observing the 'dress code' (or should we say lack of!), asking them to leave too. We almost felt sorry for them, shuffling off carrying their beach chairs and other paraphernalia but to witness these law enforcement officers standing up for our corner, was truly heartening.

Let it be noted however, that there was a very nice family sat in front of us. Two of them were naturists and two of them were not. I don’t have a problem with that at all because the non-naturists are there by invite and understand and respect the naturist ethos. It may be that in time they will embrace the freedom for themselves, or maybe not, but I don’t have an issue with that and interestingly, the Guardia Civil officers were sensitive and perceptive enough to understand this dynamic and didn’t ask those people to leave. They are my new heroes. Long may they prosper.

End of newsflash, and now onto my normal blog:

I can still recall the day, when as a child, my extremely house proud mother took possession of a new three piece suite. No sooner had the delivery men left she would cover these brand new beautiful items of furniture with massive ugly blankets that were boil washed weekly until they needed replacing every few months (after years of therapy, I now understand that this is where my obsessive compulsive personality stems from – it’s learnt behaviour, I wasn’t born with it).

Fifteen years later, she removes said blankets to do her regular boil wash and decides that the years of invisible wear and tear from underneath the blankets means she must now buy a new three piece suite…which she does, having spent weeks deciding on a style and design only to cover this season’s fabric with ugly new throws and the vicious cycle continues to this day. I mean, really.

Anyway, the reason I am having this childhood flashback is because Steve and I own the equivalent of my mother’s suite…we have a place right on the beach (you’ll know it as Mediterráneo) – the sand literally comes to the foot of the building - may god bless the foundations that passed our buyers' survey. It has views to literally die for and we are very proud to rent it out for fellow naturists to enjoy. But the fly in the ointment for us, is that in the best months of the year everyone else is enjoying it except us! We own the damn thing but we may die before ever enjoying it in our favourite month of June. So Steve booked it out to a erm certain…Mr and Mr ChrisnSteve for a week. I wasn’t happy at first with the prospect of a lost week’s revenue but thinking back to my childhood demons, I realised this was yet another cycle I could break, and break it we did. We had a lovely week. We didn’t cook once (pre-cooked frozen slop in Tupperware – every microwaves’ dream), we stumbled down to the beach at 7:30am every day for a glorious swim, back up to the apartment, breakfast in the sun then back down to the beach for the rest of the day – bliss. The evenings were spent sipping cheap wine and munching bon bons on the terrace, listening to the waves and watching the ships. When the week was over we felt gutted. I mean, really gutted. We only live about…erm…a five minute stroll away but it’s just not the same is it? I totally understand how our guests feel now when their holiday comes to an end.

Anyway, mini-break done and dusted and we’re back to normal. This is the time of year when you see all the quirky sights around the playa. If you love (as I do) people watching, then just park yourself on the naturist beach, take some popcorn and enjoy the show.

There’s the phantom shorts man…sunbathing naked with his wife, gets up, puts his shorts on and goes for a swim in the sea, gets out the water, takes his shorts off, wrings them out then goes back to naked sunbathing – what the heck?

The champagne sunbathers: A middle aged couple who are far too posh to take a normal sunlounger to the beach..oh no. They have a massive double inflatable mattress towering 3 feet off the ground and while the afternoons away up there, sipping champagne from glass goblets, holding court with the lower classes who merely have towels to bathe on – now that’s my kind of beach living!

The young beautiful couple: I’m in this business for another 20 years at least so my heart relaxes when I see so many young people embracing naturism – One hates to talk business but they’ll still be young enough to rent one of our apartments before my private pension kicks in. So there I was admiring this sickeningly attractive young couple, gym honed physiques … boobs that cost a figure approaching what you’d pay for an antique Louis XIV three piece suite complete with ugly throws. They looked so glamorous floating along the shore line, and he, very gentlemanly holding her arm and helping her into the water. ‘I wonder what nationality they are?’ I thought to myself. ‘Russian? German? Ah, French, they must be French – they have that Joie de Vivre about them.’ Then over the waves I heard him telling her… “right, c'mon…shoulders in the water. I said put your shoulders in the water! Shoulders in!”

“He’s nearly as bossy as I am” said Steve.

“You could be related” I sarcastically replied.

Ipod girl: Strolling along the sand wearing nothing but a pair of headphones, stopping every few meters to change the tune on her ipad and causing havoc and tailbacks all the way back to the lifeguard tower.

The first-time-girls: Three young-ish girls…clearly on the naturist beach for the first time… running into the water and giggling away as they take it in turns to remove each others bikinis and throwing them to shore.

The ballroom dancers: And away from the beach, a wonderful, elderly Spanish couple had rented an apartment opposite ours and much to our eternal amusement would enjoy practising naked ballroom dancing every evening, gliding effortlessly along their terracotta-tiled terrace to some imaginary Hollywood film music. Very surreal and very wonderful but we're sure Brucie would spin in his grave at the sight...

I also made a couple of faux-pas. Firstly, Steve and I were walking along the sand to meet some friends for afternoon drinkies when we heard someone calling out to us. It was a lovely couple who stayed with us last year but couldn’t get in this time round and were staying somewhere else. “We’re treating ourselves to a holiday in our beach apartment this week” I proudly announced. As we finished chatting, said goodbye and walked away, Steve reminded me that they couldn’t get in with us this year because the week they wanted was the week we had booked for ourselves. Whoops. If you’re reading this my lovelies – well, me and my big mouth for starters, and secondly, you’re on the list for next year as you know!

My second faux pas happened when we bumped into some friends on the beach whom we didn’t expect to see. We stood chatting and at one point I looked down to the pair of towels left vacant by people who must’ve been away swimming or something, and seeing there was an old paperback thrown across one of the towels, I quipped “What are they reading? Fifty Shades of Grey'? Dirty beggers.” Of course, we all howled. Later that day by chance, we were talking to the very couple to whom the towels and book belonged – turns out they all know each other and had discussed my Fifty Shades of Grey comment. It was all taken in good humour, but again, me and my big mouth.

A Zen Den pop-up has, well, popped-up on the re-opened roof terrace of the Vera Natura chiringuito (also known as ‘Sol y Luna’). It’s a really cool chill-out space offering different types of massage, mud therapy and yoga. The yoga classes are at 10am and everyone is welcome. The sounds (they have a gong) and aromas make it a truly sensory experience. Why not pop along and have a look for yourself if you are here? We wish them every success with their new venture.

Wanting to do something different but remain fairly local, with some friends we chartered a boat from nearby Garrucha and sailed down the stunning Cabo de Gata coastline. We put down anchor at the fascinating little cove Cala San Pedro and swum ashore. You can only reach it by foot (about an hour trek) or by sea. It is home to a hippy community of mainly naturists who have made their homes from local materials and live disconnected from modern society. They are very tolerant and welcoming to people who visit their sandy cove and respect the environment. Having wanted to respectfully see this gem ourselves for some years now, Steve and I feel very blessed to have spent just a very brief time there and will try to make a return visit in the future. Best of all I got to skipper the vessel, how happy I felt and how terrified everyone else felt!!!

What a remarkable part of the world this is. Wish you were here? You can be. Meanwhile, I’ve got some blankets to boil wash and a book to read. It’s called Fifty… no, I’m joking of course.

Buen Verano to you all!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Not bad for paradise, eh?

Sat, 02 Jun 2018 15:01:28 GMT

I like the water to feel like a warm bath...

I have a rule. I won’t venture into the sea until July. I like the water to feel like a warm bath, you see, and July and August are therefore the months of choice for me. HOWEVER, I don’t know if I’m suffering from some sort of undetected aneurysm or something, but I have been swimming in the sea throughout the month of May, and shock horror…it’s been absolutely glorious! I can’t explain it but there it is. I’m converted.

The massage tent is back on the beach and seems as popular as ever with our guests who just love to have their aches and pains eased away while hearing the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore.

The infamous cash machine in the new plaza has been tested by yours truly – it works but unless you belong to certain Spanish banks, it charges a small fee to take out cash. You can make the transaction, wait for it to tell you the charge, then cancel before confirming the translation if you feel that a Euro (as we did) is more like daylight (bank) robbery.

We went out for dinner last night with some friends to a restaurant called ‘Paso Doble’ – we’ve been before and we always say we should go more often. What’s different about Paso Doble is that although there is a really good selection of naturist beach bars and cafes in the naturist zone, Paso Doble is a proper formal restaurant. So if you fancy a formal dinner of an evening but want to stay in the Naturist zone and be clothes free, then this is the perfect venue. You can go a la carte, but their menu del dia or noche (daytime or evening menu) is only 15€ for three courses including a glass of wine – good huh?

Today, we took a drive north of Vera Playa along the stunning coast road. All along this route, you can drive down little tracks and find hidden coves and often have the whole place to yourself. We took our camping chairs and had a packed lunch on the shore line. Something different if you fancy.

So, during the months of April and May we have already had six sets of guests who are regular returners and the rest have been newbies. Steve sends the guests a quick “everything ok?” text the morning after they arrive and much to our delight, the response has been along the lines of “everything’s great, can we book for next year please?” Love that.

We’ve already had some great reviews for 2018, which is always very nice indeed, plus some pretty nice photos of sunrises courtesy of some early risers. You can see the reviews here.

Away from the beach we took another trip to the cactus place down in Nijar and watched the sun go down over the backdrop of cacti while a jazz band played gently over the warm breeze – it's not such a bad life in paradise, eh?

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Heatwaves in April...Scottish stylee

Fri, 27 Apr 2018 14:30:27 GMT

When you live in VP all year round, it’s only natural that you get acclimatised to the wonderful mild climate here...

First published April 27, 2018

I’m writing this under the influence. I feel positively high! My recreational drug of choice?…Bleach.

I haven’t been intravenously injecting the bleach, or smoking it or even swigging it. No, my bleach addiction is passive. I’m a passive bleacher. While preparing our apartments for paying guests, you’ll regularly find me heading threateningly towards the shower tray with a bottle of bleach in one hand while brandishing a toothbrush in the other. You won’t find grime in our bathrooms!

So, as the season starts again, we’ve already checked-in two sets of guests this week. A very nice Scottish couple and some rather charming Americans (oh ya, the Americans are here – how cosmopolitan we are).

When you live in VP all year round, it’s only natural that you get acclimatised to the wonderful mild climate here. With this in mind, we were worried that at 22 degrees, it is on the chilly side. So we gave the Scottish couple a dressing gown each. They politely declined explaining that having just come direct from bonnie Scotland, 22 degrees is nothing short of a heatwave for them! Clearly we’ve acclimatised too much.

I’d heard from the news and weather on the good old BBC, that the snow in my home country of England had finally gone and some parts of the UK were even having a bit of a mini heat-wave. Well, one hates to sound conceited, but I hope you made the most of it while it lasted folks – horrible aren’t I?!

Meanwhile, here in ‘sunny Spain’, we’ve had the most terrible weather. Rain. Yes rain for one whole day! Now that the rain has stopped, the sun has come out and the sky is blue again. That’s how it works here. Sickening isn’t it. Prior to the rain, we had our own version of snow. Red dust. It gets blown over from the Sahara and looks like a snowman has thrown-up red wine everywhere. The day before the sand storm, I had just finished sweeping, mopping, washing and polishing all three terraces at our Mediterraneo apartment in readiness for our Americans, so you can imagine how hashtagnotimpressed dot com I was when I had to do the whole job again the next day.

On the local Facebook forums people were saying they had spent all day washing down their terraces, cleaning their cars, washing windows due to the red dust…”don’t bother losers!” I shouted at my computer screen “it’s gonna be peeing down in the morning” which it did, and it saved me a job.

Talking of Facebook forums, I just want to manage a few expectations out there. Someone who holidays here had posted that they were coming this year with a teenage grandchild and that they were relieved to hear the new shopping plaza has opened as this will keep said grandchild amused and occupied. I also received a text message from a regular guest of ours saying how much she was looking forward to doing some serious retail therapy at the new shopping centre.

Now reader, don’t get me wrong…this new shopping plaza is a great new asset to VP and there are some really nice little shops there, but if you’re coming this summer and expecting the Trafford Centre…

Anyway, we’re off for a swim while we’ve got some down time. Our Spanish teacher is in hospital for a routine surgery so Spanish classes are off at the moment. I’m relieved to be honest. Reciting conjugated verbs while high on bleach fumes isn’t the best learning environment.

Have a look at some of the lovely photos Steve took this week around the playa...they are really nice. I love it here.

¡buenas tardes!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Summer’s here folks…well, almost!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 15:18:39 GMT

This can only mean one thing... SUMMER TIME BEGINS

First posted March 24, 2018

Attention Europe…clocks go forward tonight…it can only mean one thing SUMMER TIME BEGINS. Oh, oh, I forgot…many of you are still reeling from the Beast from the East aren’t you?

Well, if it makes you feel any better, last night we got our own weather front…the, er, ahem, ‘Pest from the West’. Yes, weather-front-comrade…we’ve got gale force westerly gusts if you please. I could hear them in the night you know, so this morning, Steve and I did a community spirited stroll around the streets of the naturist zone in order to survey the damage. The devastation we found – oh my! A fallen over lamp post, the remains of a cardboard box in a flower bed, and a palm tree by our swimming pool toppled over and causing a major diversion for all foot passengers of at least two, yes two meters! And the wind we experienced while doing this stroll, oh! It’s like walking into a hairdryer on heat setting…wreaks havoc when wearing just shorts and a t-shirt and certainly not practical when your hiking footwear is a pair of flip flops. Oh well, it’s a cross we have to bare I suppose.

Talking of crosses, and there’s no pun intended here, but we are coming up to the Spanish Semana Santa – the week of the Saints...or Easter (Holy) week as we know it and it clearly marks a new part of the year. Literally this is the week when everything around here springs back into new life with gusto – just in the spirit of the meaning of Easter. The Spanish who have holiday homes here will spend the Semana Santa period in the area, so all along the stretch of beach, the bars, restaurants and cafes get spring cleaned, repaired and start to open properly for the year.

In the naturist zone, Natsun chirunguito (Inna’s), Puntonat, Oh La La and Sol y Luna have been open (albeit on more relaxed timetables) most, if not all, of the winter months. Nevertheless they have joined in the seasonal spirit by getting themselves spring-cleaned and spruced-up.

We’ve witnessed Inna’s getting a new lick of dazzling white paint and a delivery of new tables for example. Meanwhile, restaurant Paso Doble we noticed today which closed for winter is getting ready to re-open and very nice it looks too. It was also nice to welcome back ‘La Cañita Loca’ and the legendary Pirate Bar this week. Additionally, we noticed a brand new ‘resto bar’ called Koa open down Hotel Street.

The town hall commissioned the first tractors of the season to rake and clean the beach this week, and of course all the proprietors of Vera Playa’s new shopping centre ‘Vera Plaza’ are working really hard to make sure their new ventures are open and ready in time for Holy Week.

I can confirm from this newsdesk that the bike shop (where you can hire bikes and well as buy them), hairdressers, gift shop and estate agents are already open with more set to open any day now.

As part of the wider works in the Consum/Plaza area, the council have temporarily closed the road between the Plaza and the salinas while the water company carry out essential works. This reminded Steve and I to take a walk over and see what migrating birds are currently in residence. We were thrilled to see the annual visit from the lovely pinky-white flamingos!

Talking of birds, just now, we took lunch on the terrace of 'Mediterráneo' and while we were taking a moment enjoying the view across the naturist beach and feeling the warm breeze on our legs, we spotted a bird of prey on our very own terrace and could hear in the distance our favourite Hoopoe chirruping its mating call. While all this was going on, we could also see our neighbour taking a dip in the sea followed by a bit of homespun Yoga. Vera Playa really does have such a great energy about it – even when it’s a bit blowy!

So, as the clocks go forward tonight, a new season begins...the gentle run-up to summer commences. If you are reading this safe in the knowledge you have a holiday booked this year in sunny VP, then don’t be too down with the effects from the Beast of the East because in no time at all you’ll be here, taking the sun and having a great time. So, as we say in Spain, ¡hasta pronto!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here

Dry Gin anyone?

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:18:40 GMT

Exploring the countryside in downtime...

Feb 26, 2018

One hates bandwagon jumping, but we did the dry January thing, and decided it was so easy that we extended it into dry February. Sadly though, I write this with a sore head. Yesterday afternoon, we were taking our usual power walk along the beach when some friends taking an afternoon G&T at one of the beach bars called us over to join them in their sunny corner. We should have stopped at one G&T but, well, we didn’t. We’re far too old for all this malarkey.

Anyway, despite the sore head, I feel I must at least write something because we received a message from someone the other day asking if everything was ok because they hadn’t seen any updates on our blog page recently!

Well, everything is fine and dandy – just not much to report. It’s been a bit chilly mixed with some warm sunny days.

We’ve taken a few day trips to some pretty villages in the mountains. One of them – Serón - was particularly lovely, a typical white washed village with an old castle at the very top with stunning views over the Almanzora valley. It was built as one of the ancient defences of the Almanzora region which includes a desert – the only desert in Europe in fact. The beautiful mountain range backdrop to Vera Playa marks the edge of the desert which explains why VP enjoys an especially warm climate all year round – which must have played a part in Vera Playa becoming famous for its naturist beach.

Although the view over the valley from the castle was well worth the excruciating climb of about a million steps and vertical cobbled streets…we were less than impressed on arrival by foot at the summit to discover a flipping car park! Nevertheless, the climb was good exercise – especially as dry January/February was leaving us feeling more energetic than usual.

When you holiday at Vera Playa, you don’t actually need to hire a car because there are very inexpensive transfer services available to bring you from the airport to VP, plus once here, bars, restaurants, clubs, a decent supermarket and bus stops are literally within walking distance. You can even hire a bicycle from one of the shops at the newly opened shopping plaza! Having said that, if you can drag yourself away from the beach and want to do a bit of exploring of the real Spain, then hiring a car to visit these delightful places is definitely worth considering.

Since living here, we’ve really enjoyed exploring these places so are always happy to recommend places for you to visit – just ask! To whet your appetite, a few nice places within easy striking distance of Vera Playa are pictured below.

Talking of asking, also, when we can’t accommodate you due to our availability being restricted, we are always happy to point you in the direction of other apartment owners we can personally recommend, or give you the heads up on the various ‘urbanisations’ that make-up the VP naturist zone – after all, living and working here makes us somewhat experts on the locality and we’re very proud to be able to help you enjoy your perfect naturist getaway.

So, here’s to Vera Playa, and here’s to a return to dry February….(only a few more days to go).

Sunny regards, C&S

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more. here