Nudist Human Chain Sees 700 People On Tarragona Beach In Spain

Around 717 people formed a nudist human chain on Torn Beach in Hospitalet de L´Infant in Tarragona, Spain on August 4. According to a statement from the Catalan Naturism Club, the human chain formed part of the Third Nudist Record of Catalonia, which took place on July 12 along 20 Catalan beaches.

Many members were unable to participate due to bad weather leading to the event being postponed to August. Moreover, Cala Fonda Beach also joined in to make up for its previous absence.

What was the nudist event in Tarragona about?

Segimon Rovira, President of the Catalan Naturism Club Association spoke about the event saying:

Nudism is not forbidden, but socially is not very well accepted.

He explained that the event was aimed to raise the maximum number of nudists, while raising awareness of nudism on Catalan beaches and was set “to promote and defend nudism.” Even though there are still prejudices from the “years of the Franco dictatorship, under which it was prohibited, Rovira wants to highlight the importance and “to demand respect for the practice.”

World decline in nudism

Moreover, Segimon spoke of the unprecedented decline in nudist culture, saying:

Generally, across the world, society is becoming more and more conservative, and we see that many and many more people are having more problems in doing nudism on the beaches.

Meanwhile, he linked this decline with the “proliferation of social networks,” as nudist beaches are increasingly frequented by people who do not go naked. This goes to refusing to respect the nudist values.

About nudist beaches in Spain

Reportedly, Spain features 400 nudist beaches from Asturias to Catalonia. The idyllic Mediterranean coastline provides a unique experience but is a controversial subject for residents and tourists alike.

Patricia Soley-Beltran is an anthropologist and spoke of the emergence of nudist beaches across Spain. She said that initially, going topless on the beach became popular in the 1980s. This was not only about women’s freedom but was also a way for women to build boundaries.

Soley-Beltran added:

They were saying in effect that we are masters of our own bodies.

Initially, beach nudism was about connecting with the body and the natural environment. However, the practice has been in decline for the last few years, because of superficial social judgments.

Nowadays, there´s a competition to show off your sculptured body in the latest model of bikini. As a result, nudism has gone into decline.

Public disturbances

While nudism is legal in Spain, certain laws are in place to stop public disturbances. Basically, this means that if a person’s nudity disturbs others, legal action can be taken. Meanwhile, mass tourism, along with pressure from real estate developers, along with the emergence of cell phones, contributes to the decline in nudist culture. Due to this, nudists no longer feel respected, but the community is hoping to change this with their recent events.