On the French side of St. Martin, Orient Bay Beach is a very beautiful beach with white sand and clear water, and it is the most developed and popular beach on the island. The far south end of the beach abuts Club Orient, which is a naturist resort, and the part of the beach next to the resort is a popular nude beach. Because all beaches in St. Martin are considered public, anyone can visit the nude beach free of charge even though it is associated with a private resort. However, if you want to lay claim to a lounge chair and beach umbrella, you will have to pay for that. Club Orient operates two eateries along the beach: Perch Bar & Grill and Papagayo Restaurant. Both are available to the public, and both can be patronized in the nude. (Papagayo may be restricted to resort guests during evening hours when the resort is full.) Other than Perch and Papagayo, the rest of the grounds of Club Orient are restricted to registered guests, and you will see signs at the rear of the beach that read Hotel Guests Only Beyond This Point. The south end of Orient Bay Beach is by far the most popular nude beach anywhere in the Caribbean. There is much more of a gender balance here than at most nude beaches.

True to French custom, topless bathing is acceptable anywhere on Orient Bay Beach, which is about 2 kilometers long. Full nudity is acceptable on the southernmost 400 or so meters (shaded lightly in red), abutting the resort. Sometimes full nudity does occur elsewhere along the beach, and there is some controversy over where or not that is acceptable. However, full nudity north of Club Orient has become increasingly rare over the years, and when the beach is crowded it is highly unlikely there will be any full nudity away from Club Orient. Facing the water at the nude beach, walk to your left and the first beachfront establishment you will reach past Club Orient is Pedro's Bar & Grill. By the time you get to Pedro's, it is advisable to wear at least a swimsuit bottom or you run a slight risk of being cited by the police and a much higher risk of offending the sensibilities of other beachgoers.

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GPS: 18.0830N, 63.0142W

country  St. Martin (France)

classification  1 (freely nude)

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