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Cramped Barcelona nudists call for more beach space

The Local Spain
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Cramped Barcelona nudists call for more beach space
Barcelona's Mar Bella Beach. Photo: Diego Aviles

Nudist users of Barcelona’s popular Mar Bella Beach say they are being crammed into an ever smaller space and have called on local authorities to act.

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While Playa de la Mar Bella is not technically a nudist beach, naked bathing is common place and accepted. But naturists on Wednesday claimed they were being squeezed out.

Speaking to local television station BTV, nudist groups complained flags marking out the beach’s nudist area had been moved 20 metres. They also expressed their displeasure at the large numbers of non-nudist bathers in the area and at the parties held at a nearby beach bar which operates in summer, arguing the presence of hundreds of drinkers made nude bathers uncomfortable.

SEE ALSO: The ten best nudist beaches in Spain

The complaint came on the same day that Madrid mayor Manuela Carmena gave her blessing to the idea of a no swimsuit day in the city’s municipal swimming pools after a petition was lodged by nudist groups.

Madrid's City Hall pointed out in a statement on Tuesday that it had not authorized the day, but given individual districts the chance to decide for themselves. It added that the day would probably be "towards the end of August". 

The Spanish tourist board estimates that up to 1.5 million people visit Spain every year specifically to practice nudism, and around 500,000 Spaniards enjoy getting their kit off on a regular basis.

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