As part of February's Naturist Work Month we are delighted to share this interview from Pierre and Martine who call the naturist resort Grottamiranda in Puglia, Italy their home.
ANW believes in safeguarding naturism with a genuine, healthy and respectful approach to social nudity. We also believe that naturism unites us and connects us. Beyond national boundaries, age, gender, religion sexual orientation and culture. ANW interviews members form all over the world as part of this drive to enhance understanding and appreciation of naturism. These interviews show that ANW members and naturists come from all over the world with many different backgrounds primarily connected by our mutual respect and understanding of social nudity.
1 Tell us a little about yourself and your part(s) of the world.
We are Martine and Pierre. We are French and decided to set up our naturist centre in Italy in 2016. We fell in love with Puglia and so decided to settle in this region, which is also perfect for the naturist lifestyle (weather forecast, sea, nature, friendly people, etc.).
2 What was the attitude towards nudity and naturism in your home and upbringing as a child and teen?
None of our parents were familiar with naturism. But Pierre discovered naturism with his grandfather in Brittany at the age of 13, when he went swimming naked in the sea. From that moment on, he decided not to wear a swimsuit whenever possible. As a competitive swimmer, avoiding swimsuits gave him greater freedom and better skin health!
3 Do you think that your initial reasons and attitudes towards naturism have changed since then and how?
Since then, we have discovered naturist ethics and the naturist lifestyle. We have had children, to whom we have had to explain in an educational manner why we were naked during the holidays and why their cousins and friends were not. This has allowed us to reflect on naturism with hindsight and as a whole.
4 How would you best explain naturism to someone new to it and what advice would you offer to them?
Our favourite quote about naturism is: A first experience of naturism often paves the way for a deeper sense of well-being. For us, naturism and well-being are inseparable. Being a naturist is not just about nudity, but about becoming fully aware of your body and mind as an inseparable whole.
5 What do you think naturism has taught you about yourself and do you think it has changed you in any way?
For us, naturism is the best way to combat stress (our jobs used to be very stressful, and naturist breaks in the summer or at weekends allowed us to relax). It has also helped us greatly to harmonise our bodies and minds.
6 Do you think that there are certain people better suited to naturism and others that are not suited to it and if so why do you think that?
We believe that, in reality, some people are completely averse to naturism. It is a question of self-confidence (‘I am not proud of my body and I absolutely do not want other people to see it’) or education (when nudity is solely associated with sex and sin).
We can also say that we have noticed that the first naturist experience is generally easier for men than for women.
7 How does your country consider naturism?
Italy is open-minded about naturism, and it seems to be booming in the country. The law is simple: as long as your property is surrounded by walls, you are allowed to live naked.
The situation is more complicated when it comes to beaches:
- Firstly, a law stipulates that along the coastline, a 2-metre wide space must be left free so that everyone can walk along the seafront. This is a major problem when it comes to obtaining authorisation for naturist beaches.
- The second problem is that in Italy, a beach is considered a ‘lido’, with sun loungers, a bar, music and spaghetti. All other areas are therefore considered ‘wild’. This means there is no cleaning, no understanding for people settling on a ‘wild’ area and no tax revenue for the towns. In Puglia, it could be said that the only way to obtain authorisation is for the mayor to be a naturist (as was the case in Castellaneta Marina two years ago).
8 How would you like to see the future of naturism developing over the next 30 years and do you feel these ideas are achievable.
We think that Naturism must adapt to the new generation's feelings and expectations. The old fashion naturism doesn't attract anymore people who are from 18 to 40 years old.
Associations, federations and resorts must answer to what those young generations want:
fewer collective events, less ideology (but the ethics must remain the same), more purity and more adaptability to individual needs (hiking, wellness, retreats, experiences) while they enjoy sun and naked bathes.
Our thoughts are the international federation and the national federations have not yet understood. They are not visible and young people don't understand why they would be part of them: what would be their profit ? It is a major aim on our opinion.
For instance: what is INF made for, except swimming competitions ?
Just an information: the French federation made a survey about naturism and French generations in 2025. Note that :
32 % of the 18 - 24 years old French have experienced naturism at least once
37 % of the 25 - 34 years old French have experienced naturism at least once
And, in the resorts and campsites, we are told that naturism is getting older and older. That is sad because it is not true.
But the old way of practising naturism is no longer acceptable. Let's work to give dreams and meet the needs of these new young naturists!
9 Are there any aspect of naturism that frustrates you or annoys you or you feel let down by?
Absolutely nothing, if we are talking about true naturism, that is, as long as ethical standards are respected.
10 Has there ever been a specific day, location, venue, activity that at the end of it has made you think - this is naturism at its best - and why?
Of course, yes! Especially the well-being. When you go from the sea to the sauna, from the sauna to the cold bath and then to the hot bath, before going to the pool, then lying down on a sun lounger before returning to the sauna, etc., that's naturism at its best! The sun, the heat, the cold, the wind... every part of your skin relaxes, you feel good, at peace, and life is beautiful...
11 Do you speak to friends and family about your naturism? How has that been? Has it ever had a bad effect on a relationship? How have family and friends reacted to you running/owning a naturist holiday venue?
We have always been open with our friends and family about our naturism. We have close friends who are naturists, and we have nieces and nephews who have become naturists because we run a naturist holiday centre.
Even when Pierre was on a board of directors, he was always open and talked about naturism. We can say that there has been no negative impact. When everything is clear and nothing is hidden, there is no curiosity and it is just one commitment among others (such as charity, etc.).
12 What five words would you use to describe naturism that people who haven't tried naturism may not have considered ? and What five words would you say doesn't describe naturism that those same people may wrongly consider to be true?
Respect, freedom, relaxation, friendliness, health
Sex, body shaming, swinging, exhibitionism, narrow-mindedness
13 Do you have any naturist regrets?
No
14 If you could go anywhere in the world now as a naturist where would it be? If you were not running a naturist venue in Italy what other country would interest you?
Of course we will answer France. We have 2 favourite places:
1. Domaine de la Jenny
2. Domaine de Bagheera (Corse)
15 Many naturists incorporate naturism into the daily home life - how important do you think that is to naturists?
When you are a naturist, you want to live naked in order to enjoy life to the fullest. So you live naked whenever you have the opportunity.
Let's talk more specifically about Grottamiranda:
16 Tell us what it was that appealed about the location - locally and the property.
We love Italy and always spent some of our holidays there (at least once a year). We discovered Puglia in 2013 and felt right at home in this region. We first bought a trullo house, then when we decided to change our lifestyle, we thought that speaking Italian and knowing Italian law and the rules in force in Puglia was a considerable advantage. We then found this attractive naturist facility with the perfect atmosphere.
17 Give a brief overview of the history of Grottamiranda.
We created the Resort Naturista Grottamiranda (which is the official name and should not be translated into English) in 2016 (10 years ago!). In 2019, we restored a building and created 4 additional apartments.
Fortunately, Puglia was the only green region in Europe during the Covid pandemic. This greatly contributed to raising our profile.
And now, we want the Resort Naturista Grottamiranda to be not only a holiday destination, but also a place where people can come to relax, forget their daily stress and reconnect with themselves.
There were no major problems, as we knew how to comply with the law and regional regulations and how to deal with the Italian administration.
18 Tell us about the rooms, service and facilities of Grottamiranda
For details about the apartments, we recommend visiting our website. Find links and more information on the
Grottamiranda ANW page. It would take too long to explain everything here...
Suffice it to say that the Naturista Grottamiranda Resort is located in an old farmhouse (called a masseria in Italian) dating back to the 18th century. Each apartment is unique, with its own layout and décor.
We have small lounges throughout the complex so that our guests can enjoy privacy and tranquillity.
19 Food and Wellness seem a big part of Grottamiranda.
At Resort Naturista Grottamiranda, our guests can enjoy a heated swimming pool, as well as our wellness programme with a cave sauna, Finnish baths (cold and hot with a wood fire), hot tub, cold showers, yoga and meditation. The entire programme is included and free of charge.
Some guests tend to come for four or five nights and forget about their professional lives, relax, enjoy massages, stay in the sun until they are red and go home completely de- stressed, with a feeling of deep rest.
Food and wine are very important. In our opinion, if you go somewhere, you should enjoy tasting the local culture. We are French, so for us, food and wine are more than important in a culture. They come from the past, they show how people enjoy life, they change with products and habits. It's a way for us to share culture, to eat and drink well (one of life's pleasures!) and to enjoy conviviality.
Could we also say that this is typically naturist?
20 Tell us a little about your year?
We usually live in the resort from 15 April to 25 October. Then we also work throughout the winter, but from our home in France.
However, there is one sacred period when we close: we return to France (Normandy) and then spend 8 or 9 days at the Belgian thermal baths. For us, this is our holiday, and we enjoy what we offer our customers in our wellness programme.
Fantastic!
21 Tell us a little about the surrounding area and local experiences.
There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the surrounding area: Castel del Monte and Sammichele to the north, Alberobello very close to us, and Matera (a two-hour drive away).
These sites can be included in a tourist itinerary.
But from our establishment, our guests can also visit Lecce, Ostuni, Mesagne, Bari, Martina Franca... You know, in Puglia, there are always interesting and pleasant places to discover.
You can also stroll through the sassi (where churches and houses have been built in caves) or along the sea...
This gives you a reason to come back and visit different places each time, without rushing or feeling pressured.
22 Do you have any plans for any changes to Grottamiranda and the services and features of you holidays, and the venue itself or do you feel that it is now perfect?
We believe that a business must evolve if it is to survive. And evolution is our philosophy! So we have many projects in the pipeline.
Developing the wellness trail, creating a garden where you can walk around naked, building trulli, etc.
In 2025, we reached a new milestone (something we had been thinking about for years): our first naturist grape harvest!
A huge thank you to Pierre and Martine for taking part in this interview. To find out more about Grottamiranda, visit their page on ANW with lots of information, images and links.
ANW welcomes all who are respectful and interested in naturism and invite all genuine naturist organisations, clubs, events, venues and other opportunities to be part of the ANW community and work with us to encourage the growth and acceptance of naturism around the world. If you have any questions email Anna and Steve at [email protected]
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