Toronto might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of top-rated beaches, but one was just ranked as one of the best destinations in the world for nude sunbathing.
Nude Beach Map, a website that strives to provide honest and authentic information about nude beaches around the world, recently published an article titled the “Top 10 Urban Nude Beaches Around the Globe,” with Hanlan’s Point Beach ranking fifth on the list.
The public beach is found in the Toronto Islands, and includes a 1 km-long stretch recognized by the city in 2002 as being clothing optional.
Hanlan’s is particularly special as it became the world’s first legal nude beach in 1890. It is also one of the oldest queer spaces in the world and a haven for 2SLGBTQ people, with city council unanimously having passed a motion recognizing its historical queer space.
In order to compile its list, the site assessed nude beaches and sorted them according to their Nude Beach Map reviews, along with Google ratings. Beaches near city centres were given higher scores.
The complete list is as follows:
1. Wreck Beach, Vancouver
2. Haulover Beach, Miami
3. Platja de la Mar Bella, Barcelona
4. Lady Bay Beach, Sydney
5. Hanlan’s Point Beach, Toronto
6. Feringasee Beach, Munich
7. Denny Blaine Beach, Seattle
8. Brighton Naturist Beach, Brighton
9. Baker Beach, San Francisco
10. Bellevue Beach, Copenhagen
Nude Beach Map highlighted Hanlan’s city skyline views and “crowds of eager locals hitting the sand.”
Hanlan’s Point Beach can be reached via ferry or water taxi from the mainland. All you need is a towel and some sunblock and you’re good to go!