I've been holidaying naked for 25 years – I quit Derbyshire for the Canary Islands & now only wear clothes to the shops

The Sun

a day ago

A DIVORCEE who has been holidaying naked for 25 years and owns her own naturist resort, has opened up on loving life in the buff.
Karie Jane, 58, a former theatre producer from Derbyshire, began holidaying nude back in 2000, with her and her ex-husband buying a second home in Costa Calma, Fuerteventura, the following year to strip down as often as possible.
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After their divorce in 2013, she moved into the property permanently, turning it into the BHH Naturist Resort in 2019 and officially opening it the following year.
The resort is now almost always fully booked, with guests even booking two years in advance and now, Karie only wears clothes when she goes to the shops.
Not only this, but it also featured on Channel 5 's The Canary Islands with presenter Jane McDonald last year.
Karie welcomes a range of guests, hosting LGBTQ+, ladies and ramblers events, and has recently introduced live demonstrations on how to apply aloe vera to soothe sunburn, which she described as 'miraculous'.
Karie is celebrating the resort's fifth anniversary this year by attending a nudist festival, where she is planning on turning up in her bright pink Ford Ka, dubbed the 'Barbie car', and handing out 'bum towels' for fellow naturists to sit on.
She thinks naturism is getting more popular each year and has witnessed guests working from the resort since lockdown, wearing nothing but a shirt and tie to take business calls.
Speaking about her naked lifestyle, Karie told PA Real Life: 'When I need to go out for something, I go as quickly as possible so I can come back home and take my clothes off.
'I know I'm living a life that's less ordinary, that's for sure.
'I've effectively been naked for the last five years besides going out in public!'
Soothing sunburn
Since many of her guests get 'lots of sunburn in places you shouldn't get sunburn', Karie has started doing a demonstration for them on how to soothe it.
I've been fat shamed my whole life but I don't cover up and I wear less clothes than ever before, I even teach yoga naked
Karie discussed her new live demonstrations, as she explained: 'I take some aloe vera and tell them, and show them, to slather on aloe vera on their bits and it's miraculous.
'We get a lot of bald heads, actually, a lot of sunburnt bald heads, that's quite memorable.'
After visiting her first naturist beach in 2000 in Spain, Karie was hooked and continued going on vacation in the buff.
The following year, she and her husband bought a holiday home in Fuerteventura, made up of five apartments.
Karie Jane
Karie and her husband divorced in 2013 and she decided to move into the holiday home permanently that same year to mark her new chapter.
She often rented out the apartments to families and surfers, and then, in 2020, she started offering naturist holidays to adults.
The resort is already 'quite booked up' for next year and has even received bookings for 2027.
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Getting more people into naturism
Karie is passionate about getting more people into naturism, especially women, and holds multiple ladies' retreats throughout the year.
In May, she held her first LGBTQ+ event – including naked sailing on a yacht – and has even had naturist ramblers come and stay.
She has also upgraded the resort this year, adding in additional accommodation pods – the Hooters Nest for women and the Peckers Nest for men.
What is Naturism?
Naturism, also known as nudism, is a cultural and lifestyle movement that advocates for and practices social nudity in both private and public spaces.
The philosophy behind naturism emphasises harmony with nature, self-respect, respect for others, and a sense of community.
Naturism is a diverse and inclusive lifestyle choice that encourages individuals to embrace their natural state, foster a deeper connection with nature, and build a community based on mutual respect and equality.
Naturists believe that naturism promotes a healthy and accepting attitude toward the human body, regardless of shape, size, or imperfections.
Many naturists are also advocates for environmental conservation and sustainable living, believing in a close connection with nature.
Naturism also fosters a sense of equality, as clothing often signifies social status, and its absence can help break down these barriers.
She beamed: 'They've each got a private hot tub for two people, which I call the bird bath!
'They've got an ensuite bathroom, bar, double beds and people are loving it.'
When upgrading the accommodation, one of her most challenging moments was having to explain the premise of a naturist resort to an electrician who turned up to carry out some work.
'When the man came round, he had all these naked bodies that he had to sort of go through, I think he was more surprised than I was.
'I was trying to explain to him but that was a funny day,' Karie recalled.
This year, she is celebrating five years of the resort by attending British Naturism's NudeFest, the biggest naturist festival in the UK from July 7 to July 13.
She confessed: 'I want to try naked basket weaving.
'I'll be driving my bright pink Ford Ka, my Barbie car, and it'll be full of BHH stickers, and I'll be handing out bum towels, which is the naturist etiquette that you sit on a towel.
'That's the number one etiquette, actually, over and above the non-sexual social nudity, it's the fact that you always sit on a towel.
'I've sponsored the event in previous years, but I've never actually attended in person so I'm hoping that there'll be hundreds of guests that have stayed here and we can meet up there.
'I'll be taking Canary honey rum as well!'
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Embracing the nude lifestyle
In comparison to when the resort first opened, Karie thinks more people are embracing the naturist lifestyle, especially after lockdown.
She explained: 'A lot of people started the lifestyle in lockdown when you didn't need to wear clothes or go to work.
'Some people come and work from here, which is quite peculiar, to see a man in a shirt and tie and then nothing below every day!
'I think the age is coming down – when I started, it was kind of die-hard naturists who've been naturists for their whole lives.
'Lately, it's more and more people that are in their 30s or 40s and are just trying it for the first time and loving the freedom of it.'
In terms of her personal life, Karie remains 'happily single' and enjoys the company of her two pet dogs, Snoopy, a labradoodle, and Milo, a Spanish water dog.
To people wanting to try naturism, she shared: 'I suppose it's become totally normal to me, which I forget when I'm in the company of textiles, which are people who wear clothes.
'People are much more liberated – when you're talking to a group of naturists, they seem to be more open.
'It can be a liberating experience and we don't care what labels you wear, where you come from.'