What Took So Long? Rio Getting its First Nude Beach

rio nude beach
rio nude beach

According to nude activists, only now will Rio be on the map for tourists. (Photo: Shutterstock)

By Chloe Pantazi

How is it possible that the capital of Carnival, with all its thongs, tassels, and bikini waxes, has never had a nude beach? Who knows, but it’s true. Rio JUST NOW got its very first official nude beach.

Abrico Beach, located an hour from the city center, became the capital’s only designated nude zone this week after a successful campaign by local activists.

The new ruling’s “a courageous decision by the mayor and it will help Rio become a cultural and tourist reference point,” nude activist Paula Nogueira told the AFP. Riiiiiight. Because Rio’s struggled for soooo long to make a name for itself, this is exactly what the city needs to get on the map. Aren’t people funny when they try to build arguments for stuff they want?

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rio nude beach
rio nude beach

Photo: Flickr/thiagomb

That said, you can’t fault Nogueira for her dedication to the cause. Last year, she and fellow campaigner Ana Rios staged a topless protest on Ipanema Beach, but it failed; only six women turned up to strip down.

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“I have always found strange this puritan attitude in Brazil where you see naked women everywhere during carnival and on magazine covers,” Rios said, “yet going topless on the beach is a crime”.

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