What happened to July?  Last time we were apologising for June’s long- overdue blog…well, erm, halfway through August we shall just pretend July didn’t exist shall we, easiest that way. 

Let’s just say when high summer arrives with its sizzlin’ hot weather it’s hard not to join the crowds and slip into holiday mode. 

This July/August of course has been like no other before in VP.  For obvious reasons fewer foreigners have managed to make it here but the indigenous Spanish certainly have... in bucket ‘n’ spade-loads! 

The naturist beach is very much alive despite the pandemic we are all still living through.  Unlike many other beaches around the world, we have been fortunate to have a team called ‘Playas Seguras’ (‘safe beaches’), a group of beach stewards who help the Guardia Civil ensure that common sense is observed on the beach.  So social distancing is being actively enforced by the stewards.  We must confess that one of the beach stewards has stolen our hearts.  Boy is she on a mission and loving her job, telling people off.  We love watching her from our terrace, flailing her arms and ordering the nude folk around if they don’t comply with her wishes.  A masked dominatrix not to be messed with.  Only when walking from A to B and arriving/departing the beach must masks be worn but if you forget she comes down on you like a ton of bricks.  And she is a formidable force of nature, believe you me! Chris calls her Poison Pill… we shall miss her when the resort gets quieter and the stewards will no longer be required to manage the large crowds. 

The beach chiringuitos continue to attract good numbers of visitors to their socially-distanced tables.  Of course the Pirate Bar is a stalwart and favourite for some, yet Chiringuito Naturista (Sol Y Luna) and Inna’s Natsun chiringuito continue to hold their own, especially for food.  Our lovely neighbours swear by Paso Doble for a quieter, shadier refreshment or something more substantial like paella which is their ‘usual’. 

We wonder what the rest of the season will hold for VP once the Spanish holidaymakers return to their towns and cities.  We do worry that local businesses will really struggle if the usual foreigners don’t return for their September/October breaks.  We know they will really be hoping for some trade since the season didn’t kick off properly til July, please come and support the resort if you feel you can come safely and the decision hasn’t already been taken out of your hands.  We personally feel that this special naturist village is as safe as it can be currently with all the necessary safety measures in place. 

Already we have managed to welcome a number of guests this season, not as many as we had hoped to due to cancellations, but nonetheless those who have made it here, have all had a fantastic time, and the ‘mask thing’ really hasn’t proved to be an issue for them…in fact, you soon get used to being naked but for wearing a mask.  On that basis alone it is a year that will never be forgotten in the naturist world and it still remains a sight that amuses us greatly.  Well, you can’t let the world get you down can you! 

One set of our regular guests, recently enjoyed a stay at our popular beachfront apartment ‘Mediterráneo’.  In fact one night they made it very homely by customising one of the terraces into Blackpool Illuminations meets Santa’s Grotto, in honour of the good lady’s birthday!  Talk about ‘move in why don’t you’?!!!  You can see the result in one of the photos below. 

A funny sight I have literally just witnessed… VP’s own leather gift maker who can always be found beside the Pirate Bar selling his wares, has just been spotted in the sea in front of the Pirate, up to waist in seawater, busting some real rock ‘n’ roll moves in time to ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and ‘La Bamba’ pumping out from the bar.  It was a sight to behold until a wave crashed over his head.  Oh the shame.  

We’re never quite sure what the Pirate Bar is doing with its musical playlist…eclectic doesn’t even come close but right now, rock ‘n’ roll?  Was Elvis a naturist?  He certainly came into the world naked… and on that bombshell dear readers, it’s time for our afternoon dip in the sparkling Mediterranean.  The water couldn’t be better!

Til next time…

Ps. Have just heard Tom Jones ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’ blasting out from the Pirate, maybe it’s time for a Covid-aware re-working of that striptease classic…’You Can Leave Your Mask On’ perhaps… anyone up for recording that?? 

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here