Charco del Palo is a
naturist holiday village on the north-eastern coast of
Lanzarote, in the
Canary Islands. The village was established around 1970 by the German entrepreneur Gregor Kaiser. In due course, it has developed into a popular naturist resort. It was the first official naturist resort established in the Canaries:
nudity is permitted everywhere in the village, and practised universally. Its isolated location, at the end of a dedicated three kilometer long access road, helps to achieve privacy, while the village remains open to all. Visitors are mainly
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
,
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
, and
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
. The village's population increased from 82 in the year 2000 to 229 in 2011, it has subsequently declined to 156 in 2013.
The development was originally named Castillo de Papagayo, but since this causes confusion with the well-known Playa de Papagayo
nude beach
A nude beach, sometimes called a clothing-optional or free beach, is a beach where users are at liberty to be nude. Nude beaches usually have mixed bathing. Such beaches are usually on public lands, and any member of the public is allowed to ...
in the region of
Playa Blanca in southern Lanzarote, the name Charco del Palo, which refers to a nearby prominent coastal pool now developed for bathing, has become standard.
Most of the bungalows and apartments are private property; many are being rented out when their owners are not using them. The German nudist travel organization
Oböna owns an apartment complex here as well. The village has a few restaurants (Lily's Bar, Jardin Tropical, and Cueva Paloma) and a small supermarket. The terraces of Lily's Bar, Jardin Tropical and Cueva Paloma do allow (and frequently see) naked use.
The village is built on pale sandy soil, but the coast is rocky, with no beaches. However, three sheltered coves have been developed for safe bathing.
Charco del Palo is located near the villages of
Mala and
Guatiza
Guatiza is a village in the municipality of Teguise in the northeastern part of the island of Lanzarote in the Las Palmas province in the Canary Islands. Its population was 812 in 2013.
Guatiza is located 2 km from the east coast of Lanzarote, 8 ...
, both about away, which are served by a regular bus route between the island's capital
Arrecife and the north of the island. The surrounding countryside is dominated by fields of
prickly pear cactus (known locally as ''tunera''), on which
cochineal
The cochineal ( , ; ''Dactylopius coccus'') is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America through North Americ ...
beetles are reared, and a few small extinct
volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the Crust (geology), crust of a Planet#Planetary-mass objects, planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic gas, gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Ear ...
cones.
The village lies mostly within the municipality of
Haría, but the border with
Teguise cuts through the southern part. All the public land in the area is owned by the original developer, who is responsible for providing public services. However, in recent times, residents have been complaining about neglect of public services such as sewerage, paving, and public lighting, and have been campaigning for the municipalities to assume responsibility for maintenance.
Notes and references
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
External links
Bus Routes and Timetable
{{Authority control
Naturism in Spain
Naturist resorts
Nude beaches
Populated places in Lanzarote
Seaside resorts in Spain