27/08/10

Another Postcard from our well travelled friends Matt and Jayne

This was our third trip to Vera Playa in the last 12 months; for those unacquainted with the resort it is Europe’s largest unenclosed naturist urbanisation boasting over 2,000 naturist apartments and villas, a fine 2 km naturist sandy beach, and a variety of naturist bars and eating places. We returned as the two previous visits were very enjoyable and Vera affords 24/7 nudist freedom.

We stayed at Vera Natura with pleasant gardens, both outdoor and indoor (heated) swimming pools, and access direct to the beach. Vera Natura is one of the most established naturist compounds with secure access and a very pleasant bar (‘Bar Trinidad’) attached to the reception.

Our apartment was pleasant enough if a bit tired, with a good balcony affording a sea view. Most accommodation is self-catering and the main supermarket (‘Consum’) is barely 3 minutes drive away. Try to book an apartment with a full oven...self catering with just 2 hobs in somewhat challenging.

The economic downturn has hit Spain very hard in the last 12 months, and this was very visible at Vera Playa. Parts of the resort looks quite bedraggled, a major incomplete urbanisation (‘Natura World’), and many bars and restaurants had closed since 2009. The resort was very quiet-which we don’t mind-with many apartments for rent or sale with no obvious signs of occupancy-we would advise travellers to negotiate asking prices for accommodation outside the peak season. We paid € 40/night (single bedded apartment), but in hindsight (and in view of c10% occupancy at Vera Natura) we would try for € 30/35/night unless the accommodation is highly spec'd.

The weather was sunny and pleasant, but the wind in May proved to be quite cold as were the evenings. The social life focussed around ‘Tiggers’(‘Chirunguita Natsun’) and Paso Doble was very friendly, with many people we met being permanent residents. Eating out is recommended (especially the excellent ‘El Mar de Mar’ in Vilaricos) is recommended as very good value; conversely (and apart from wine) supermarket products are more expensive than the UK.

We visited the delightful naturist retreat Casa Rio Vera (http://casariovera.net/ ) as guests for the day of the equally delightful owners Maggie and Simon.

(No it's not Maggie nor Simon in the pool with Jayne)

This resort is in a beautiful rustic setting with peace and seclusion, and yet only 10 minutes from Vera Playa. We were made very welcome and a great crowd was in residence. Casa Rio Vera is an ideal location for a group booking, and we would highly recommend it too all!

Overall we had a very enjoyable break; but if you are looking for a bit more life at Vera Playa (and commensurately more facilities open), we would recommend to go later in the year-mid June to the end of July. In August the resort is very busy and the weather extremely hot-accepted that may appeal to some!!!