There we were, all of us naked high up on a 4500 foot rocky outcrop, with countless condors swirling again and again above us, some coming quite close as if to examine us. A cow had apparently died in the creek below us, drawing in the majestic birds from a distant nature reserve.
Such scenes really aren’t that unusual at Yatan Rumi, the naturist club perched on nearly 3000 acres of rugged mountain heights in Cordoba province, Argentina. We also had the company of several foxes and various other exotic birds, including hummingbirds, during the two consecutive weekends we visited this nudist resort. This is probably the world’s largest nudist venue, and certainly no other offers such incredible views of the surrounding mountain ranges and valleys. Other unique experiences to be had here include bathing in natural waterfalls or sliding down a creek using only your bum!
“Yatan Rumi” means “Naked Rock” in the Quechua language, the clever name chosen for this fantastic site by our congenial host, Miguel Suarez, a civil engineer, who founded the club 3 years ago. It was a pure stroke of luck, he explained, that led him and a few Cordoba-area nudist associates to this location. They were looking for a place to start a landed club, the first in the country that would be outside of Buenos Aires province, and came across a classified ad offering 1200 hectares of land for rent. They met with the land owner and informed him that they wanted to turn it into a nudist club, to which he responded that he and his family had bathed in the creeks here for twenty years and never once use bathing attire! The deal was made, and even though all of his partners vaporized once the time came to put money down, Miguel forged ahead.
The main attraction at Yatan Rumi has to be that you can walk naked unimpeded for miles, clambering up rocky formations or down creeks. The other attraction is no doubt the warmth of the Argentineans who regularly frequent this special place: In no time at all we were exchanging numbers with several people. Many patrons don’t hesitate to help in in the kitchen or with any other tasks that need doing, so you quickly get a feeling that this is much more a community rather than a resort.
The club is rustic in nature, a small house serving as hostel, dining room and club house simultaneously. Pablo, a charismatic artist in his sixties, is the caretaker and lives there year-round. Even in the winter (June-August), you’ll find Pablo milling about without a stitch of clothing. The first day Alexandra and I visited in early November, the weather was unseasonably chilly, but Pablo kept the cabin warm thanks to the fireplaces in the main room as well as our bedroom, and thus it was comfortable ambling about naked. He also kept us well fed with his delicious home cooking and jams made with fruits from trees nearby.
Let’s get the negatives out of the way: Yatan Rumi has a heavy cow population. These animals aren’t fed or maintained in any way, so they must live off the scarce vegetation. You’ll likely come across more than one scrawny or even a dead cow. Miguel insists that cow care is the responsibility of the land owner. A side effect of this bovine presence is the overabundance of dry dung strewn across the ranch, some of it in places you wouldn’t expect. Watch your step! On the other hand, cow dung provides the bio fuel to heat the water tank used for showering!
Getting there is an adventure in itself. From the regional highway, you have to travel up the mountain up a dirt road for about 9 miles before you reach the gates of the club. From there, it’s another 3 miles to the cabin along a boulder-strewn trail that has to be driven with extreme care lest your vehicle becomes part of the scenery. We chose instead to use their $5 per person return shuttle service from Cordoba which Miguel himself operates using his four by four.
Lodging with shared bath at Yatan Rumi will cost you less than 12 US dollars per room. 3 meals a day adds around $11 per person. You won’t spend a lot of money here, but don’t expect 5 star amenities. In fact, you’ll probably find things a tad dirty, especially the restrooms. This isn’t the Caliente resort, but if you’re a bit adventurous and want an extraordinary naked encounter with nature, we’re betting you won’t focus on the club’s shortcomings.
Yatan Rumi hosts an annual nude Olympiad. This year’s events take place November 25-26 and December 2-3.
For more information about Yatan Rumi, visit their web site at http://www.yatanrumi.com.ar/web/home.htm. Note at the time of writing, the web site is in Spanish only.
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