Uncannily, most nudists you’ll meet have religious beliefs that veer toward spiritualism. Or is it the other way around — Most spiritual people you’ll meet are also nudists?
What is the connection here? We think that the kinship that exists between the nudist and spiritual worlds lies in their closeness to the natural world (including the super-natural!). As a naturist, you’re more open to ancient doctrines that revel in nature as opposed to organized religions that tend to repress self-expression and natural behavior. As a spiritualist, you’re more open to lifestyles that bring us closer to nature, such as naturism.
That said, not all nudists that have religious beliefs fall into the “New Age” category. There’s a growing number of Catholics who’ve espoused naturism as a means to be closer to God. Their main tenet draws on the book of Genesis, whereby God ejected Adam and Eve from Eden for feeling shame for being naked.

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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Destinations: Argentina and Uruguay

The state of Florida has launched a criminal investigation of disgraced US Republican congressman Mark Foley, arising from recent revelations that he had inappropriate exchanges with minors over the Internet. He promptly resigned in September when a major TV network questioned him about the allegations.
Foley, who headed an unsuccessful morality campaign against Florida-based nudist clubs in 2003, has so far denied he’s had any sexual contact with minors, although he himself claims to have been sexually molested as a child by a Catholic priest.

Again this year, on December 3, also known as “National Nudi-Naturist Day” in Argentina, the Yatan Rumi nudist club in Tanti, Cordoba province, will host its annual nude marathon. The 2005 edition got intense international press coverage, and managed to attract one hundred people, sixty of which actually participated in the race.

Event organizer and Yatan Rumi founder Miguel Suarez told us that the race has the full support of the Tanti municipality and was originally meant to take place in the streets of that town, but objections voiced by local citizens forced them to stage it within the confines of the club. Yatan Rumi sits at around 1500 meters (over 4500 feet) and is spread out on 1200 hectares (2964 acres) making it one of the biggest in the world.

Miguel told us that other sporting events will also take place the previous weekend as well as on December 2nd. All events are to be held nude, and this year, he tells us, even members of the press must disrobe if they wish to attend. This policy reflects the club’s strictly observed non-optional nudity rule.

The race has its own web site and includes many photos from last year’s run. Note, however, that it’s only in Spanish.

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Destinations: Argentina and Uruguay





_{Photos courtesy of Yatan Rumi, All rights reserved}

T’was October, and Alexandra and I had some time to kill in Buenos Aires before a flight. We’d heard about Gymnos Spa, a small nudist club in Tigre, about 30 kilometers away (about 18 miles). We decided to make a go for it, catching a train from the Retiro station directly to Tigre, which lies in the Parana delta area. The train is only about 60 cents a person, and I must warn that it’s not a pretty ride!
After a bumpy $5 taxi ride from the Tigre train station to a dock, we waited a few minutes for a launch to pick us up and take us to Gymnos. The boat ride on the shallow brown waters of the Parana system was quite interesting, with logging boats flying by and the lush vegetation all around us.
Our hosts for the day were Gladys and Claudio, who made us feel as if we were family, and that’s probably the best part. We were actually their first customers since they took over the operation from a swinger couple. With the change of owners, so did change the club’s orientation, from swinger to nudist. However, as Gladys pointed-out, they’ll still cater to swingers who patronized the previous establishment and choose to keep coming here. There’s even a “love cabin” in the yard that contains only a flimsy mattress where the aforementioned libertines can engage in their libertine activities.
The club itself needs a bit work. The tiny pool wasn’t working, the volleyball court was a shambles, and much of the 2.5 acre grounds were overgrown with weeds. Gladys said they were still in the process of organizing, but perhaps they should have waited a bit more before opening their doors?
The hotel is made entirely of varnished wood and has about 10 rooms with bathrooms. The showers, however, weren’t working, so one had to use the common showers on the first floor. Having a shower at Gymnos was a rather frustrating experience on the men’s side, with the low water pressure combined with intermitting hot/cold and the brown water drawn from the river.
For activities, there isn’t a whole lot to do at Gymnos, except relax in the sun or eat the excellent fresh food and drink. We did all of those and it was just perfect for the time we were there, but I can imagine it would grow quickly tedious if we had to stay longer!
I know we’ve made it sound rather negative, but this club is actually a pretty good bet for a brief visit while you’re in Buenos Aires, and I must again mention the superb hospitality of our hosts. One other thing worth mentioning is that the prices are very economical. Our room cost us less than 20 dollars, and the generous quantities of food and drink we consumed added to only about 12 dollars more! If Gladys and Claudio hold true to their word and fix the problems at Gymnos, it’ll well be worth a second visit, though they’d do well to tone down on the “polyamorous” side of things if they wish to attract more nudists.

Gymnos Spa Website. Services in Spanish only.