Charco del Palo

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, British, and Dutch. 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 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 (Reiner's Pub, Jardin Tropical, and La Tunera) and a small supermarket; these can only be visited while clothed. The terraces of the restaurants do allow (and frequently see) naked use.