Efforts continue to clear sewage system following floods in Spain's Valencia region

Nude beaches, or “clothing-optional beaches” as they are fondly called, are shores where the choice to bare it all lies entirely with you—nudity is welcome but never a requirement. Naturist beaches aren’t just about getting rid of tan lines, they are about liberation. Not every sandy shore that invites naturists is “officially” designated as such. In most cases, an official nude beach is one where local governments have legalized public nudity within a specific zone such as in Spain with nudist friendly beaches on the island of Formentera, and in Germany with naturist spots like the English Garden in Munich. Unofficial nude beaches, on the other hand, are typically known through word of mouth or naturist forums. The stories of these beaches trace back to the naturist movements in the early 20th-century. A movement about health, physical fitness, and social equality. The first nudist club in the United States was established in New York City in 1929, and the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) was established in 1931. The naturist movement quickly spread to other parts of Europe, with the establishment of nudist clubs and resorts throughout the continent. Campsite Koversada, Europe’s first naturist campsite, opened in 1961. Nearly four decades earlier, Britain’s first nudist colony, Sunbeam—fondly called “The Camp”—was established in 1924 by the Moonella Group. In France, the Fédération Française de Naturisme (FFN) was established in 1950, which promoted naturism as a legitimate lifestyle choice. Today, these sand stretches tell tales as diverse as the landscapes they occupy

One of the most lavish hotel companies in the world is about to give a major boost to its exclusive mix of ultraluxury vacation rentals.

I enjoy riding around Europe via rail and have taken trains in Spain, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and, recently, Italy.

For Haitian Americans like the chef Gregory Gourdet, 49, potato salad bears little resemblance to the deli counter mainstay. Growing up in Queens, he instead ate salade russe, a traditional Haitian recipe in which potatoes are combined with peas, onions and beets, which turn the dish bubble gum pink. Today, Gourdet serves his own take on that dish as part of the summer menu at his restaurant Kann in Portland, Ore., smoking the beets and binding the ingredients with creamy rémoulade. It’s just one of a number of variations on Russian potato salad, known as Olivier — which was created in 19th-century Moscow and now shows up everywhere from Sweden to Korea — currently appearing on restaurant menus. At Eel Bar on New York’s Lower East Side, the chef-partner Aaron Crowder, 39, makes what he describes as a “New York version of the Spanish version of Russian potato salad,” informed by the ensaladilla rusa served at tapas bars that often includes green olives and roasted red peppers. He tops his with orange trout roe. Tyler Akin, 41, the chef and a partner at the Mediterranean restaurant Bastia in Philadelphia, makes potato confit in chicken fat and then mixes it with saffron-spiked aioli and shavings of Sardinian bottarga. Potato salad, he says, “just so clearly wants to be served warm and soft,” like the bacon-flecked, mayo-free German-style version that his family favors.

Starting today, tourists arriving in Spain will have to provide more personal data to authorities.

Singapore has retained its place at the top of a ranking of the world’s strongest passports, previously knocking Spain off the top spot.

Overtourism has been plaguing European destinations since travel rebounded post-pandemic, exacerbated by low-cost flights and a surging cruise industry. 

Dec 3, 2024 • 6 min read

"It's like this almost every day," laments Paola, who is waiting for her train to go to Barcelona for work. It’s already one hour and 45 minutes late. She still doesn’t know when she will be able to leave Madrid.

For many residents of Valencia, Storm Dana feels like it only just happened yesterday. Just one month after one of the most devastating natural disasters in Spain's recent history, the community has started taking small steps towards a recovery.

Nov 27, 2024 • 7 min read

Nov 27, 2024 • 10 min read