Naturism in Ecuador: laws and customs
Updated October 24, 2026
In Ecuador undressing in public is not a crime in itself, but municipalities can ban it and there are no official nudist beaches. Naturism is an almost hidden niche, in private houses and secluded places.
At a glance
- Official naturist beaches and areasNone exist
- Naturist staysPrivate properties: simple nudity is not a crime
- Unofficial naturist beachesFew and secluded (e.g. Playa Negra); municipal ordinances possible
- Naked in nature, away from peopleNot a crime; municipalities can ban it with ordinances
- Regular beach, townNot a crime, but municipal fines possible; not well accepted
- Local bansNot verified: municipal ordinances possible, not read
- ToplessNot verified
- Sauna without swimwearNot verified
- LGBTQ+ travellersNo legal risk
A Catholic and traditional country, where naturism exists but remains an almost hidden niche.
What the law says
Voluntarily undressing in a public space "no está tipificado, por sí solo, como delito" in the Criminal Code in force since 2014 (COIP). The old code punished conduct that "ofendieran el pudor", but this offence has disappeared. Depending on the case, however, other rules may apply, including municipal ordinances (El Telégrafo). According to El Comercio, municipalities can ban nudity with ordinances and fines (El Comercio).
The text of the COIP contains no crime or misdemeanour for simple nudity or for "obscene acts" in public. It does contain the crime of using children, adolescents, elderly people or people with disabilities by forcing them to show themselves naked for sexual purposes (7 to 10 years in prison), and that of forcing another person to show themselves naked through violence, threats or blackmail (COIP, art. 172 and 172.1).
We have not read the ordinances of the municipalities in Santa Elena Province, where the place in our list is located.
Where you can be naked
In Ecuador there are no official nudist beaches: naturism is practised on private properties, at organised gatherings and in secluded places. El Telégrafo mentions Playa Negra, south of Mompiche (Esmeraldas), which locals call "playa nudista", and a private initiative at Playa Escondida (Galera, Esmeraldas), with a ban on photos and videos (El Telégrafo). The place in our list is in Santa Elena Province: you can find it in the list of naturist places in Ecuador.
The local mood
In Ecuador naturism "existe pero no tiene espacios oficiales" (El Telégrafo): it remains an almost hidden niche, in private houses, private gatherings and secluded beaches. The country is Catholic and traditional: in 2012, 80.4% of those who declared a religion were Catholic (INEC).
National criminal law no longer punishes nudity in itself, and when the authorities step in, they seem to do so for other reasons, such as licences and safety. We found no surveys or personal accounts on nudity: sources are few.
Naturist associations
Ecuador has no federation in INF-FNI, the international federation (INF-FNI). There is an association, Naturismo Ecuador, mentioned by El Telégrafo.
LGBTQ+ travellers
No legal risk: same-sex relations have been legal since 1997. Same-sex couples cannot adopt (ILGA).
This guide sums up laws and customs as we checked them on the date shown, citing the sources. It is not legal advice: rules can change.