Heterotopic erotic oases: The public nude beach experience

Abstract

Despite the importance of beaches for a broad spectrum of recreational activities, very little is known about the multitude of beach use in marginalized spaces offering a range of opportunities for transgressive behaviour. To explore the ways that the principles of Foucault’s heterotopia are articulated by users of a gay nude beach, functioning as an erotic oasis, this study adopted a covert ethnographic approach which involved non-participant observation. The results of the study offer a unique glimpse into the role of beach, body and sexuality in the tourism experience and unlock the complexities and entanglements engaged in deviant beach use. Keywords: heterotopia, erotic oasis, beach experience, nudism, gay space, sexual body.