Review: Cypress Cove Nudist Resort

I've been going to Cypress Cove in nearby Kissimmee Florida off and on for around 30 years.  I returned from a nice day visit there today and I realized that I've never talked about it in this blog.  I had written about it in a series of Geocities web pages I authored back in the day when that service was still in business.  But apparently not here.

A few things have changed about the place.  But thankfully, not much.  It used to be in a very rural area south of town surrounded by low end trailer parks and campsites.  Now, it's directly off a four lane divided highway with the nicely manicured entrance at a traffic light directly across from the local Lowes superstore.  The sign now just says "Cypress Cove" (not mentioning it's a nudist resort).  But that's OK.  The locals all know what it is, and they're fine with it being there.

They've added another pool and some nice shops, but they're hemmed in on all sides and I assume they can't afford to buy any of the adjacent properties.  Even so, it's pretty big.  Hundreds of people live there in mid to high end manufactured homes.  Most of the homes are meticulously landscaped and well maintained by their owners.  There's lots of room for visiting and seasonal RVs (it's pretty full now), and they have have several modern condo style buildings with rooms for visitors who aren't equipped for or desiring campground accommodations.  Add to that a well equipped gym, lots of outdoor sports facilities, a big pool side bar and grill in it's own building, and a fancy restaurant on their nice little lake.

It still has the look and feel of a mature, efficient, well kept up and well run local family owned place that isn't trying to weird or different.  Instead, it just looks and feels like a second home to those of us who live in and visit the area.

That said, I had a rocky start with them.  In my early 20's after having gone to several nude beaches, I decided to give them a call to see if I could visit their establishment.  I was given the cold shoulder and pretty much told that as a single male, I wasn't welcome.  That turned me off to the point that it was another year or so before I tried a different, more single male friendly club.  Only years later, as an "affiliated" visitor with AANR membership and an established membership in the "travel club" that supported Playalinda Beach on the Atlantic coast east of them, did I call again and was finally welcome to visit.

After several visits, they gave me a reference number to use that pretty much waves me in anytime I want to visit, even though I haven't kept up my memberships elsewhere.

The patrons there are mostly middle aged or retired, which suits me more now than it did back then.  Very laid back and friendly, but not a lot of younger people there with their families.

Today's visit was the opposite of the deprivation chamber experience I talked about a couple of weeks ago.  Sunny, mid-70's, nice breeze.  Perfect.  Deliciously sensual without anyone feeling uncomfortable with anyone.  No (obvious) swingers and though nudity is expected everywhere, it's only rigidly enforced (as with most clubs) around and in the pool and hot tubs.

It's a great place to introduce middle age and above non-nudists to what it's all about.  Young adults would probably enjoy going with a group like the Florida Young Naturists to a club like Sunsport Gardens in South Florida, that caters to the younger crowd who aren't looking for or needing fancy facilities.

Gym Naked

There's some strange variability to the tolerance of nudity in gyms, at least here in the US.  When I was a kid, showing after PE was not an option and the showers were open affairs.  Likewise, in Scouting, the camps had open outdoor showers.  I think this was intentional to teach kids not to be ashamed of their bodies, and it was, of course, cheaper to build the facilities that way.  Now, it seems kids prefer not to shower at school, and a lot of them have individual shower stalls, so they aren't seen naked by the other kids.  Personally, I think the open showers a better idea.  At the time I didn't like them, but because you had to use them, you got used to it and soon didn't mind the fact that you've seen all your classmates naked, and they've seen you naked.  There was a small amount of teasing, but really not much.

Later in life, you might join a gym to get back into or to stay in shape.  There's a strange etiquette in such places.  Most men don't seem to have any problem being nude around others for a brief period while changing, but some seem to have no problem going to and from the showers, standing at the sink, or chatting with friends, remaining nude all the time.  I'm somewhat in between.  I go to and from the shower nude (not wanting to wrap a clean towel around my sweaty body), but keep a towel around me at other times.  Even though I'm comfortable being nude around other men, I'm aware of the fact that a lot of other people there are uncomfortable with anything more than brief nudity.

It used to be at the gym I go to that about half the users of the jacuzzi and saunas were nude (same sex only).  I preferred it that way.  Otherwise, I'd have to bring something to wear, and have something wet and sweaty to take home.  But apparently, some complained and now a swim suit is required for both.  I still just wear a towel wrapped around me in the sauna and just avoid the jacuzzi.

In other countries, nudity in a sauna is the norm, and mixed nudity amoung friends and family is common in Scandinavian countries.  So I suspect the gym etiquette is more relaxed in Europe.

Oh... one final note...  Gym and gymnasium are derived from the Greek word Gymnos, meaning naked.  This is because athletes practiced, studied, and competed in the nude in ancient Greece and the early Olympics were all done in the nude.