Heidi Klum is completely comfortable with her body and her boyfriend.

The 43-year-old supermodel covers the December issue of Ocean Drive magazine, and is quite candid when speaking about her 30-year-old beau, Vito Schnabel, and their tropical getaways, where she's often photographed topless. "I grew up going to nude beaches with my parents, so I’m a nudist," Klum explains. "I have no problems with nudity at all. I’m very free. When I go to the beach, it’s in a very remote place where there are not a lot of people, and I like to go topless."

WATCH: Heidi Klum and Boyfriend Vito Schnabel Share the Most Awkward Kiss Ever at Wimbledon

The Project Runway star says it's the paparazzi that make her nudity and public displays of affection seem over the top when she's vacationing. "I’m not doing PDA on the beach with tons of people. I go on a boat or I take a hike somewhere. If you would zoom out in the places where I’m with my boyfriend, there’s nobody there," she notes. "Unfortunately, paparazzi always follow us, in a helicopter or they hang behind a bush or a boat and they come up with scuba gear. But to the outside world, it looks like we’re frolicking on the beach having a show in front of everyone."

As for the 13-year age difference between herself and Schnabel, Klum insists their relationship is "not about age."

"We have an amazing connection, we have fun together, and we love each other," she says. "It doesn’t matter what people say. As long as you know when you close your door in your own home, you have an amazing time together. That’s really all that matters."

WATCH: Heidi Klum Continues to Go Topless on Vacation, Performs Handstands With Her Kids

This isn't the first time Klum has defended her topless vacations. In August, she explained to ET why she wasn't wearing her bikini top during a trip to the Caribbean. "I'm a European German girl and we like to go topless," she shared. "Don't love the tan lines!"

Related Gallery

Celebrities in Their Underwear