Cap D'Agde is to nudists what Mecca is
to Muslims
No shirt, no shoes, no problem at nudist camps, resorts, or in the
shops and eateries of Cap d'Adge, France. This French nudist city swells
to 40,000 nudists in one big nudist camp during the summer months!
Actually, you’ll find not only the large nudist camp site (with more
than 2.500 plots), but also an entire section and harbor of this French
city is reserved for nudists and naturists.
Imagine 40,000 nudists in one big nudist camp!
Actually, you’ll find not only the large nudist camp site (with more
than 2.500 plots), but also an entire section and harbor of this French
city is reserved for nudists and naturists.
Cap d'Agde (pronounced Cap DAG) is actually a nudist city right on the
Mediterranean in southeastern France.
History of Cap d'Adge
The way the story was told to me is that it all started with Agde
(called Agathee Tyche by the Greeks who set up a trading post here in
the 5th century BC), situated south of the Thau basin on the River
Herault. As the river was the only port on the south coast, it remained
an important harbour until the 12th century.
The area was blessed with beautiful beaches, vines and wild marshlands,
and nothing else. Until one sunny summer’s day at the end of the
1950s.
On this day, some tourists asked the Oltra brothers, who had vines
growing right up to the beach, if they could pitch their tent on their
land. These tourists were pioneering the very first nudist camp in this
area, and very soon a new seaside resort was born.
In the early 1960s, the naturist/tourist section of the town was
developed by the French government to exploit the beauty of the region
and the Mediterranean, and to bring tourist dollars into the area.
Today, accommodations range from beachfront apartments, condominiums,
private homes and hotels to nearby villas or castles in the hills for
accommodations during the summer. During the cold seasons, the naturist
section of the town is mostly closed down. The peak tourist season runs
from May to September, with late July and all of August being the most
popular times to visit.
Location of the city
The city of Cap d'Agde is twenty minutes from Bezier and an hour from
Montpellier, both with airports with service from Paris. Barcelona,
Spain is less than 200 miles to the west and south, about 4 hours away
by car.
Both airports at Montpellier and Bezier can be reached daily by several
scheduled flights from the Paris airports of Charles de Gaulle or Orly.
Typical airline price from Paris is about $150/person/round trip. Trains
service both cities as well. And, rental cars are available just about
everywhere. Taxis and buses operate locally. Airline seats are limited,
planes are commuter aircraft, so plan well AHEAD.
OF NOTE: To enter France, you must have a valid passport.
Nestled along the ocean, within proximity of such ancient French cities
as Montpellier, Nîmes and Béziers, Cap d’Agde is a magnificent area
for sightseeing. There's lots to do in the regional area from shopping
at one of the five shopping centers or in the quaint shops, to castle
hopping. Maybe you don’t want to spend ALL your holiday on the beach?
A wide range of sports is available to residents, including sailing and
surfing, tennis and golf. In the evenings, the area abounds in a wide
choice of entertainment, ranging from restaurants and musical events to
an amusement park and discotheques. If you like hot fun, the tabloids
depict Cap d'Agde as Swapping Central. There are many discos/night
clubs, one of which advertises itself explicitly to swingers. The
entertainment is predominantly French. Tour companies may arrange
entertainment for their own customers.
I visited one of the discos, which was very expensive. There is a
similar range of entertainment outside the Quartier Naturiste.
Local attractions:
For nature-lovers, there is a picturesque, almost untouched hinterland
with unforgettable day trips, hiking and canoeing. Some other area
attractions include:
The wild bulls and flamingos of the Camargue
The medieval town of Carcassonne
The african wildlife park at Sigean
Canoe and kayak rental at the Gorges du Tarn
L'étang de Thau with his oysterfarms
The Salagou lake
The Wine Route
The Salt Route
La Couvertoirade, city of the templars
The natural beauty of the Cirque de Navacelle
Roquefort sur Soulzan (visit to the caves where Roquefort cheese is
made)
The prehistoric site at Mèze
St Guilhem le Desert
The caves systems of Demoiselles and Clamouse
The roman aqueduct le Pont du Gard
Obviously, dining and wining are two favorites that most folks partake
of. Fishing, yachting and water sports can be arranged throughout the
area. But remember, the Mediterranean can be cold---it's not the
Caribbean!!
The nudist area itself presents two faces: a peaceful, family ambiance
by day, and a festive, sexually charged meeting ground by night. It’s
easy to meet people and enjoy an unforgettable vacation. In fact, not
only are all the businesses nudist, you can even go dancing in the buff.
It's an international clothing-optional city, with its own produce
shops, bakeries, restaurants and nightclubs, where people in every
possible state of dress and undress roam freely. Waiting to pay for your
grocery purchase, you might easily find yourself standing behind a
French woman with a full shopping cart, naked except for her high-heeled
sandals and pale blue nail polish, while behind you a portly German man
wearing only a tight-fitting American T-shirt and broad straw sun hat
waits impatiently to buy a bottle of ketchup.
However, prices in the shops in the Quartier Naturiste (Naturist
Quarter) are rather steep, averaging about 2 to 2.5 times those in the
supermarkets outside--you will pay a high premium for the privilege of
shopping in the nude.
Take as much as you can of the things you will need when you first
arrive and, when you can, go shopping in the supermarkets (such as
Intermarche) on the outskirts of Agde.
You're free to go anywhere nude in the Quartier Naturiste; nudity is
compulsory on the beach (but this is not effectively enforced) and in
the pools. On the streets and in the shops clothed and partly-clothed
people seem to outnumber nude ones by maybe 10 to 1, even when the
weather is plenty warm enough. This can be a bit intimidating if you
step out naked and find everyone else clothed.
To the east of the naturist beach is a beach where naturists
(unofficially) and textiles seem to coexist happily. At the west end,
there is a path alongside the channel giving entrance to the Quartier
Naturiste port, where you will find yourself opposite textiles fishing
and strolling.
A wide range of people of virtually all ages visit Agde, and the place
did not seem to be dominated by any age group or by one sex. Cap d'Agde
is a truly international cast of characters, so you will find everything
there---singles, couples, families, gays, lesbians, groups and just
about all nationalities.
Cap d'Agde itself is a substantial town of mostly holiday villas and
apartments. The Quartier Naturiste (Naturist Quarter) is only a small
part of the town, although still substantial as a resort - more like a
suburb, with its own shops and restaurants.
Navigating the area:
Access to the Quartier Naturiste is controlled by the police, but the
strictness of the control is patchy. If you are staying there, you can
obtain a free magnetic swipe card to re-enter after going outside. There
is admission by the day: FF12 for pedestrians, FF50 for cars, with
special rates for more frequent visits. However, it's possible to get in
simply by walking along the beach from the village of Marseillan-Plage.
The Quartier Naturiste is a bit like a smaller version of the main town,
built around a marina. It's about 20-30 minutes walk to the centre of
Cap d'Agde, and about 10 km to the ancient city of Agde, where there is
a railway station.
There is an inconvenient circular bus service to both Agde and Cap
d'Agde from the Quartier Naturiste, running less frequently outside the
high season. Although Cap d'Agde is convenient for visiting interesting
places (e.g., Narbonne, Carcassonne and Nimes) if you have a car, it is
not well placed if you rely on the train.
The Quartier Naturiste has an excellent beach, maybe 2 km long, which is
clean and well cared for, but it is packed in the high season, when as
many as 40,000 nudists visit the area. There are several swimming pools;
if you arrive with a tour company, free admission to one of them may be
included in what you have paid.
Although the resort is open all the year round, most businesses inside
are open only from May to September. Late July and all of August are the
most popular times to go for the most favorable weather. Cap d'Adges is
prone to strong and unpleasant winds, and many people prefer the shelter
of the pool to the beach. A cold wind can spring up at any time, it
seems, and September weather can be unreliable.
In 1994, apparently, there were complaints about the behaviour of some
people on the beach - since it is a naturist beach, the complaints
presumably came from naturists. As a result, the municipality of Agde
passed a by-law (arrête) for 1995 onwards prohibiting
"exhibitionism", "pornography" and
"pornographic jewellery" in the Quartier Naturiste. In some
ways the Quartier Naturiste is more strictly regulated than the rest of
France. I did see some porn on sale in the shops, but no worse than
anything on sale outside (in France, pornographic videos are on sale in
supermarkets).
The east end of the beach has an area marked by a fence where the
authorities seem to tolerate exhibitionism in the dunes, and it is
probably best for families to avoid this area. Aspiring exhibitionists
should perhaps be warned that fine adhesive Agde sand being wind-blasted
into all crevices may well be a passion-killer.
When assessing Cap d'Agde from this point of view, remember that it is
not a naturist resort in the usual sense, but a part of France that
happens to be for naturist use, and it is regulated by the local
government. Although Cap d'Agde may seem very exciting from the
viewpoint of Northampton or of Normal, Illinois, it is not way out for a
place that is (a) in France and (b) somewhere where people go to relax.
The sleaze is not obvious to families or those who are not looking for
it.
Passing through the harbour entrance to Port Ambonne, a real paradise
awaits the naturist. Terraced apartment buildings of up to five stories
form a residential complex divided into the sections of Port Ambonne,
Port Nature, Heliopolis and Heliovillage. In between these individual
buildings, lie snugly the townhouses of Port Nature and Heliovillage
surrounded by beautiful gardens and green areas.
In the center are the common facilities including four separate swimming
pools. On the beach, sailing boats, sun chairs and parasols can be hired
on an hourly or daily basis, while beach bars and restaurants serve
drinks and fine meals.
The rest of the Quartier Naturiste, both residential and business, has a
rather run-down, tatty look about it, especially when compared with the
main part of Cap d'Agde. The self-catering accommodation, at least that
offered by the British tour companies, is on the poky and spartan side.
Most of it seems to be owned by individuals who furnish it to their own
taste and let it out through agencies. This means that you may spend
your nights surrounded by some awful kitsch. There is a three-star
hotel, the Eve, but I didn't investigate it. I suspect it's for the
filthy rich.
With an eclectic, lively atmosphere, you're sure to find something of
interest or someone to talk to. During the day, the water sports area
can get downright crowded, so it's advisable to stay at a resort which
includes membership in a private beach club right to the water's edge.
Night life and dining out:
Night life can be fun and entertaining from dining au naturale to bar
and disco hopping late into the evening. Here are some of the
establishments I found to be excellent:
La Scala: Located in Port Ambonne, a friendly establishment with a
pleasant ambiance and a backroom (quite legal in France). Unfortunately,
the disco closes at 2am.
Le Pharaon: This summer’s hotspot with lots of exciting events.
And to eat, I highly recommend these two restaurants:
La Grange Gourmande: Irreproachable quality, refined cuisine, elegant
presentation, very hospitable, average prices. Friendly to the gay
community, as this restuarant is owned by a gay couple.
La Casa Neva: A quality restaurant, also owned by lesbians.
Only on the white sand beach do you find signs reading Nudité
Obligatoire -- ostensibly to discourage voyeurism. In the evenings,
however, when it cools off, many people dress for dinner -- this is
still France, after all!
The beach life during the day is what most people visit for, with the
nightlife and socializing running a close second. People watching seem
to be just about everyone's favorite hobby.
Services:
All types of services, dining, shops, markets, bars and discos are
available in Cap d'Agde and all have one thing in common--all the
customers are nude. If you like beach life, the best located
accommodations are the apartment units in the complex called Heliopolis.
Accommodations are usually booked up and sold out far in advance with
rates running between $100-$200/person/night the norm. Rooms at
Heliopolis also includes your automatic membership in the private beach
club, with its own sunning area with beach umbrellas and bistro/bar--a
nice touch to avoid the environment on the rest of the beach that can be
crowded at times.
Dining In:
Usual accommodations include some type of kitchen so you can buy fresh
food from the nearby markets to prepare yourself. All types of snacks,
beach shops and fine dining restaurants abound in the nudist section of
the city so you never have to wear clothes unless you want to. Life goes
on until late at night or early in the morning so you're not going to
wonder what to do next.
Rates:
Accommodations are usually booked up and sold out far in advance with
rates running between $100-$200/per person/per night the norm. Including
airfare from the U. S., all transfers, round trip air between Paris and
Cap d'Agde, accommodations, beach club membership, taxes, tips and
service charges, total package price per person averages $2,450 for 10
days in France, 7 nights at Cap d'Agde and 2 nights in Paris.
Cap d'Agde is an interesting and enjoyable place, and I hope to go back,
but it's not a naturist paradise. If you want the Cap d'Agde experience,
then there is only one Cap d'Agde, but if you just want to be naked,
then, from the climatic and financial points of view, Spain is probably
a better value. But this is the nudist experience of a lifetime. It's
unlikely that you will ever see more people in the "all
together" at one time anywhere else.
Nudist
Picture Gallery
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