My naked getaway in the world’s largest nudist village

If travelling light is high on your list of holiday priorities, especially if you want to avoid extra-baggage charges, why not consider a clothing-optional resort?

Better still, head to France’s picturesque Languedoc region, home to the world’s largest nudist community.

For many, the thought of shopping, eating out and clubbing naked probably sounds like a nightmare.

But for visitors to Cap d’Agde’s Naturist Village, it’s just another day.

Residents and visitors go about life — dining at beachfront restaurants, grabbing a coffee, or simply strolling around — in the nude, all within a designated, controlled area.

There are very few places of this scale in Europe, indeed the world, and the vibe is unashamedly, er, libertine.

Once I overcame my initial fear and embarrassment, I realised that even the most seemingly perfect bodies are imperfect in some way. 

Fat or thin, tall or short, we are all different.

If body confidence is an issue, I can highly recommend spending time among hundreds of naked people: it is a surprisingly effective way to overcome shame or whatever’s going on in your head.

The growing popularity of naturist holidays reflects a broader interest in experiences that offer freedom from body-image pressures, the chance to spend time outdoors without worrying about dress codes, and a more relaxed approach to socialising.

For some, it is about reconnecting with nature. For others, it is simply the novelty of trying a holiday where clothes are optional and judgment is meant to be left at the gate. 

Tucked away to the west of the French Riviera, Cap d’Agde began as a campsite in 1956, established by French brothers René and Paul Oltra.

The story goes that, after work, they enjoyed skinny-dipping in the Mediterranean alongside German holidaymakers.

They decided to turn their land into a holiday destination for like-minded people who preferred doing things nude.

In 1963, as part of a local government tourism initiative, the Languedoc-Roussillon region oversaw the creation of the seaside resort of Cap d’Agde and the campsite’s transformation into a fully-fledged naturist village.

Today, it features large Brutalist blocks of flats, shopping arcades and restaurants.

Think The Hunger Games meets Blackpool, with full English breakfasts, pizza and rotisserie chicken on offer.

It is not to everyone’s taste, but visitors are unlikely to be there for the cuisine or architecture.

Now celebrating its 70th anniversary, the René Oltra campsite remains a key destination for naturists.

It offers pitches for tents and motorhomes, as well as chalets, mobile homes and wooden cabins.

Guests get a pass based on the length of their stay, together with a token allowing entry to the village.

Inside the walled resort, which can accommodate up to 40,000 at its busiest, you can shop everywhere from patisseries and charcuteries to stores selling local red, white and rosé wines from the Languedoc region, France’s third-largest wine-producing area…completely in the buff. 

There is plenty of fun to be had browsing shops selling skimpy evening wear and fetish gear, both of which are commonplace here.

Cheap, stretchy polyester and nylon are the order of the day: the shorter and more revealing, the better.

Those seeking full-on fetish wear will be spoilt for choice, while sex toys, whips and floggers are also widely available.

Penis-shaped key rings and bottle openers are impossible to miss.

When the sun goes down, the village quickly changes from naked to outrageously clothed.

What began as a purely naturist resort has also become a destination for swingers from around the world.

Clubs line the streets, advertising foam parties, BDSM workshops and opportunities for couples to play with others in one of the many venues around the resort.

Having visited Cap d’Agde seven times over more than two decades, I have become fond of the people-watching.

It is not simply voyeurism: the village brings together people who would rarely meet elsewhere, from older couples and lifelong naturists to first-time visitors, swingers and people experimenting with a more liberated version of themselves, the average age being somewhere around 50.

Sitting at a café, you can watch people move between ordinary holiday routines and flamboyant evening performances, often with a confidence that seems to grow as the day goes on. 

I recall on a previous visit I invited a friend, a 6’4” tall Yorkshireman, aged 55, to accompany me to the village for a weekend break.

Having never tried naturism before, he was taken aback when I asked him to strip off on entrance to the village.

By the end of the day, he was fully committed to the lifestyle and announced the trip as the most fun he’d ever had. 

That is part of the appeal of people-watching at Cap d’Agde. You see how quickly people can move beyond the roles and appearances they occupy in everyday life. 

When I feel more daring, I walk to the far end of the 1.5km beach, where some adults have sex outdoors.

There are usually more spectators than participants, visible from up to a quarter of a mile away by the circles they form, sometimes five or six men deep.

Further along are separate areas for gay men and families who regard naturism as a way of life. 

For first-timers, the resort is best approached with an open mind and a clear understanding of its rules.

Daylight hours are generally devoted to ordinary holiday pleasures – swimming, sunbathing, shopping and eating – while the atmosphere becomes more sexually charged later in the day.

Naturism is expected, but consent, privacy and respect remain essential. 

If you can accept the mix of families, traditional naturists and adult entertainment, Cap d’Agde Naturist Village offers a holiday unlike almost anywhere else: part French seaside escape, part social experiment and part unabashed spectacle.

Suzanne Noble is the host of Sex Advice for Seniors, a ‘stigma-free’ sex advice podcast for people who refuse to let age define their desires.

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