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| Admin |
Posted - 06/30/2003 : 10:53:34 AM
Reprinted from The Guardian - Saturday January 13, 2001
Phil Goddard sheds his inhibitions in a naturist resort
It's an unusually busy day at the bank in Cap d'Agde. The nearby cashpoint machine has broken down, so all the customers are having to come in to get their money. A smartly-dressed woman employee dispenses the cash, and a man beside her deals with the resulting tide of paperwork. A long queue of people snakes its way across to the door, but the mood is patient and relaxed. After all, they're here on their holidays, and they have all the time in the world.
It's just like any bank anywhere, except for one minor detail: many of the customers are naked. It's like one of those dreams where you're walking down a busy shopping street and half the people, yourself included, seem to have forgotten to put on any clothes.
This is the quartier naturiste of Cap d'Agde in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, and scenes like this are everywhere one looks. It is an entire self- contained naked town with its own shops, post offices, petrol station, and a choice of around 30 restaurants and bars. In the height of summer, tens of thousands of people flock here from all over the world.
The resort even has its own branch of the Spar supermarket chain, probably the only one in the world where clothed male checkout assistants struggle to stay awake as dozens of nude women await their attention.
Stripping off on Cap d'Agde's 2km of beautiful beach is no big deal. On a normal beach, you're wearing only one or two garments anyway, so wearing none at all seems pretty natural, especially when the temperature is in the 90s and everyone else is naked. But trundling a supermarket trolley around the aisles while clad in nothing but a baseball cap and a bemused smile is something you won't get used to in a month of Sundays.
The quartier naturiste is part of the much bigger purpose-built "textile" (ie clothed) resort of Cap d'Agde. To be honest, it's not much to look at. This may be the country that gave us Versailles and the chteaux of the Loire, but in the 60s and 70s France's architects seem to have undergone some sort of collective brainstorm. They built all those uniquely horrible ski resorts in the Alps, and they built Cap d'Agde.
The brutalist concrete apartment blocks are visible for miles around, and many of the apartments themselves are hardly big enough to swing a cat in. But no one comes to Cap d'Agde for the buildings. If the weather is good (which it invariably is in summer) you're out all day anyway, enjoying the resort's many attractions. And for those needing a little more room to move, there are always the pretty, bougainvillea-clad villas, the smart, modern three-star Hotel Eve, or the huge but tranquil and leafy campsite.
For a naturist resort, it's amazing just how preoccupied people are by clothing. One couple arriving at the same time as my wife and myself were struggling under the weight of five large suitcases. This is because when the sun goes down, the people dress up. A few hardy souls remain nude for the duration of their stay, sometimes being the only naked diners in a restaurant full of clothed people.
On the beach, the vast majority of people strip off; and official patrols come round and politely insist that you do so unless you have a very good reason. They are known as "black hats", because that is all they wear.
Away from the beach, some dress, others don't. During one heavy shower of rain we were treated to the bizarre spectacle of people walking around in raincoats with nothing underneath.
Clothes are also one of the main commodities sold in the shops. Many of these seem to be made of PVC and rubber, which raises the obvious question about a naturist resort: isn't there a sexual undertone to all this?
Well, many naturists will deny it, but there is, though the sex is pretty much corralled away from the eyes of the many thousands of people who come here for a wholesome family holiday. A small minority parade around in fetish gear later on in the evening; there are two couples-only, anything-goes "nightclubs", and hanky-panky of varying degrees of furtiveness occurs on the section of beach farthest from the resort. However, the beach is patrolled by police, and their new chief is reportedly much less liberal than his predecessor.
And what about gawkers? Yes, they do exist, because anyone is allowed in through the main gate provided they pay their entrance fee. Sometimes a group of spotty, sniggering and seriously-overdressed teenage males will sidle along the beach. But the great thing about Cap d'Agde is the feeling of safety in numbers. Nakedness is the norm, and it creates an extraordinary camaraderie; in this topsy-turvy society, it's the people with clothes on that feel out of place.
For this reason, too, women should feel fairly secure. There is a slight preponderance of males, not all of whom are very good at making eye contact when they speak to you, but the overall atmosphere is friendly and protective.
Cap d'Agde distorts your whole system of values, because it makes you feel this is normal and it's the rest of the world that's got it wrong. When you walk out of the main gate at the end of your stay, it clangs shut behind you with a depressing finality. Back in the real world, you get an inkling of what Adam and Eve must have felt like when they were expelled from Paradise. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| nudiststory |
Posted - 01/31/2013 : 09:20:05 AM
I am going to the Cap this year hopefully! It is one of my ultimate dreams. Can't wait for summer.
Has anyone been in winter? Is it open?
http://naturistproperties.com/- Naturist property for sale and rent in Spain, France and more!
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| FireProf |
Posted - 11/20/2012 : 12:28:33 AM
Spain is definately on the list but ... it'll be on a return trip. The Prof wants to see the Vatican, I'd like to see the colisium and we both want to tour France but ... we can only be gone about 3 weeks.
May sound crazy but ... that's about as long as we can go without seeing and huggin' our grandkids! LOL
Our oldest SIL lived in Barcelona for 1.5 yrs. Actually like to go with them to Spain for a short time, then send them home and the Prof and I continue on a nudist vacation.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll be sure to put my feelers out there when we are ready to go to get more recommendations and info on where we're going and where we can get naked!
Loves being naked. Plays well with others! |
| Nudony |
Posted - 11/19/2012 : 10:44:59 PM
If you're going to France, FP, may I recommend the french/spanish coast, aka Cote Basque. On many public beaches, you can actually go nude on either ends of the beach. You can then drive down into Spain and visit its many nude/CO beaches.
It'll make you want to retire in Europe. I guarantee it.
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| FireProf |
Posted - 11/19/2012 : 8:07:27 PM
We have friends that have visited for a day. They had planned to stay there but didn't. They didn't have anything negative to say BUT ... their trip report to our group wasn't all that positive. Even though ... I'd really like to experience Cap D Agde for ourselves someday. As soon as the Prof retires ... we'll start traveling and we want to go to Italy and France for our 60th Bdays and 40th Anniversay.
Loves being naked. Plays well with others! |
| nudecouple2824 |
Posted - 11/19/2012 : 1:07:26 PM
me and my wife went to Cape de Agde in early Oct 2012 just before temperature started falling. we spend just 3 days but it was an amaging feeling. after wedding, it was our 1st nudist holiday together.
We are 28m/24 f. |
| Bob Knows |
Posted - 03/24/2012 : 9:36:58 PM
My wife and I went to Cap d'Agde a couple years ago. We stayed in a Best Western Hotel that was outside of the Naturist area and rented some bicycles (from a Place d' Velos across from our hotel) to travel the excellent bicycle trail between sectors of Cap d'Agde. We spent our days on the beach in the Naturist quarter and did not see any flagrant sex. There was a really nice café on the beach. There was a clothing shop with changing rooms, where many of the customers were naked. We spend the nights in the rest of Cap d'Agde which is a very large tourist city. It has good train service from Paris. I really enjoyed our stay there. |
| nudiststory |
Posted - 03/24/2012 : 08:25:21 AM
ah, cap is my dream. I may actually be going this year! would be a dream come true.
http://www.nudiststory.com - Ebook about youth nudism in Europe |
| Hallmark |
Posted - 08/03/2011 : 5:44:57 PM
In regard to dgs7272's comprehensive report, he suggests that the swingers don't encroach upon the purely naturist people. Its only true to an extent. If you want to go for a long walk on that wonderful beach you will encounter groups crowding around others indulging in sexual activity. Also the Glamour Club has "sexy" foam parties all afternoon and its located adjacent to the family naturist beach areas. The loud disco music is painfully at odds with the naturist beach scene. Very irritating and is a constant reminder that the Cap promotes itself as a swinger resort although I imagine well over half the visitors go there just to enjoy the nude freedom.
My girlfriend and I have been going there for the past four years and love it in spite of the swinger side of things. The sad thing is that not everybody is nude during the day away from the beach and they let in day visitors who are very often single men coming to gawk or find some "action". So you think twice about being nude anywhere and everywhere which is a great pity.
People do dress at night because it gets a bit too cool to be nude but we find it fun that you can wear revealing and sexy clothes since you'd never be able to do that anywhere else. I think many normal naturists there do like that and enjoy the people watching which is what most of us do in the clothed world anyway.
We have nothing against the swingers but they really should do more about restricting their public activities during the day. And if the they allowed day access to only couples, it would encourage a bit more uninhibited nudity in all the areas. |
| dgs7272 |
Posted - 07/16/2011 : 08:34:48 AM
Hi,
My partner and I have been to Cap D’Agde four times now and have spent about 35 nights there altogether so I think we are qualified to give a view of the “Naked City”; to be fair I will also say that we are nudist swingers – that is we enjoy being nude at all times and also swing when we feel like it and it is appropriate to do so.
I have seen many negative things in this forum about the naturist / swinger ambiance of Cap D’Agde (I will call it Cap from now on) and the points below are how things really are – by the way our latest visit was June 2011.
The beach at Cap is long and sandy, the first kilometer of the beach is for families and straight naturists; the second perhaps 500 meters is for swingers and is delineated from the naturist beach by a medical post and restaurant on the dunes, and this year a new beach bar has been added; the next 200 meters is for gays and others. The beach after this, for about another 500 meters, is ‘no man’s land’ before it becomes textile.
There is sexual activity on the swingers’ beach and in the dunes behind the beach but as it is 1km away from the straight beach you really have to walk quite a long way to see it; I have never seen any children on the swingers’ beach. Also in July and August, when children are on vacation in France, there is a strong police presence making sure that nothing sexual takes place in public. So to summarize the beach the straight naturists and swingers are separate and I therefore think that the naturists shouldn’t take issue.
The camp site, which has 3,500 lots, is in a woodland setting and is beautiful, it has security at each gate – the camp site is purely naturist and no open swinging takes place; so once again no issue there.
The ‘Naked City’ – actually more like a village, although in the summer there can be 40,000 people there - is meant to be clothes free but the further away from the beach you get the more clothes you may see – it is mainly nudist. The built up area has three main parts:
1. There is nothing overtly sexual from a commercial point of view in the area around the port up to the Hotel Eve.
2. There is nothing overtly sexual - with the exception of “Glamour” which is often quoted as being the best Libertine night club in the world - in the area near Glamour which has several restaurants, bars and a supermarket.
3. The central area has a lot of very sexy bars and clubs which are wild – but French law prohibits the sexy bars (the best is Melrose) opening before 10pm and the clubs (including Glamour) from opening until 11pm; this is to ensure that all children are out of the way and I can say that I have never seen any children out later than 10pm.
In this area there are restaurants and cafes that are open all day and I have to say that in the early evening women wear extremely sexy clothing as they walk around so this could be considered not very child-friendly but as they have seen the same women, or at least similar women, on the beach completely nude then I would think that most children would not be phased by this.
So to summarize Cap is a great place for naturists and swingers – I would prefer if it was adults only but it is not and as I have explained I think the authorities have done more than enough to shield them from anything sexual; the rest of the shielding should be done by the parents who should consider taking them to dozens of other naturist resorts, or even nude beaches, in France.
To conclude, Cap D’Agde is a unique place and for me the best place on earth (I am well travelled) to vacation.
I hope this has been useful; please respond if you think there are errors in my understanding or if anybody wants any clarifications.
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| Centauri4 |
Posted - 05/27/2011 : 12:16:49 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Buildabridge
... It's the one place in the whole world hot horny couples can go to be nude and have sex with other like minded people. {snip}
I hope you did not mean to imply the idea of, "sex out in the open" for Cap d'Agde because I really, honestly doubt that is true. I mean, despite your use of ALL CAPS towards the end of the reply, Cap d'Agde is still a city and I'm sure has areas where different behaviors are regarded as inappropriate. I have never been there, but I have read about it enough to feel that its owners and operators have a vested interest in keeping the place open. To allow a totally "free for all" (a.k.a. Bangin' on the park benches!) attitude would quickly turn the majority of visitors off. Sorry if you find my opinion disagreeable, but that is the way I feel.
I think the Hedonism venues are more likely to be stylish "passion pits" attracting the widest variety of "hot horny couples".
There is so much more to life they the constant pursuit of different ways to "get off"! Sure, young males may be driven by testosterone and have needs well beyond that of average mortals, but people also thrive on building relationships, forging friendships, launching business ventures together, and many other social things that are not drive by sex.
~
"Why didn't I think of going nude sooner?!" |
| Admin |
Posted - 05/19/2011 : 7:28:40 PM
Buildabridge, while your viewpoint may be a valid one, keep in mind we have here a flame free and profanity free forum. We like it that way, it preserves camaraderie. |
| nudesunguy |
Posted - 05/19/2011 : 09:44:35 AM
Thanks for that advice, bornude.
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| bornude2009 |
Posted - 05/18/2011 : 6:21:52 PM
Hi all here,
I'm a frenchman and into naturism for 30 years. In tne view of the people I have met mostly in europe and in my personnal view too, naturism is NOT about sex. Cap d'Agde has got a particular reputation and draw likeminded people. Well, this is freedom.
Now, if you visit France from june to september, I would advise you to go on the atlantic shore insted, south of Bordeau. There are nice naturists centers inland too like in Dordogne. Less people, more space, great food.
There, your wife or girlfriend will feel real good ! |
| Jim in Boston |
Posted - 05/15/2011 : 9:15:37 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Buildabridge
For Fcuk sake people, get a life or get over yourselves! It's the one place in the whole world hot horny couples can go to be nude and have sex with other like minded people. To put it simply if you don't like it or you don't want to see sex, DON'T FCUKING GO!! It's as simple as that!
Seems like this is a poster who ought to be banned from the board. Just IHMO.
jameslkirtleyjr |
| sailawaybob |
Posted - 05/14/2011 : 01:39:03 AM
buildabridge interesting first post i agree with nudesunguy. haven't been to france let alone cap d'agde but i like the concept and have always thought it would bring major tourist $$$ to any usa city but it will never happen here, yes beaches here and there but a whole city don't think so but if it happens i'm moving there. |
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