Naturism in France: Occitanie – The Ultimate Guide 2020

The world only counts a handful of so-called “naturist villages” and two of these can be found in France’s Occitanie region: Cap d’Agde and Leucate. This alone could be a reason for you to give this wonderful French region a try. But let us explain first what a naturist village really is.

To begin with, there is a common misunderstanding that naturist villages are official villages. If the condition for being called a “village” is that it has a designated postal code, naturist villages are non-existing. There is not a single village in the world that does have a postal code and which allows nudity everywhere. We could discuss faraway tribes in the jungle of Papua or the Amazon where people tend to spend most of their days pretty much completely naked, but we doubt that those people call themselves naturists. Or that the mailman ever gets there.

Another important thing to take into account is that “naturist village” is not a patented term. A 5-pitch club camping can call itself a naturist village if it would wish to do so.

This being said, our personal definition of the term naturist village is that it has the look and feel of a real village. That it has streets and shops and restaurants and garbage being picked up twice a week and that people are actually living there. And of course, that nudity is allowed everywhere. From that point of view, our initial point that there are two naturist villages in Occitanie still stands.

If there’s one legendary and mythical naturist place around the world, it must be Cap d’Agde. For many aspiring naturists, this place is their first introduction to social nudity and for many others, Cap d’Agde is number one on their bucket list.

When former French president Georges Pompidou made plans in the early seventies to develop the Languedoc-Roussillon coastline, Paul René Oltra from the Oltra family who currently still owns the René Oltra naturist camping in Cap d’Agde was able to convince the authorities to include a naturist section in the plans. Cap d’Agde Naturist Village was born.

Today, the naturist village is a fenced off neighborhood of the town Cap d’Agde. It has all the amenities of a real village, including hotels, shops, a postal office, restaurants, and so on. What makes Cap d’Agde look less than a true village is, of course, the entrance fee that has to be paid to get behind the fence.

Over the years, Cap d’Agde didn’t only attract naturists from all over the world but also lots of swingers and libertines. Local businesses noticed the potential market and Cap d’Agde moved more and more away from traditional naturism and onto other types of social nudity. When you visit Cap d’Agde today, one of the first things you will notice are huge billboards announcing swingers parties and sex clubs.

The René Oltra camping is still considered one of the few “true” naturist spots in Cap d’Agde and also the beach in front of the camping is family-friendly. Once you walk further down the beach or dive into the nightlife, it becomes a whole other world.

In the “naturist resorts” section of this guide, we mentioned the René Oltra camping as well as several other hotels. Because of the huge amount of private property in Cap d’Agde, it’s also possible to rent private apartments and villas through Airbnb and Booking.com. When booking your accommodation online, do make sure that it’s actually located inside the naturist village and not somewhere else in town.

The other famous naturist village in Occitanie can be found in the Aude region, at not much more than a stone’s throw from the Spanish border. The naturist village of Port Leucate lays on a peninsula of the town. It’s accessible via a bridge on both the north and the south side and the general rule is that as soon as you cross the bridge, clothes are no longer a necessity.

Leucate is quite different from its bigger brother up north on several aspects. First of all, it’s smaller in size, doesn’t attract the tens of thousands of daily visitors in high season like Cap d’Agde does and is significantly less focused on other types of social nudity than naturism.

Another difference is that the naturist village basically consists of three large holiday complexes: Aphrodite, Ulysse and Oasis. Most of the activities, shops and restaurants are also inside these complexes, which might make Leucate less interesting for day visitors for whom there’s little more than the nude beach, the beach bar and a pizza place.

Nevertheless, Leucate can still be considered a naturist village since also the streets on the peninsula are nude friendly. And there is no gate, nor an entrance fee, which might make it actually feel more like a village and less like a resort than Cap d’Agde.

Les Aillos – Caraman

Naturix – Castelnau-Picampeau
This three apartment guesthouse for naturists is located at about an hour from Toulouse or the Pyrenees mountains. Guests can enjoy the swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi. Meals and massage services are available on request.

Maillelevant – Castelnau-Picampeau
The Maillevant naturist guesthouse can be found within a 23-hectare nature park near the Pyrenees mountains. There are several fully furnished apartments and gites on the property for the guests. Maillelevant also provides a large swimming pool and several spa options. This place is adults only.

Naturist resorts in the Ariège region

Camping Millefleurs – Gudas
The only naturist camping in the Ariège region provides 40 leveled camping pitches and several rental caravans in the mids of southern French nature. Guests can enjoy the sauna and some minor sports options. As of 2020, Millefleurs will have a brand new swimming pool.

Naturist resorts in the Aude region

Club du Soleil Audois – Cazilhac
This is the local naturist club of the Audois – Carcassonne region. The club domain has a small number of camping spots for visitors. Other than a sauna, the guests mostly enjoy the surrounding nature and friendly atmosphere. Activities are sometimes organized.

Les Armengauds – Labecede Lauragais
This small relaxed camping is mostly chosen for its abundance of natural space and wonderful views. Guests can also enjoy the large swimming pool and meals are available on request. For those who prefer not to camp are several luxurious gites available. Peace and quietness are the keywords at Les Armengauds and therefor it’s adults (16+) only.

RECOMMENDED: Le Clapotis – La Palme
Le Clapotis is the most popular naturist camping in the Aude region and very close by the Leucate naturist village (15-minute drive). From the camping, you have amazing views over the lake. Le Clapotis has a large pool, a variety of sports options, a shop and a restaurant. It’s possible to kite-surf directly from the camping. Other than camping pitches, there are several rental mobile homes.

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Résidence Aphrodite – Leucate
This is one of the three holiday complexes inside the naturist village of Leucate. Résidence Aphrodite provides equipped 585 apartments and villas. Inside the complex are two swimming pools, several sports options, shops and restaurants. The complex is on walking distance to the nude beach and the harbor.

Résidence Ulysse – Leucate
This is one of the three holiday complexes inside the naturist village of Leucate. Résidence Ulysse provides equipped 150 apartments and a camping area. Inside the complex is a swimming pool, several sports options, shops, a restaurant and a bar. The complex is on walking distance to the nude beach and the harbor.

Village Naturiste Oasis – Leucate
This is one of the three holiday complexes inside the naturist village of Leucate. Résidence Ulysse provides 5 types of fully equipped apartments of which some have sea-view. Inside the complex is a swimming pool, several sports options, shops, restaurants and bars. The complex is on walking distance to the nude beach and the harbor.

Naturist resorts in the Pyrénées-Orientales region

Domaine Mas Can Prim – Perpignan
On a 10 hectare domain in the middle of forests, guests of Mas Can Prim have the chance to rent two fully equipped luxurious gites/apartments. Guests can enjoy a small pool and meals are available on request. To preserve the rest of everyone, guests have to be 15+.

Entre Mar y muntanya – Le Boulou
Entre Mar Y muntanya features naturist accommodation with a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, a garden and a shared kitchen. Guests can also enjoy the jacuzzi, sauna and sun terrace. Each room is fitted with air conditioning, private bathroom and a kitchen including a microwave, fridge, oven and a stovetop.

La Clapère – Maureillas-las-Illas
Naturist domain La Clapère features about 50 hectares of well-preserved nature where the guests can spend their holidays in harmony with the surroundings. The domain has a large swimming pool, several sports options, lots of activities for children and adults and a bar and restaurant. Plenty of camping pitches are available as well as rental mobile homes.

Mas de la Balma – Montbolo
Mas de la Balma is one of the smaller naturist resorts in the region but does provide a large natural environment with forests and rivers. The camping provides two natural pools for the guests as well as lots of nude hiking trails. There’s also a restaurant, shop and bar. Guests can stay at one of the 50 spacious camping pitches or in one of the rental mobile homes.

Le Ventous – Arles-sur-Tech
This small family run naturist campsite was the first one in the region and provides its guests with a swimming pool and several sports options. Guests can stay at one of the 54 camping pitches or in one of the 13 rental bungalows.

Village Naturiste Gymkana – Serralongue
A small, 68-pitch naturist camping in a region which is very popular for hiking. Guests at Gymkana can enjoy the swimming pool and table tennis. Rental accommodations are available.

Le P’tit Bonheur – Escaro
Another small naturist family camping in the near proximity of the Pyrenees mountains. Guests can enjoy a large swimming pool and several sports options. Activities are organized on a regular basis. The camping also has a variety in caravans, yurts, mobile homes and chalets for rent.

The French are known for their excellent cuisine and some of the world’s most renowned wines. If you’re a foodie, chances are very likely that you might never want to leave the country again.

The best way to completely enjoy the great foods that the French have to offer is to completely indulge in the local eating habits as well. France typically has three mealtimes:

7 to 9 am: Breakfast: The French typically enjoy a light breakfast which often seems a bit meager to tourists and lacks the variety of let’s say an English or American breakfast. A French breakfast typically includes baguette (local bread), butter, jam and maybe a croissant or pain au chocolat. The comes with a coffee and/or orange juice.

12 to 2 pm: Lunch: In most parts of France, lunch is considered the most important meal of the day. Most restaurants don’t make a difference between what they serve for lunch and for dinner, but lunch deals at a lower price are very common. Lunch is often three courses: starter, main course and desert and often accompanied by wine.

7 to 10 pm: Dinner: Dinner in France is very similar to lunch and also contains three courses. Nevertheless, dinner is often rather seen as a time to relax and get together and lasts until the wee hours.

France has different types of eateries and your choice will determine which food you’ll be offered, the quality and the price tag.

Café: The café is an important part of the everyday life of the French. Sometimes they can be very fancy and sometimes they’re part of a bakery. This is the typical place to get breakfast or an in-between snack. Most cafés have a simple menu that is valid throughout the day. Keep in mind that there are often different prices between eating on the terrace, inside the café or at the bar.

Bistro: Here’s a fun fact: The word “bistro” originated from the time when the Russians occupied France. They used to yell “bistrot”, which means “hungry” in Russian. Soon this became the word for French fast food joints. Today, the bistro has evolved and can often be very classy and offer high-quality foods.

Brasserie: The word brasserie is French for a brewery. These used to be the typical eateries that were part of a brewery but have now become favorite places to go out with friends. They are a bit fancier than bistros and often have a more extensive menu but yet they’re not as classy as actual restaurants. A brasserie typically serves food throughout the day and is often open late.

Restaurant: This is the place where you come to have an actual multi-course dinner. It’s the most expensive option and there’s often quite a large difference between eating “a la carte” (pick things from the menu) or having a “menu” which are predefined courses.

The French cuisine is as varied as it’s delicious and it would be an impossible task to list all the delicacies here. Even those who are only typical in the Occitanie region. This is not a culinary guide after all, but there are some dishes that your really want to try when you’re in Occitanie.

Cheese: France has a huge variety of cheeses. Some popular ones from the Occitanie region include the Tomme des Pyrénées (semi-hard, salty cow’s milk cheese), the Cabécou (soft goat milk cheese) and the Roquefort (strong, unpasteurized sheep milk cheese). The French love their cheeses, especially as a dessert.

Confit de canard: A slow-roasted duck meat dish

Bourride: A popular fish stew, mostly made of white fish with a garlic sauce.
Cassoulet: A stew with different kinds of meat (mutton, lamb, quail, duck,…) combined with white beans.

Tielle à la Sétoise: A savory octopus and tomato pie, which also includes black olives, white wine and different herbs.

Farcis: Stuffed vegetables, often made from tomato, courgette or pepper and filled with minced meat and herbs.

Daube Avignonnaise: A lamb stew with white wine.

Seafood platter: Although more typical from the northern provinces of France, also at the coast of Occitanie it’s not difficult to find seafood platters. These range from small one-person platters to huge platters for the whole family and often contain oysters, shrimp, crab, prawns, langoustine, mussels, scallops and clams.

Rouille de Seiche: A seafood dish made of pieces of cuttlefish doused in a flavorful tomato-based sauce that is usually enriched with onions, white wine, and garlic.

Some of the best wines from the Occitanie region include:

Muscat: A sweet white wine that goes perfect with desserts and strong cheeses.

Picpoul de Pinet: A dry white wine, perfect with seafood and especially shellfish.

Fitou: Fruity red wine which can be enjoyed both young and old. Great with red meat and stews.

Côtes du Roussillon: Strong, fruity red wine, great with red meat.

Banyuls: A full-bodied red wine, great with desserts, cheese and foie gras.

Tavel: A dry pink rosé wine, great with seafood, chicken, pork or duck.