The nude beaches of France, explained

France is often said to be the mother of naturism. As early as 1931, the first naturist village in the world called Héliopolis was established on Levant Island. In the early 1950s, the International Naturist Federation came to existence in France and in the following decades, naturist resorts would pop up all around the country. Today, France has the largest number of private naturist places in the world and receives the largest number of naturist tourists.

To many, France IS naturism. So it probably comes as a surprise that, unlike countries like Spain, Denmark, or the United Kingdom, French law is actually quite strict when it comes to social nudity.

The good thing about the French law for public nudity is that it’s pretty direct: It’s only allowed in designated areas. These are areas that have been approved by the local authorities and where you’ll normally find signage indicating the start and the end of the nude section.

In some cases, the signage may have disappeared over time though, so it’s best to check the map of the French Naturist Federation to get a complete overview (except for Corsica, for some reason). These are beaches where naturism is legally allowed. This does not mean that it’s enforced, but we found that most people who visit these beaches actually intend to get naked.

In any other public space, nudity is considered an offence. But what if nobody’s around to be offended? Especially in areas where official nude beaches are few, you’re likely to find unofficial ones, often remote beaches. There are no comprehensive lists for these beaches because their existence completely depends on the other visitors. If you can’t get far enough out of sight from the bathing suits, it’s not a nude beach today.

The French coast can be divided into three big sections, each with distinct geographical features. In the north lies the coast of the English Channel, or “La Manche” in French, which stretches from the border with Belgium to the tip of Brittany. This coast separates France from the United Kingdom and connects the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.

In the west, the French Atlantic Coast runs along the Bay of Biscay, from the north of Brittany down to the border with Spain. In the south, France’s Mediterranean Coast is the shortest but arguably the most renowned, known for its azure waters, sunny climate, and glamorous resorts.

Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean, deserves special mention. Its rugged and mountainous coastline is vastly different from mainland France with dramatic cliffs as well as long sandy beaches.

Although Northern France is known for its wide endless beaches, it’s not particularly a beach holiday destination and this has much to do with the climate. In this part of France, the weather is quite similar to that of nearby Belgium and south England. In other words, it’s very unpredictable.

Official nude beaches are rather few in this part of France, but the weather has one big advantage: Mass tourism doesn’t come here. While the beachgoers in the south of France get stacked like sardines during the summer months, here you’re likely to find lots of empty places where you can easily go for a skinny dip without risking that someone might get upset.

The best time to visit the north of France is during the summer months July and August when the chances of a couple of sunny days increase, but are never guaranteed.

The Atlantic Coast could easily be nicknamed “The Naturist Coast”. Especially south of Saint-Nazaire, you’ll find that the nude beaches are often not more than 10 or 20 kilometres from one another. Similarly to the north of France, the Atlantic beaches are very long and wide so even on busy days they hardly ever feel crowded.

This part of France is also home to some of the country’s largest coastal naturist resorts. CHM and Euronat receive more than 10,000 guests per day during the high season and La Jenny and Arna get several thousands as well. Each of these resorts have its own designated nude beach and since they’re quite close to each other (except for Arna), also the beaches in between are often considered unofficial nude beaches.

Typically, the further south towards the Spanish border, the more chances for warm weather. But the ocean has its influence on the climate and rainy days are common, even during the high season. The best time to visit this area is July and August, but also in June and September, you can get some lovely weather if you’re lucky. During heat waves, the ocean winds make being outside still bearable.

Monaco, Nice, and Cannes probably ring a bell even if you’ve never been to France. This part of the French coast is the territory of the rich and famous and nude beaches are few here. Interestingly, in the area around Saint-Tropez, another hot spot for the “beau monde”, you can find several beaches where bathing suits are not a necessity. A reason for this could be the proximity of Ile du Levant, a small island off the coast that is home to the world’s first naked village for almost a century now.

Because of mass tourism, nude beaches on the Mediterranean coast are often far in between. Except for the area around Béziers, where you can also find the famous naked city Cap d’Agde and the popular naturist resort Sérignan Plage Nature. Each has its own dedicated nude beach. Further down the coast is another large naturist complex called Leucate, with its own nude beach as well.

Most people flock together to the Mediterranean coast during the summer months and this time of the year, the few nude beaches can get very crowded. In some cases, it will even be hard to find a spot if you don’t arrive before noon. Finding or creating an unofficial nude beach in the summer becomes very hard. Because of the mild climate, it’s often better to visit the Mediterranean Coast in spring or autumn.

Although a part of France, Corsica has its own climate, culture, and range of nude beaches. The most famous one is Linguizzetta Beach in the east. With a length of approximately 3 kilometres, this is the longest official nude beach in France and one of the longest in Europe. The beach is also home to the hugely popular Bagheera Naturist Resort, which offers direct access.

Most other nude beaches are found around the southern tip of the island. Thanks to its mild climate, Corsica can easily receive naked tourists from late April to late October. If you have the chance, we recommend avoiding the busy months of July and August because then the island literally gets full of tourists creating traffic jams and occupying every single parking spot.

One huge benefit that Corsica has compared to France’s Mediterranean coast is that the seawater in the east of the island tends to be a lot warmer. This makes skinny dipping a joy even in the shoulder seasons.