It’s taken me a while to think about what to write and how to write this post, but I think I got there!

We arrived in the French Riviera a week ago and checked into the family campsite Centre Naturiste Rene Oltra, established 70 years ago, which is within the gated Cap d’Agde Naturist Village of the Cap d’Agde Resort. There are two immediate pluses; (1) I have no excuse to moan “I have nothing to wear” and (2) Steve doesn’t have to winge about how much I spend at the campsite washing machines. So far win, win.

In France to enter a campsite or visit a restaurant we have to have a certificate of either an Antigen or PCR test with a negative result which is only valid for 3 days and can cost 60€ for the two of us. Checked into Rene Oltra, with his own bars, fresh bakery, deli, restaurants, oyster bar and entertainments centre, we are covered for the duration of our stay, but only within the camp. When we go out into the village or anywhere else, we can have drinks outside one of the many bars, but are not allowed into any of the restaurants without a current Digital Covid Passport and we simply refuse to shell out 60€ every three days.

Accommodating around 2,000 pitches, Rene Oltra is the largest campsite we have ever stayed in and I’m pleased that we have our bicycles to get around it to collect our fresh morning bread and croissants, visit the on site bars and restaurants, the reception for our wifi needs and around the rest of the village. We have been to naturist campsites before but never before to a Naturist Village.

In the early 1970s the government of Georges Pompidou drew up plans for the development of the Languedoc-Roussillon coastline. Paul René Oltra, one of the Oltra brothers who owned the land, persuaded the authorities to include plans for a naturist resort at Cap d’Agde. In 1973 the beach was officially designated as a naturist beach and the Naturist Village would be a place where voyeurs and exhibitionists would not be welcome. Today it hosts hundreds of thousands visitors to the 2km stretch of beach each day in the height of summer. If you look at the plan above the Naturist Village is circled in red. It doesn’t look so very big there, does it, but take a look at this aerial view, which shows the campsite area in red. It’s massive.

Quote from the tourist office:

“Cap d’Agde Nudist Village and Resort, France, is just a few miles from Montpelier, the resort is an enclosed self-contained village, where anyone who enjoys walking around in their birthday suit can enjoy a liberating vacation or holiday. Experience and enjoy going to the bank, post office, restaurants, launderette or for a walk along the mile long beach without a shred of clothes.”

‘Liberating’? It’s more like a sweetie shop for people with an adventurous outlook on life. On our second night around 6:30pm, dressed in what we considered appropriate, we ventured to Port Ambonne with the intention of having a drink at one of the bars and perhaps people watching. Boy, oh boy, were we in for a surprise. What we didn’t know is that were in the middle of the 32nd annual convention of the “Brescoudos Bike Week” a traditional Harley Davidson and Goldwing motorbike rally. When the first rally took place in 1990 only seven bikers attended, but now it attracts thousands of bikers who come from all over France and its neighbouring European countries. I think most of them were there!

On our first day, which was before I knew about the Bike Week, I noticed a huge motorhome towing a Harley Davidson Trailer. I now, of course, realise there are quite a few bikers staying on the campsite and have seen some amazing bikes, all in pristine condition.

Before we made it to a bar, we found out that what we also didn’t know is that whilst there is a total ban of any filming or photography in the entire village, on this one night, and one night only of the year when the bikers come into the Naturist Village the ban is lifted. Walking into this huge unexpected street party we took care not to lose each other. The party took up the whole of the front of the Port Ambonne, each and every bar was full of revellers spilling on to its promenade. There were a couple of DJs on the front having a friendly play off and as photography was allowed many of the, shall we say, ‘exhibitionists’ took advantage by dressing up and for some that meant very little! It was a bustling carnival party atmosphere with feathers and whistles; think of a mash of Rio, Village People and Vegas and you won’t be far off. Being nervous about where I aimed my camera, I concentrated on the bikes, trying not to capture the naturists and obvious hedonists!!! Can you spot Steve in the background enjoying the buzz? Clue: it’s not the first photo.

Slowly walking around with Stella on a short lead, we saw costumes that left nothing to the imagination, I regularly had to remember to compose my expressions, knowing that I don’t have a poker face as it more or less displays in great big neon signs across my forehead exactly what I’m thinking. I went in a nano second from feeling quite smart in my rhinestone denim shirt dress to feeling quite overdressed and looking down wished I had worn a pair of shoes that looked less comfortable. A biker arrived on his Indian, so proud of his bike, and I was immediately reminded of the 2005 film The Worlds Fastest Indian starring Anthony Hopkins. It’s a good film if you haven’t seen it.

Having been here for a week, the campsite is certainly for families with the usual strict naturist rules – nothing untoward is allowed – and I feel comfortable and relaxed. As the campsite is quite huge, people including us, get around on their bikes and, although I have my own padding, I put a little extra on my bike saddle. A few people have brought scooters, motorbikes, trikes, quad bikes, electric scooters and one even has a dune buggie. It’s quite something to see a couple of a certain age riding around the campsite on their Harley sans textile without a care in the world. You cannot imagine my frustration of not capturing snaps, but I do have lots of unique memories that I’ll have for a very long time. It’s quite something to cycle around in the warm breeze, stopping for a drink at a bar or a shopping mall. I’m not a confident cyclist so Steve has attached a bell on my handle bars but within the village I worry about ringing it and giving out the message ‘stop me and try one’!

Let me answer a few questions you might be thinking as Cap d’Agde has quite a reputation and you’ve probably Googled it by now. Informed by a Swedish neighbour, who has been spending entire summers at the campsite over many years with his wife and two motorbikes, that apart from the bikers’ event last Wednesday, there is nothing much to see until the night life comes alive around midnight. Consequently, the next evening we waited until gone 11pm to go out to have a drink and people watch. There were many people parading in their outfits including fetish, dominatrix, cross dressing and well – I wouldn’t know how to begin to describe them. To each their own and its wonderful that they can be comfortable in their skin, many wearing as little as that. Not only is recording not allowed, but also absolutely no contact in anyway considered sexual in public. There are huge warning notices everywhere displaying the heavy fines for unacceptable public behaviour supported by the police who have a large but discrete presence. Here, through the evenings, whatever anyone’s dress code is, it’s totally acceptable and if they are not sure who or what they want to be, there is an abundance of shops selling very interesting outfits with matching accessories; not limited to gloves and handbags!

We also heard that the naturist beach here is split into three sections (1) for families (2) for couples and (3) for gays. We were curious! Come on, who wouldn’t be? We went for a walk along the beach, which is outside the perimeter of the camp site with signs at regular intervals that clothes are not allowed. This makes perfect sense as when everyone is naked the atmosphere is totally non sexual. Arriving first at the family beach, it was absolutely packed and is separated from the other two, so if there is anything anyone doesn’t want or shouldn’t see, they are shielded and children are protected. We continued walking. I got a little nervous. Actually, I got a lot nervous.

It had never occurred to me that the next very large section of the beach, a normal looking beach with beer and ice cream carts, would also be absolutely packed with couples. Wearing my sunglasses, as my eyes were on stalks, and satisfying our curiosity we decided we didn’t need to visit the third beach and it was time to get our food shopping done.

Slightly taken aback by the unexpected I remembered a quote from Bob Hope that he made in the 70’s “ I’ve just flown in from California, where they’ve made homosexuality legal. I thought I’d better get out before they make it compulsory. ”

Port of d’Agde

Having seen one side of Cap d’Agde we decided to drive around to the other. This port is so French and so beautiful. Seeing this bakery, the first thing we spent our money on was a fresh lemon meringue for me and a fresh strawberry meringue for Steve which we devoured whilst walking to the front side of the port. The yacht marina was so much bigger than any we have seen so far as it accommodates hundreds of vessels and the front filled with shops and bars seemed to go on forever.

I had spent months looking for new bikinis and beachware and now there were shops with plenty of choice for items that I actually liked. Trust the French, but unfortunately I had my sensible head on which said I had managed so far, it was September and I really didn’t need anything. Damn! I shall definitely have to have a word with myself.

I’m happy on the campsite, on our large garden pitch, on my sun lounger, getting my all over tan. Our nearest neighbours are Swiss. Erja is a dance teacher, so obviously I told her about Bert (the ballroom competitive dancer) and Chris her husband is an A&E physician. Chris and I talked about people living with cancer and surgery survivors and how they don’t have to worry about their scars in a naturist environment as naturists are totally non judgemental and are more tolerant. Chris mentioned that he doesn’t really like people asking him what he does, because as soon as he mentions ‘doctor’ they want to tell him about their aches and pains. I suggested in the future he tells them he’s a stand up comedian – he’d only have to tell one joke! Thankfully Chris is as interested in politics as Steve so Steve was able to have a more sensible debate of opinions with Chris than with me and I was able to have a break of brain concentration.

Here, I wake up thinking how I miss being woken up with the sounds of the morning chorus and the crickets and also the street side stalls of fruit that we experienced in Croatia, Montenegro and Albania. I’ve realised not so much how expensive France and Italy are, but how inexpensively we were able to live in the Balkans. I treasure the fun we had exploring countries we’d never been to before and learning about new cultures.

We’ve spent a couple of days driving around Beziers and Bouzigues to explore rentals. We’re thinking if I can get French citizenship through my late Parisienne Mum, it might be a way to spend more than 90 days in one go in Schengen.

View From the Cockpit

It’s Steve’s birthday today, so he’s having a day off, but will be returning to add his views shortly.