Best Naturist and Nude Beaches in the South of France

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By Mark Knowles

Best Naturist beaches in the south of France

There you are, minding your own business and all of a sudden, wham! You are surrounded by naked people. Sound like a dream come true? Or your worst nightmare when your six-year- old pipes up. “What are they daddy?” and points a finger at a pair of sagging breasts.

It all depends on your perspective and preferences of course. Some people are very comfortable being surrounded by naked people and others extremely uncomfortable. The thing about French beaches is, first of all, they are all topless, so the sagging breasts could appear on any one of them. Some beaches on the other hand are “clothing-optional” which means you can wear clothes if you wish, but you don’t have to, and most people on these beaches are likely to be naked. You feel rather out of place if you are wearing clothes as well, so be warned. It’s no big deal in France and the warning signs to help those of us with a more sensitive nature are about as well-placed as French parking meters. They are easy to miss. This sign at the top of the hub is a typical example.

So, this is a guide as to where to find or avoid the naturist beaches on the French Riviera. There is no way I can cover them all, but I will try to point out as many as possible that are close to popular destinations. Some of them have something worth saying about, others are just a listing because when all’s said and done, a nudist beach is a nudist beach. Some of the larger towns have several beaches or parts of larger beaches. So here are either a list of destinations or places to avoid:

ST TROPEZ

  • Plage de Pampelonne. This beach is several kilometers long, but the nudist section is restricted to the southern end of the beach.
  • Tahiti beach. Probably the most up-market clothing-optional beach on the coast and the best chance of bumping into ( not literally unless you are very lucky) a naked celeb is here.
  • Plage de Lamoutte
  • Cap Tailla
  • Plage de Gigaro

CANNES

  • Plage de la Batterie

GOLFE JUAN

  • Plage de la Batteries.

CAP FERRAT

  • Saint Jean.

BORNES LES MIMOSAS

  • Plage Pélegrin, near the harbor at Bornes.

CARQUEIRANNE

  • Plage du Bau-Rouge: Nudist on the rocks.

CAP NEGRE

CAP SICIE

  • Malpasset Saint-Melon.

CAVALAIRE-SUR-MER

West of the beach Bonporteau, up to Pointe de Nasque.

ESTEREL

  • Cap de Dramont.

  • Plage de Trayas.

  • Plage de la Petite-Vaquette.

NICE

There are several sections of the Nice beach that are nudist:

  • Between Pointe des Sans-Cullotes and the rocks near the harbor station.
  • Pointe de la Cuisse.

FREJUS

  • Plage des Esclamandes (only a short stretch of the main beach)
  • Plage de Venus

There are dozens more smaller beaches, but these ones are all close to the usual tourist spots.

Last but definitely not least is Cap d’Adge, the “Naked City.” Not just a nudist beach, but an entire nudist village. This is not “clothing optional, this is “clothing-forbidden.” They have nearly two miles of beach and an entire town devoted to naturism. They have a website located here:

Comments

sukritha profile image

sukritha 4 years ago

Great. I really Enjoyed this hub

Rudra profile image

Rudra 4 years ago

Do most people get a shock when they go there and have not read the signs. I bet many are over there for a sneak.

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 4 years ago

hehe - As I am sure you know - Most people look better with their clothes on, LOL

RainbowRecognizer profile image

RainbowRecognizer 3 years ago

Okay, so this is the one. Very nicely done :) Thanks for pointing me to it!

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 3 years ago

LOL - Thanks.

quiet tracer profile image

quiet tracer 3 years ago

I don't know much about france, but now I consider I should visit this part of the country. ;)

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 3 years ago

lol - wine, cheese and naked beaches. What more could you want?

Princessa profile image

Princessa Level 3 Commenter 3 years ago

We've been to Cap d’Adge quite an experience... After having a shock of hormones dying at some of the sights, my husband decided to go to more traditional places next time!

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 3 years ago

It can be a "surprise" if you are not expecting it.

Sandilyn profile image

Sandilyn 3 years ago

Makes me want to take a vacation. I do live near the beach. Actually within miles but a foreign place to dip my toes sounds great.

We have a nudist beach here. It is not shocking. It is just like any other beach. I actually don't know why it scares others away. I must note however that I do not take my clothes off.

Now I am ready for warmer weather.

Iphigenia 2 years ago

hi Mark - I live on the Gulf of St Tropez (but I'm not glamorous and I'm far from rich... ) and I know most of these beaches - this is a good review giving people the chance to choose to expose or not ! (I don't these days - used to though).

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 2 years ago

Me too :) To both - live on the Cote D'Azur and am not rich or glamorous Lol

Jason 2 years ago

Mark,

what is the best beach to take a little one to? We thinking about Aude region but not sure which town to choose to make our home base. FYI, we will be coming from trasbourg.

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 2 years ago

On the whole, they arr all good quality beaches, although the water quality leaves something to be desired. My personal preference is around Thule sur Mer as far as water quality goes - they are all children friendly.

ontheway profile image

ontheway 2 years ago

Best Naturist beaches in the south of France

well written, I come on , welcome to my hub

suzan 2 years ago

i would be alone so would it be ok? and could i take my two dogs with me?

Iphigenia 2 years ago

hi Mark - I found another one yesterday - between Port Grimaud and Ste Maxime (much nearer to PG). Driving from PG towards Ste Maxime, pass the roundabaout at the main entrance to Camping Prairies de la Mer then go into the first parking bay on the left hand side (take care, you have to cross a ctycle path/foot path. there is a beach surveillant right in front of the parkiing. but if you got all the way over to the left hand side and follow the path you come to a naturist beach. We go there every winter with coffee flasks and dogs (and sometime brioches) - so were very surprised to see that it is a mixed naturist/clothed beach. There were families - in fact, predominantly families with small children playing as bature intended (plus sunhats and factor 60). We remained costumed up as were 40 - 50% of the visitors.

The really nice thing was that 3 naturist women, who were there alone and were made to feel uncomfortable by an evident voyuer who had been sitting on the nearby rocks for sometime, were able to talk to some of the other people there (singletons and couples). Eventually a chat was "had" with said voyeur. He wandered off.

Lots of great, well behaved dogs also on beach.

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 2 years ago

Thanks iphigenia. I am sure there are loads I have missed, :)

J  Rosewater profile image

J Rosewater 2 years ago

It's no big deal here either.

Jack 21 months ago

Hi if "naturists" are quite happy to expose their bodies completely on public beaches (in this case) or beaches to which everyone is entitled then why should they be pandered-to if concerned about people looking at them? They should by their own definition nor feel uncomfortable with other people looking at them and presume those people to be "perverse". If one thinks someone watching has malevolent thoughts(transsference of the denied) is not the answer to that to cover up or to not require the ordinary person (who has curious or even sexual thoughts...however generated but as natural as nudity, perhaps more-so).... to go away but for the rather disingenously name "naturist" to not be nude at public places. I enjoy the freedom of nudity as often as I can but not in public. It's fair to say that most human bodies once past their prime are poorly kept, gros and quite off-putting. To pretend they are asomething of beauty is an obstinate fantasy nd in the context of a beautiful beach, revolting and offensive. Voila

tgp 15 months ago

the problem is not with people looking, Its the perverts who go just to look. Its makes others uncomfortable, Especially when they hide cameras to record and post on the internet.

Mr. Ameen Rami Qays 3 months ago

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tonysideal 2 months ago

i am going to Nice in June/July with my kids (naturist tolerent 6 year olds)although they don't usually like the long walks to the nauturist area's...any suggestions?

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 2 months ago

Go to a "normal" beach instead?

jonnycomelately profile image

jonnycomelately Level 3 Commenter 12 days ago

Mark, there is lots more of interest about you besides your anti-dj postings! Wonderful to read about nude beaches in the South of France....Ce bon!

I was very much into naturistic holidaying years ago, but have not made the effort to rejoin lately.

Am reminded of being on the sand dunes of a gay nudist beach, when a guy comes past and asks me for a light. Obviously he was after something other than smoking, lol, and I was not impressed. Therefore my reply was: "Sorry mate, I've got no pockets to keep matches in right now!"

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 12 days ago

lol - I am not entirely one dimensional. lol Cap D'Adge is a bit scary though - even for me.

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