Cap d'Agde, Nudist Mecca in Southern France

A sudden surge of interest in Cap d'Agde,  the nudist city on the south coast of France, prompts me to provide some more information about the place. Some of this has appeared previously, a year or two back.

(1) The season lasts from May to September, though there is no guarantee of warm sunshine throughout. The most crowded and most expensive period is July/August.

(2) It's a big place, with around 1,000 dwellings and a large campsite as well. It's not very French. If you want French atmosphere, stay in the nearby picturesque fishing village of Marseillan and walk to Cap d'Agde along the beach from Marseillan Plage, without having to pay the day entry fee.

(3) A good map and useful information on facilities can be found here:
http://www.capdagde.com/documents/cap-d-agde-brochure-naturisme-FR.pdf

(4) Some up-to-date context, including a lot about the 'libertine' (swingers) incursion that started  in the 90s, is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap_d%27Agde

(5) There's a busy English-language (and mostly British membership) Yahoo group on the subject,  exchanging information on travel, accommodation and friendship. The messages are predominantly  but not exclusively from straights:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/capdagdenaturists

(6) There are plenty of nudist travel companies that will arrange accommodation and travel for  you, though some may discourage people other than male/female couples and families. The longest- established British company is Peng Travel:
http://www.pengtravel.co.uk/
It is fairly easy, though time-consuming, to drive there from the UK and much of the rest of Europe.

Erections are increasingly acceptable in liberal nudist resorts like Cap d’Agde. Why not, it’s a natural reaction of helpless men becoming sexually aroused, harmless, nice to see and to show, a bit funny as well.

(7) Would I recommend it? Well, it's worth a  visit, if only to enjoy the curiously-liberating  experience of nude shopping in the supermarket  and walking naked along urban streets. There are good opportunities for making new friends, though I think this might prove difficult if  you go alone - you might feel rather left out among crowds of people enjoying themselves. That's the problem for me - crowds of people, lots of noise, a lack of beautiful natural surroundings. Depends what you're looking for, I suppose.

atitlan

----------The above travel information and photo were forwarded in a group email message ---------- from: atitlan on his [ymna2] Yahoo group.