The best property locations in France for naturists

Shed your clothes and get closer to nature in France, the perfect place to buy a naturist property

If naturism appeals to you then France is a great place to practice it. Indeed, it’s the ‘Number 1 naturist destination’ in the world, attracting the most foreign naturists, according to the Fédération des Espaces Naturistes. Some 4.7 million people regularly go nude in France, including 2.1 million French and 2.6 million foreigners, and almost 43% of them are now under the age of 30.

France is certainly set up for holidays in the buff, with 460 places dedicated to naturism including 73 official beaches, 35 gîtes/B&Bs and 20,000 camping pitches. A section of one of Paris’ largest public parks, the Bois de Vincennes, has been set aside as a clothing-optional zone and the city also has a nudist restaurant, O’Naturel. The national motto ‘Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité’ seems perfectly coined for naturism!

France is also the perfect place to buy a naturist property. There are naturist destinations all over the country, although the majority are in the warmer south, along the Med and Atlantic coasts. Basing yourself near one of these locations will not only enable you to visit them and make the most of their facilities but also to meet up with likeminded people. You can often find an unofficial nudist beach if you follow a coastal path away from a main beach, but the country’s three main nudist centres are Cap d’Agde in Hérault, the Ile du Levant in Var, both on the Mediterranean coast, and Montalivet in Gironde, on the Atlantic.

Cap d’Agde

If you want a fully immersive experience, Cap d’Agde is the place to go. Near Béziers and Montpellier, it’s often called the world capital of nudism. The Quartier Naturiste comprises a whole village, where you can go to the shops, bank, restaurants, nightclubs, laundrette and doctor’s naked – and, of course, there’s a great beach as well as plenty of pools.

In summer, the population swells to 40,000, and it’s a must-visit destination for many nudists. It tends to be more adult orientated than the other resorts. There’s just one hotel (Hotel Eve), but there’s lots of other accommodation from holiday apartments and villas to caravans and camping and also the Natureva Spa. You can also buy properties in the nudist village itself, as well as in the surrounding towns and villages.

Conditions in the Languedoc-Roussillon area (part of the Occitanie region), are ideal for sunbathing and swimming much of the year round, and it’s a beautiful place to holiday or buy property. The nearest airport for Agde is at Montpellier.

Ile du Levant

The Ile de Levant is part of the Hyères islands, just off the coast near Marseille. The Héliopolis naturist village was established in 1931 and today there are several restaurants, boutiques and guesthouses where the dress code is ‘le minimum’.

Most of this small and scenic island is actually off-limit to the public, being a military zone, but the Plage des Grottes and Bain de Dian are designated nudist beaches; in fact, nudity is mandatory.

While property-buying opportunities are fairly limited on the island, and often prohibitively expensive, the mainland is just a short ferry ride away.

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Montalivet

With its long sandy beaches there are plenty of places to bare all along the southern Atlantic coastlines, especially along the Côte d’Argent. The world’s first naturist resort, Montalivet, was founded here in the 1950s, and many see it as the birthplace of nudism.

Set among pine trees with vast sandy beaches, the resort has over 1,000 bungalows and around 1,000 camping pitches. The entire resort is clothes-free and there are over 20 shops, as well as activities like tennis, football and archery. Close by, Euronat is another popular nudist village with a campsite, pools, sandy beach and activities.

Chalets and bungalows do come up for sale in Montalivet and Euronat, as well as various other naturist villages and campsites.