Naturism and nudist beaches in France

Naturism and topless sunbathing in France

France is one of the most popular destinations for naturists with campsites and nudist beaches all over the country. Before you book your naturist holiday there are a few things that you will need to know before you go.

Naturist centres can range from small campsite to whole holidays villages such as Cap D’adge. In many of these centres are considered ‘clothing optional’ which means that you do not have to be naked, but wearing clothes kind of defeats the object of a naturist holiday.

In many cases wearing clothes is actually a good idea, with certain activities such as cooking or rock climbing, common sense dictates that some form of protection is required. Women may also want to wear bikini bottoms during their period.

*Naturism and the Law in France Article 222-32 of the new penal code (applicable since 1 March 1994) stipulates: "Deliberate sexual display in the sight of others in a place accessible to the public gaze is punishable by one year in prison and a fine of one hundred thousand francs ". By government circular, the legislator stipulates:

"The charge has been worded in such a way as to rule out any possibility of proceedings against persons practising naturism in places specially designated for this purpose ".

*source www.franceguide.com

This means that it is fine to be naked as long as you are in a designated area. Besides, those who choose to be naked elsewhere belong to a whole different category of people we are not going to discuss here.

You may hear that a permit is required by naturists, this is no longer the case. However, some centres will ask for a permit so it is best to check before booking. On this note:- naturist holidays a generally geared towards couples and families, in these circumstances singles may be asked to produce a permit.

Many beaches in France are designated ‘nudist’ and are officially recognised as nudist areas, other beaches, although not officially recognised may have become nudist by the fact that many people choose to be naked there. This is quite accepted in France but we suggest that you do not try to ‘start a trend’ and strip off where it is not appreciated. The French Fedration of Naturism has lots of information about naturist destinations. http://www.ffn-naturisme.com

For women who wish to sunbath topless, this is perfectly acceptable on French beaches, some women like to sunbathe topless but when doing activities such as swimming of walking around they out their top back on. Others choose not to put their top back on, whichever is comfortable for you is best.

Finally, an essential for anyone who is thinking of a naturist holiday, don’t forget plenty of suncream. A higher factor is recommended for those areas which may not be used to exposure to the sun.

Check out some of the holidays in our ‘Holiday accommodation’ section here.

Naturist and nudist holidays in France