Last Updated on January 4, 2024
In this post a look at some basic pointers for entering the naturist resort and finding your way as a new visitor to Cap d’Agde.
1. Entering the Resort
Entering the resort as a new visitor can sometimes be confusing, specifically if you are driving there and staying at the campsite.
There is the main resort entrance and then an entrance that is specific to the campsite, so you need to know the rules for both.
Likewise, even without a car, you will want to understand the entry requirements for both entrances.
Entering the resort can also be affected by if you have pre-booked or not. So let’s take a look at these things below and the best way to enter!
The naturist village is a separate and secure part of Le Cap D’Agde and can be found by following the signs to the “Village Naturiste” when leaving the main dual carriageway (D612) at the Cap D’Agde junction.
There is a second secure entrance from this main area into the Rene Oltra campsite. You must go through one to get to the other.
Tip: If you instruct TomTom to go to “Port Ambonne” it will direct you to the main entrance to the village, without you having to pick your way through the labyrinth of twists and turns, dodgy junctions and Rond-Ponts to get to your initial destination, the main Naturist Village entrance.
2. Documentation
There are 2 secure barriers you will need to pass if you want to get into the Renee Oltra campsite.
Firstly the Naturiste Village security barrier, which if you do not know the drill, can leave you very frustrated.
You must have a contract/ booking advice document in your hand from your pre-booked accommodation, just like a boarding pass.
You can get into the resort by purchasing a day pass normally though. This is especially useful of course if you are staying outside the naturist resort.
Note: If you are staying outside of the resort you might be asked to show an FFN card (Federation of French Naturists) as happened to some people in September 2023 when trying to enter the resort. If you are staying in the resort, then your accommodation booking should suffice.
3. Arriving by Car (without a Pass)
If you are arriving at the main gate with no accommodation contract, park up near the Post Office (on the right), or if there are no spaces, go on and swing left to the Chemist area.
You will not yet be permitted to enter the naturist Village in your vehicle.
Tip: Try to avoid arriving on a Friday evening or at the times of the main hotel accommodation change-over because the queue at the main security for a site pass can be immense. I have been delayed over 2 hours and missed registering with Rene Oltra because the office has closed whilst I was delayed at the Main Entrance.
In such an event and you are late the campsite Security will permit you to enter and give you a temporary pitch for the night.
If all else fails, and I did this last year when the site flooded, park your camping car in the car park near the fruit stall and arrange things the next day.
4. Entering the Campsite
If you are staying at the campsite and do not have your accommodation paperwork on you. You will need to get a temporary pass.
For this, you will need to surrender your passport at the main resort entrance desk. You then need to proceed to the Rene Oltra Accueil (Reception) and buy your accommodation contract.
You will need to go through the main gate side pedestrian entrance. If you leave your traveling companion in your vehicle warn them you may be some time, or else when you finally return, you might come back to some serious earache!
At the Rene Oltra security, if you are stopped just wave generally at the office entrance and say “Accueil” and they will wave you on.
Go into reception, smile and book your pitch, and pay up. Remember there might be many other people in the queue here ahead of you.
Rene Oltra will give you one armband for each person which must be worn at all times on the campsite. Do not forget to take it with you if you leave the campsite to explore the rest of the village or onto the beach, as they will not let you back into the campsite without it!
With your new Rene Oltra paperwork, you can then return to the main village entrance retrieve your passport, and purchase your main site pass.
It is an electronically tagged credit-style card that will be programmed to the dates shown on your accommodation contract.
If you extend your stay with Rene Oltra, take your new accommodation contract back to the main entrance to get your village pass extended (you do not have to buy a new entrance card, it lasts for the whole year, but sometimes they charge two Euros to re-set it, oh and you will need to remember to wear some clothes to do it)
Tip 1: If you wish they will let you go and check out where you want your pitch, so if you have a bike, it can be very useful as an asset as the site is large.
Tip 2: take your smartphone and check the WiFi signal on your intended pitch. The campsite Wi-Fi is like the proverbial, only good in parts.
You can then return to your vehicle and drive through the main village entrance, showing your new gate pass.
5. Going Shopping in the Buff
Once through the gate, you are in the naturist village and you can strip off and bare all. Freedom!
Go to the shops, the wine bazaar, have a beer, starkers. You will be paying handsomely to be able to strip off so why wear clothes?
Go to the spa, grocers, the butchers and other shops in the resort, in your birthday suit!
Just remember the usual towel to sit on for hygiene reasons if sitting bar-bottomed in a restaurant or bar.
6. Evening Wear
Evenings can be different, and it can be quite cool. So mostly when dining out people put on clothes.
Mind you, some of the clothes will blow your mind, and in Melrose‘s they can come off again very nicely.
7. The Campsite Experience
Anyway, after you have stocked up in the village, had a beer, bought some bread and wine, drive to the campsite main entrance smile and wave your armbands at the guard, go and pitch up.
All pitches have electricity and water, which is drinkable but very limey. Watch out for the Mustique Tigre, the site is right next to a swamp, as are all the other sites on the Mediterranean coast.
Do not forget, no open fires so gas BBQs only, like almost every other campsite in France.
Most folks pitch first on Allee Mer or Allee Plage in the middle somewhere, just to get to know the place. The little shop in the middle of the site will be open up until about the 15th of Sept, when it starts to restrict opening hours. My regular pitch is now on Allee Oliver, right at the back, for the nice sunsets.
8. Naughty Area
The security lifeguards on the north beach will have packed up at the end of August, so the activities at the Baie des Cochon continue as ever.
If it is your first time there, try not to stare with your mouth open.
The naughty bit is only about 50m long, just where the ice cream carts park. Take a camera and they will throw you and it into the sea.
Go wearing board shorts and they (the women usually) will shout “A Poil” at you, which means “Get them off” in the local (in hair, literally).
So go and enjoy all that you want to enjoy. There are plenty of clubs, restaurants, exercise classes etc to suit all tastes. You can take afternoon tea, sunbathe, and be in your birthday suit all the time, sleep in the afternoon, go dining and dancing, have a sauna, a mousse party.
Tip: If you have been out drinking heavily and arrive back at the campsite after about midnight, the very nice security guards will take you from the entrance in their electric buggy to your pitch. It stops drunks singing and hollering through the site at night, as you do.
9. The French
Finally, remember most of the French Officials you will meet are very nice people.
The Rene Oltra Staff are pleasant and helpful and most speak English (and Dutch, German and Spanish, and Italian). Smile, be nice to them and they will be very friendly.
Fantastic description for a first timer; Thank you for keep my dream of going to Cap d’Agde on my European holyday.
Ricardo
Thanks Ricardo. Hopefully you made it to the naturist resort and had a good experience.
Pls be aware that in the U.S. an apartment is a domicile only.
Hi Bubba – can you explain? I lived also in the U.S but do not really understand what you mean.
I go to Cap D’Adge from 26 July for one week 2016, Seeking a female friend /couples to meet there- see how we all get on. I’m very used to le cap, know my way around ,very open and tolerant. write to me here. I’m single. Im worth a reply?
To George Wilson : We are contemplating including Cap d’Agde in our 2024 itinerary. Would appreciate any advice you might choose to offer. JB
Possibly worth a mention. Brush up on your French, whilst the reception may speak English, most people you meet don’t. Great place xx
What’s an INF card and what is BN?
Rob – a bit late for a reply! INF – International Naturists Federation, BN – British Naturism (which I believe is the current name for what used to be the CCBN – Central Council for British Naturism – which was the case when I emigrated to Australia 20 years ago!)
I found a lot of people walk around with clothing on which I find strange. It is a naturist resort so why don’t people the rules? There should be people who enforce it and make people take their clothing off. If I went without clothes on a normal beach they would make me cover up. Would love to go there again one day.
Yes, the sarong has a lot to answer for Peter as since people started using sarongs, too many people now are not getting into the true spirit of Cap d’agde.
Is any naturist organisation membership card required at the entrance of naturist village, if yes so how we enter in village????
Hi Lakhani. No, you do not normally need a naturist card to enter the main resort entrance.
how efficient is the bus service from paris to cap d agde
There is a schedule and it seems to be fairly accurate-ish when I used it, although that was a few years ago. So the service should be good enough to the resort.
Hi Paul. I’m spending a week in Cap d’Agde in August and staying in an AirBnB flat there. I have to check out of the flat by 11am on Saturday, but my flight back home from Montpellier doesn’t leave till Sunday morning. What could I do in Cap d’Agde till I catch the train at around 6.30am? Sauna, Pubs, clubs, sleep on the beach? I’ll have my pass to the ‘Village Naturiste’ too.
Hi Simon. To be honest, if it was me I would book one night with an Agency such as through Clemence at email: cp@capdagde.co.uk as they might have a one night stay you can do as they manage many apartments in Cap d’Agde resort.
You easily stay out until 2am ie in Melrose but the sauna as I understand it closes around 2am.
You could sleep on the beach but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Thanks very much, Paul, for your prompt reply and recommendations. I’ll email Clemence about booking a place for the night, which will probably cheaper than spending the evening at The Melrose or a sauna. By the way, do you have to leave the Plage Naturiste / Plage de la Roquille by a certain time? And do you get fined if you sleep on the beach?
Hi Simon. I do not believe you would get fined but I am not sure how safe it is in the early hours either.
An apartment might not be cheaper than sauna or Melrose but at least you’d have somewhere for until 630am.
Yes, you’re right, Paul – safety could be an issue. I hadn’t thought of that. And it would be pretty uncomfortable too! No, I realise that even if I got a basic room for the night it wouldn’t be cheaper than The Melrose or a sauna. I thought I may be able to stay out somewhere all night till I caught my train, but that doesn’t seem possible and I think getting a room will be the better option. I’ve just emailed Clémence. I’ll see what she has to offer me in the way of accommodation. Thanks once again!
Hello. I will staying locally in mid July and would like to visit the nudist beach for one day only (probably a Wednesday if that makes any difference). I am a single male. From your description above it looks like I need to park outside the resort and enter on foot. Do I need any ID? What will it cost me for a day visit? Is there a good time to arrive? Thanks. Tosh
i will be taking a bus from paris on 10th august 2019 at 8pm. It is expected to reach cap d agde at 10 am. Pl let me know how far the naturist village from the bus stand.
Hi Subrata. Are you sure the bus from Paris will arrive at Cap d’Agde rather than at the town of Agde? Cap d’Agde is approx 4 miles from Agde town centre. Confirm and I will give more advice. cheers, Paul
if the bus arrives at town Agde, then how to come to Cap d Agde ?? Is there other bus services or taxi or van service ??
Hi Paul
Fantastic site you have created – thank you for this 🙂
My wife and I have rented a flat last week of July outside the resort, down by the port, how is public transport to the naturist village. We were hoping to be able to leave our car at the flat and hopefully walk to and from the nude beach and naturist village.
How much does it cost for two people to access the village and beach? Is there a week pass so we don’t have to wait in the queue every day?
Thank you for your time and effort, you are amazing!!
Best wishes,
Mark and Marie
Hi Mark and Marie,
My partner and myself are also going to Cap on 25/7 for a week and staying just outside the naturist village. We also plan to walk to and from the naturist village…I am told we are about 9 mins away by walk. Your questions are great since we also would like to learn re the passes procedure and getting a pass for a week.
Have a great stay. Maybe we will meet up also.
Chris & Kristina
Hi Chris. This is the answer I got from this sites related Cap d’agde Private Facebook group:
“Bus Runs every hour bus no. 4 depends on where you staying bus after leaving stop Musee de Cap turns left to Village catch bus one-way walk back takes about 45 minutes depending on where you staying. Day pass cost 8 euros maybe that’s for two I’m not sure as I was a solo traveler Ps I was staying in Avenue de Sargents most convenient because you have two buses 3&4”
Thank you for this 🙏🏻 Actually we’re also staying at Avenue Des Sergents so having 2 busses are great for us – I guess a taxi can’t cost much if needed.
Looking forward to our stay, hoping for great weather and fantastic experiences.
Hi Mark. Great news. Someone took a photo of at the front entrance and I have now added the pedestrian and vehicle entrance costs as an image on this page under point 1 regards entering the resort. EUR 60 it will cost you for 2 pedestrians for one week entrance.
I will be with my girlfriend at Libertine property from 11th August to 14th August. we want to enjoy Love Boat. In this regard pl let us know the rules of Love Boat-like amount to be paid, dress code, availability of food, alcohol, time of journey, details of Bay Of Pigs, time and place of booking.
regards
S Ghosh
Hi Subrata – I am not even sure what property that is/ Is that a privately rented apartment? By the sounds of it, you need to email the people you booked with and ask. All the best. Paul
Looking at making my 1st visit in 2022, are single males allowed in the resort and camp site?
Yes, they are.