L'Espiguette, near Port Carmargue, Southern France

by John
(Suffolk)

The beaches around Port Carmargue are a bit featureless but we were told of an unspoiled beach nearby that was clothing optional. We went simply because we wanted a better looking beach but I'd say more than half the people on the beach were nude and the textile women might as well not have bothered with their tiny bikini bottoms.

It was my wife who decided to strip off after a gust of wind covered her in sand so she went into the sea to wash it off. When she came out she decided she didn't want to sit in a wet bikini bottom so she took it off. A few minutes later I plucked up the courage to do the same.

I think men worry more about their first time, often fearing all these nude bodies will produce an embarrassing reaction or that people will be staring at things society frowns on them showing off. After all, society has a much more lenient view of female nudity.

But you soon realise erections are rare on nudist beaches, and nobody will mind if you do get that natural reaction (at least, not in France). In addition, nobody takes any more notice of nude you than they do clothed you on a textile beach.

After a short time nudity seemed so natural and on the following occasions we visited the beach I had no worries about wandering round nude.

The beach had some interesting wildlife, being on the edge of the Camargue, including burrowing spadefoot toads whose tadpoles grow bigger than the toads they turn into, scarab beatles that clacked like castonets as they fought over piles of horse dung and flocks of flamingos flying over. There was something quite liberating about watching all these things while wearing the same as they were!

Since then, we've always sought out naturist beaches and it now seems odd to wear clothes on the beach.

I've just looked this beach up on Googlearth and it appears it's still undeveloped. Parking is near the lighthouse, Fare de L'Espiguette.