Naturist Trails: France

he country is blessed with a huge array of naturist venues, ranging from large resorts with an impressive range of facilities to the small, part-time, more basic ones, often run by volunteers. France is also blessed with not one but two coastlines, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. It has mountain ranges that provide spectacular walking, trekking and skiing, beautiful rivers, some awash with history, and others offering cruising and unlimited water sports. There are vast swathes of rolling countryside, and some of the most beautiful and historic cities and towns in Europe.

Because of the huge choice of naturist sites, and the available space in this article, I thought it would be more interesting to feature some of the lesser-known campsites, on a route that takes us from the north, down the west side of the country, swinging round south and up the east side.

Many naturists are familiar with Euronat, situated near the head of the Gironde river. Further south is La Jenny, which is a beautifully appointed naturist village. And further south still is Arnaoutchot near Vielle-Saint-Girons, a lovely site where my wife Gill and I have spent many a happy hour on the huge beach, and body boarding in the Atlantic waves. But let’s visit a few places that are a little more off the beaten track…

Stopover

Our naturist trail begins in the countryside with The Nature and Sun Club of Normandie. I mention this site because it’s just 15 minutes from Caen, so is a useful stopover for Brits if you’re crossing the Channel.

It’s a small, basic site run by volunteers and is only open from June to September. There are several other small sites in Brittany, but it’s important to check opening times and facilities.

Heading south, we arrive at our first recommended naturist campsite at La Ferme Naturiste L’Oliverie. Situated ten minutes from the medieval town of Parthenay in Poitou-Charentes, it has 23 pitches, most with electric hook ups, well-spaced near a pretty, converted farmhouse where you can stay as B&B guests. There’s a well-equipped sanitary block and a second block with an environmentally-friendly dry toilet cabin.

You can also rent a cottage which sleeps up to six people. There’s also what’s called a premium, fully equipped chalet and The Hut: another chalet, with both sleeping up to four people. There are two guest rooms with a kitchen which is shared between the rooms. You can also rent The Roulette, sleeping up to four people: it’s an attractive, large gypsy-style caravan. There’s a heated outdoor pool with sun loungers, a snack bar and mini grocery store along with various outdoor and indoor activities.

Character

Next stop is Le Couderc, a 4-star campsite located amongst lakes and streams in the beautiful Dordogne. There are 172 spacious pitches, spread across pretty meadows, and surrounded by forest. Each meadow has its own character, and sunny or shady pitches are available, most with electric hook-up. Fully furnished chalets, sleeping between two and seven people, are available to rent. Some are equipped for those with reduced mobility.

There are also nine safari tents and three Amazon tents (situated along a stream), all comfortably furnished and sleeping between two and five people.

There’s a delightful swimming pool and a restaurant and bar, which are located in a converted barn where you’ll find a library, board games and even a piano. A well-equipped shop is on site, caravan storage is available, and the campsite provides a shuttle service to Bergerac airport, a 20-minute drive away.

Facilities

Domaine Laborde is another 4-star campsite, this time near Paulhiac on the edge of Perigord between the Lot et Garonne and the Dordogne. It’s a delightful site with several facilities that make it child-friendly, and pets are also welcome. The 20-hectare campsite, situated in the middle of a forest, is built around lovely 16^th century stone buildings.

There are 130 camping pitches, most with electric hook-up, 17 well equipped mobile homes, and 26 fully furnished chalets. You can also rent one of six furnished tents. There are also two lakes in the grounds: one has a zip wire, ideal for children, whilst the other is quieter, where you can enjoy a bit of carp fishing.

The campsite boasts three outdoor pools in one area, including a paddling pool and water slide, designed with children in mind. There’s also a quieter, indoor pool. Plus there’s an on-site grocery shop, restaurant, pizzeria and snack bar. Laborde is ideally situated if you want to visit some of the beautiful medieval towns, castles, markets and vineyards of the Perigord.

Contrast

Heading further south, Naturist Camping Les Aillos is another smaller, 4-star campsite situated in the Midi-Pyrénées east of Toulouse, near the small town of Caraman.

The 6-hectare site is situated round a pretty, traditional farmhouse and renovated outbuildings. You can stay on one of the camping pitches and chose whether you want full sun or shade, and many have electric hook ups. There are also some mobile homes for rent which are fully furnished and sleep two people. There’s also a pleasant outdoor pool with a bar and snack bar nearby.

Les Aillos makes a pleasant contrast from Laborde if you want a site that is smaller and more intimate.

Fields

Swinging round to the east, and in complete contrast to the beautiful hills and medieval towns of the Dordogne and Midi-Pyrénées, we’re heading to the Plateau de Valensole and the lavender fields of Haute Provence.

Tikayan Le Petit Arlene is located in the Verdon National Park. This 70-hectare site is an ideal base to visit the gorgeous Provencal lavender fields, especially when they’re in full bloom in June and July. It’s also just 15 kilometres from the Lac de Sainte Croix. This huge reservoir is surrounded by hills, forests and walks, and beaches are dotted along its shoreline. It’s great for swimming, sailing, paddle boarding and windsurfing in the summer months.

There are 90 pitches in the campsite, with four sanitary blocks, one of which is adapted for those with reduced mobility. Fully-furnished mobile homes are located on south-facing terraces, and accommodate from two to eight people. There are single storey ‘apartments’ for up to six people, and lodge tents by the side of the lake, which are well equipped with timber interiors, accommodating up to five people.

The pretty towns of Moutier, Sainte-Croix and (a little further away) Manosque and Sisteron make this a great location for visiting the Haute Provence area.

Pitches

Finally, turning north back up towards Dijon, Domaine de La Gagere is another 4-star site southwest of the city, near Autun. It’s located in the Parc Naturel Regional du Morvan in Burgundy and you’ll find 126 open pitches on a 5-hectare campsite, with sanitary blocks, some with access for those with reduced mobility. There are a number of furnished chalets, mobile homes and a safari tent sleeping up to five people. Two heated swimming pools and a paddling pool meanwhile are located near a restaurant and large terrace.

We’re ending our naturist trail here in La Gagere because it’s within striking distance of the ferry ports for the UK. My choice of campsites has focused on just a few of the lesser-known, but quality naturist resorts located inland. There are so many other naturist venues available throughout France however, and I have merely scratched the surface.

Bon voyage!

©H&E Naturist 2025

·      This is part of a series of seven naturist trails in total, covering Portugal, Spain, Croatia, France, Italy, UK and Germany.

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