IN THIS SECTION
NUDISM
If you don’t actually like being naked in the sun or in front of lots of other people, then obviously you’re not going to get as much out of Cap as most visitors do.
On the other hand…
You can live outside and come into Cap in the evening, when people are wearing sexy clothes, for the clubs and that louche vibe. There are plenty of other beaches in the area. For the Chateau, Quai des Anges and L’Extasia you never have to come into the complex at all.
LANGUAGE BARRIER
It’s a very friendly place but if you don’t speak French or German it severely limits the number of people you can chat up.
On the other hand…
If you really only want to go on holiday where people speak English then maybe you should stick to North America, Australasia or Spain. There are plenty of circumstances where not understanding each others’ language doesn’t matter or even adds to the excitement.
CONCRETE JUNGLE
The complex itself is a bit like a vast 60s campus university, all glass and concrete and not very beautiful. Walking to and fro over tarmac ratruns between huge buildings and through carparks and ugly service areas is not uplifting. The corridors through the commercial centres are very utilitarian.
On the other hand…
The place is clean everywhere and the commercial centres and the residential areas apart from Heliopolis are pedestrianised and designed to human scale. The campsite is different and you can stay there for that Garden of Eden feel. The newer accommodation options such as Riads, Natureva and the Jardins could be anywhere (structurally). The villas can be really very peaceful. Alternatively you can live outside and come in when you feel like it. For those of us who live in urban areas anyway, doing so in blazing sunshine with the incredible Cap vibe is a big improvement.
ACCOMMODATION
The big blocks were built in the 70s when space allocations were less generous than they are in modern hotels. Some have not been kept in tip-top condition. It’s a firmly mid-market destination.
On the other hand…
A large percentage of the apartments have been upgraded. Everything is clean; you usually have a private patio or a balcony; many of balconies have now been roofed in to make the flats bigger and where they haven’t there is still an excellent view; you can self-cater in every type of accommodation; you haven’t come to hide away from the sun and other people anyway; and you could choose to stay in a pension, gite, hotel or villa in textile Cap, Agde or somewhere else nearby and commute in. The newer accommodation options are bigger. The Hotel Oz’Inn and the new Pearle Luxury Cottages on the campsite are pretty high spec and priced accordingly.
FOOD
Cap is not a fabulous gastronomic experience.
On the other hand…
Actually, these days it can be, if you want to pay for that standard of cuisine at every meal. Most of us do not eat royally all the time on holiday anyway and if you have kids you probably don’t want to. There is plenty of good food available and particularly at Ghymnos in Heliopolis the prices are reasonable. You can self-cater when you wish. There is a wide variety of restaurants in textile Cap and other nearby towns. A regular bus service connects the Quartier Naturiste with the other Cap d’Agde neighbourhoods. Classic French country cuisine and prices can be found in the hinterland.
LUXURY
The campus format inevitably transmits echoes of holiday camps with their downmarket associations to British people.
On the other hand…
Even taking out the nudism, Cap is an unusual experience. Although it is a mid-market location there are now higher market options. If your primary concern is for material excellence in every single holiday then you shouldn’t go to Cap. The luxury comes from the combination of the sun and the scintillating sights and scenes of nudity and swinging on an unimaginable scale that cannot be found anywhere else in creation. If you are swingers, you have to give it a try.
UNREALITY
You can have too much of a good thing. After a while living in a closed environment with tens of thousands of naked people, wearing fetish gear every evening and swinging every night, you can actually start hankering for a dose of reality.
On the other hand…
This is a holiday and you’re only there for a few days or weeks so enjoy it while you can. If you rent a car you can live outside or escape to explore the area whenever you feel the need for a reality check. British newspapers are sold a day or two late if you need that big a dose of reality.
Nudism is a family activity and there are thousands of families with children of all ages at Cap, bringing in a strong air of healthy normality. Small children move around with their parents while adolescents make new friends and hang around together in friendly crowds. Only on the adult beach and in the clubs do you find a sensual ambiance.