Cap d'Agde
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Cap d'Agde (IPA: [kap dagd]) is the seaside resort of the town of Agde, France, on the Mediterranean sea in the département of Hérault, within the région of Languedoc-Roussillon. Agde can be reached by SNCF train whilst the closest airports are Béziers-Cap d'Agde or Montpellier-Fréjorgues. Public transport, taxi or bus, exists between Agde and Cap d'Agde.
Cap d'Agde is one of the largest leisure ports on the French Mediterranean. Development as a tourist resort started in the 1970's before which time the only buildings at the Cap were small houses used for weekends etc by local people.
The Musee d'Ephebe houses the bronze statue of a Greek boy known as Ephebe. The statue was discovered in the River Herault and was housed in the Louvre Museum prior to suitable facilities being made available in Cap d'Agde to house it.
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[edit] Village Naturiste
Cap d'Agde has a large family-style naturist resort.
The Village Naturiste is a large fenced-off part at the north-eastern edge of Cap d'Agde, although it is accessible along the public beach from the east. .
It is a self-contained town (although sometimes referred to as the "Naked City"[1]), where nudity is legal and common in the whole resort, including its restaurants and shops, day or night. In the evening, when it gets colder, more people are dressed, sometimes in revealing clothes. A local tourist tax is charged per person, per day
Village Naturiste is a town by itself, with a 2km beach, port and marina, campsite, apartment complexes, hotel, shops, restaurants, bars, post office, bank and ATMs, laundrettes, hairdressers, and other such facilities.
[edit] The naturist beach
The naturist beach (where nudity is technically mandatory) has a length of about 2 km and is about 30 m wide. Sand and water are of good quality and between 16 and 20 degrees C. Two security posts feature police and medical facilities. Six restaurants border the southern end of the nude beach. Only one restaurant is available towards the northern end. Even though Cap d'Agde is in France, most of the service staff speak English.
[edit] Heliopolis
Heliopolis is the biggest and most prominent feature of Village Naturiste and is a 4-storey round apartment complex with a diameter of approx. 250m located at the beach. Heliopolis has a shopping area with a supermarket at the ground floor. It has approximately 800 apartment units for 2, 4 and 6 people.
[edit] Heliovillage
Heliovillage is located just east of Heliopolis, and contains 125 single houses for families. It is fenced-off from the rest of the resort and only residents have access outside daylight hours.
[edit] Port Nature
Port Nature is an L-shaped 3/4-storey block with approximately 600 apartments for 2, 4 and 6 people. It is at the beach, south of Heliopolis, with two commercial areas, one closest to the beach and one in the knick of the L, with bars, restaurants, shops and supermarket. Two swimming pools are south of Port Nature.
[edit] Village Nature
Village Nature are duplex houses south of Port Nature, about 120 units for 6 to 8 people each.
[edit] Port Venus
Port Venus consists of Port Venus Village, an eight large houses for bigger families, and Port Venus Residence, a five-storey apartment block with about 72 large units. It is at the back of the resort close to Hotel Eve.
[edit] Marina
The marina has about 60 places for boats up to 17m and a little boat yard.
[edit] Port Ambonne
Port Ambonne is a semi-circular four-story apartment complex north of the marina and east of Heliopolis. It has approximately 400 apartments, each accommodating a maximum of 4 to 8 people depending on size. There is a commercial section at ground level with shops, bars, restaurants and two sauna spas (one for couples only[citation needed]). Port Ambonne also has a bank with ATM, an Internet café and laundrette.
[edit] Hotel Ève
Hotel Ève is away from the beach and is the only establishment claiming to be a hotel within the resort.[citation needed] It's a three-star, 48 room hotel with its own pool, sauna and roof-top sun terrace.
[edit] Le Riad
Le Riad is an exclusive development of 9 Moroccan style villas intended for year-round living within the naturist village. Two of the villas even have their own pools.
[edit] Camping area
Located at the north of the resort, adjacent to the beach, is a camping area for tents, caravans and motorhomes. The site has a surface of 39 hectares and includes the usual camp facilities such as sanitary blocks and children's play area.[2]
