Selçuk Cartoon: The Providential Man

Nudist beaches, naturist resorts, naked camping: No-one should be surprised when they come across nudists in France

Let’s face it, the French pretty much invented naturism

writes Mark Johnson,

so no-one should be surprised when they come across it in France. Here, there are nudist beaches, naturist resorts, naked camping – sounds painful – and any number of clothes optional guest houses and hotels.

Although I’m not an avid naturist myself, I have been known to get my kit off at the plage natural on the Cote Sauvage, and never had any issues with that. Mostly, though, I keep my swimming trunks on, simply because I like the tan line, but being naked is the most natural thing in the world and I wouldn’t begrudge anyone their right to strip off.

Granted, the prospect of seeing everyone’s wobbly bits on show down the local supermarket just after breakfast may be stretching things – no pun intended – but here in deepest rural France people sometimes also prefer to be at one with nature around their own homes. …