Plage de la Mateille

A wild setting

La Mateille is a long stretch of fine sand running for about 3 kilometers between Gruissan-Plage and Narbonne-Plage. It's very wide, and bordered to the north by the lagoon of the same name, with not a single building between the water and the sand. The result: a genuine pocket of unspoiled nature, rare along this coastline.

The naturist section covers a portion of about 340 to 500 meters, south of the Ayguades beach. The rest of the vast stretch of sand stays open to everyone, which explains why textile visitors and naturists often mix.

How to get there

You reach it from the port of Gruissan, via the D332 then the avenue des Plages, crossing the bridge over the Mateille lagoon. A free car park sits at the southern end of the beach, sparing you the paid parking hassles found elsewhere along the coast.

No tricky directions to remember: just follow the road along the lagoon, then walk the sand until you find your spot.

What you'll find there

On the amenities side, the beach is pretty well equipped for a natural site: showers, toilets, a first aid post and lifeguard watch during summer season. A water sports base sits nearby, with volleyball and various nautical activities on offer.

• Free parking at the end of the beach
• Showers and toilets
• Lifeguard watch and first aid post in summer
• Water sports and volleyball

The vibe on site

Regulars describe clear water and a setting that's a world away from crowded urban beaches. The atmosphere comes across as relaxed, with no particular tension between the naturist and textile zones: people move from one to the other without it bothering anyone.

The crowd is mixed: regular naturists, couples and families cross paths easily here. It's precisely this mutual tolerance, and the fact that the naturist section isn't cut off from the rest of the beach, that keeps coming up in visitors' comments.