Plage naturiste officielle
Official naturist beach since 1993 at Grand Bec. On site toilets, clear signage, calm Vendée atmosphere.
- Naturism mandatory
- Official since 1993
- Toilets on site
- One of Vendée's oldest
- Moderate crowds
- Address
- Plage des Salins, lieu-dit Grand Bec
85270 Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, Vendée - Website
- sainthilairederiez.fr
A grande dame of Vendée naturism
Plage des Salins, at the spot known as Grand Bec in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, ranks among the very first naturist beaches recognized on the Vendée coast. Its status is nothing unofficial: a municipal decree dated July 7, 1993 put things down in black and white. Since then, naturism has been the rule there, not the exception.
The area concerned sits precisely at the spot known as Les Salins, where going nude is authorized and clearly signposted. Signs mark out the entrance to the naturist zone, so nobody wanders into the wrong cove by mistake.
What you'll find on site
The beach has toilets and sanitary facilities, no small detail for a naturist beach that draws crowds in high season. No commercial setup to speak of here, people mainly come for the sand, the sea air and the quiet.
A relaxed atmosphere
Regulars of the French naturist community mention it often in guides and lists of the country's official beaches. What keeps coming up in feedback is precisely that official character and the clear signage, reassuring for anyone discovering naturism or trying out a new cove for the first time.
As for crowds, it stays more low key than the big tourist beaches of the Vendée coast. A solid argument for naturist couples looking for a calmer spot, between the dunes and the Atlantic, without the crowds of the nearby seaside spots.
Source: OpenStreetMap and its contributors (ODbL licence). See on OpenStreetMap.