For many European naturists, and the tens of thousands of swingers among them, Cap d’Agde has become a traditional summer destination, but a coronavirus infection has shaken their alternative lifestyle.–
France has seen an upsurge in infections, with 7,000 people recently testing positive in one day. The south of the Hérault, and Cap d’Agde in particular, are among the regions most affected.
This region, which is home to the largest naturist resort in Europe, focuses on hedonism.
But today, the health authorities – who have set up a mobile screening operation outside the village – have found that 30% of the 800 naturists checked had tested positive.
We all know why we are here
Known as the ‘naturist village’, the resort is a secluded community with a dozen swinger clubs and saunas as well as erotic nightclubs that feature hiding places for couples to have intimate relationships with or without the presence of the couples. other.
Of course, not all naturists are swingers – who swap their sex partners – and some visitors prefer the large, quieter campsite opposite the main village.
But in Cap d’Agde, there is a lot of mixing. “Everyone is in close contact all day and of course naked,” a swinging couple told the BBC.
“We all know why we are here. There are many other more traditional family naturist camps elsewhere on the coast, without sex clubs ”.
In the height of a summer in the off season, the village attracts around 45,000 people a day, and most are there for a week at a rented property with names such as Babylon, Cupid or Eden. There are also weekends and day trips.
But that was before the Covid.
How did the epidemic start?
At the end of August, two employees of a luxury hotel in the village tested positive for Covid-19.
The hotel owner admitted that a scorching party took place on the rooftop terrace and that social distancing rules were broken.
“We have been doubly affected”, explained David Masella, the director of the “naturist village”.
“Forty percent of our visitors are foreigners, most of them come from the Netherlands and Germany, followed by Italians and Brits.”
“With the virus, many of these regular foreign vacationers have simply stayed away this year. And then, of course, we were hit by the virus, but maybe it was inevitable ”.
“You should know that with 10,000 camping pitches and 15,000 beds in the village itself, the population density here is seven times greater than in the neighboring town of Montpellier”.
How the local authorities reacted
According to the French health authorities, the rate of positive tests from the mobile screening center they have set up in Cap d’Agde is four times higher than in the surrounding region.
Medical staff stressed that none of the cases required urgent hospital treatment.
Of course, as in the rest of the village of Agde, wearing a mask is mandatory, but masks and social distancing are not really compatible with swinging.
I met two couples for a drink and the four live in the village all year round.
Jérôme and Nadège, a couple in their forties, met at a swingers club in Bordeaux a few years ago and moved in together.
“The village went overnight from a magical place to a tragic place,” said Nadège.
“Of course, we all took risks, but the confinement was so hard and so long that it was important for our well-being to let go.”
“It is the youth who took the most risks”
Allen and his wife sat across from me, both naked except for the clear visors that covered their faces.
They are both in their 60s and think it is unfair to advertise in the village like that.
“At our age, of course, we’re more careful about where we go and how many people we’re in close contact with,” Allen said.
“It’s the youth who have taken the most risks, but it’s not just here. There are cases of infection all over the country, where young people have gathered ”.
When the epidemic broke out, the prefect temporarily closed many clubs and bars in the village where there were significant physical interactions.
One of them was the resort town of Waiki Beach.
“I just laid off 22 employees. The season is over, ”said manager Karim Issartel. “Certainly our club is known for its crowded pool parties, and the authorities have said that cannot continue. “
Another famous local landmark for the swinging community is Le Glamor nightclub.
Paired with nude foam or foam parties with up to 1,000 squirming bodies, she was ordered to close in March.
Posters across the city of Agde urge customers to stay patient, with the promise that Le Glamor will reopen.
No one is in the mood for fun
Philippe Barreau has been running sexy clothing stores in the village for 30 years and, as head of the association of 120 village businesses, he is very gloomy.
“We are extremely important to the local economy: 300 of our 800 employees who work here have been made redundant. I lost 80% of my turnover and I am not the only one.
“Right now, there are only 5,000 people staying here. By this time of year there should be 25,000. No one is in the mood for fun, ”he says.
But swingers I met admitted that the coronavirus hadn’t completely put a stop to non-monogamous sexual activity.
Several told me that they had even become more exhibitionist.
On the beach, many women wore chain jewelry at the waist, while the men paraded, shaving off their body hair.
Many of those in their late 50s and early 60s were visibly proud of their looks, and there were younger couples as well.
In the evenings, most dressed to go to the open-air bars and restaurants along the beach or in the village’s private marina.
But their revealing outfits all proclaimed “look at me,” and the couples were chatting with their neighbors at the next table, sometimes returning to each other’s studios or wandering off into the nearby sand dunes.
For now, the authorities are urging holidaymakers planning to visit the village not to go there.
Those who leave at the end of their vacation are urged to get tested quickly so as not to spread the virus when they return home.
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