Latest news with #CapdAgde
The Sun
30-06-2025
- The Sun
Welcome to ‘bonkers' beach', the seaside paradise for swingers where Brits romp on roof terraces & trade partners in sun
CAP d'Agde lies on a stunning stretch of Mediterranean coastline in the south of France. The sea is crystal clear, the sands are powdery white. But frankly, nobody really cares, because visitors come here with only one thing on their minds – SEX. 7 7 7 Sex with their partners, sex with someone else's partner, group sex, sex on the beach, sex in the sea, sex during foam parties. In this hedonistic playground, anything goes. Hundreds of thousands of swingers, including many Brits, descend on the resort each summer looking to fulfil their wildest fantasies. But despite all the exhibitionism, it's a closed, secretive world. As a rule, visitors to Cap d'Agde follow the motto: what goes on tour, stays on tour. Most visitors have been part of the swinging scene for a while and have received an 'invitation' to join the fun. But one Cap d'Agde regular has agreed to speak to Fabulous, on the condition her identity is kept secret. 'There are parties going on, group interactions, couples looking for single guys, single women, couples – anything goes,' says Katie, 34, who visits Cap d'Agde with her partner of six years, Steffan, 39. The couple, from Milton Keynes, run a website for swingers – fittingly. 'Everyone finds it so exciting,' she says. 'You get a real sense of the hedonist lifestyle. I've seen all sorts. Cap d'Agde has really opened my eyes. It's crazy.' The two kilometre beach at Cap d'Agde is divided into three zones. The first is for ordinary families, the second for naturists and the third section is for swingers. Thousands of swingers descend on sleepy village for UK's biggest sex festival with 'play tents, hot tubs and massages' Bonkers' beach, if you will. The swingers' zone even has a number of hotels to choose from. Some accommodation even has two interconnecting rooms for couple swaps, while one hotel has a roof terrace where residents can have sex on sun loungers. Katie had her first swingers experience ten years ago, while with a former partner. 'We were going to Berlin to see a music gig and I was searching on TripAdvisor for what to do – just some innocent searching,' she explains. 'I came across what was described as a lifestyle club. It was number three on the list of attractions. 'That looks interesting', I thought. I was nervous, but inquisitive. You get a real sense of the hedonist lifestyle. I've seen all sorts. Cap d'Agde has really opened my eyes. It's crazy Katie 'I remember getting the train there with my ex and I felt like people knew where we were heading. It felt a bit naughty.' When Katie arrived, she discovered her intuition was spot on. 'It was held in a nightclub and while everyone was clothed, there were private areas where people went to have sex or get involved,' she says. 'It was like this other world we didn't know existed. We just observed the first time and didn't participate. But it felt incredibly liberating.' When she came back home, Katie and her partner began visiting swingers' clubs in Newcastle and Leeds. 7 7 'Soft swap' 'We were keen to meet similar people in the UK,' she says. 'We found so many normal people do it. It's like a secret life. It opened our minds to a different world. Even so, I didn't participate the first two or three times. I just watched others having sex. 'By the time I did get involved, I'd made some connections with people, so I was more relaxed. My first experience was a soft swap. My first full swap was the next time we went to a club. 'A soft swap might mean switching partners, but not having full sex. It might involve kissing, or foreplay. 'A full swap is having sex with them. It's like experimenting, but with other people. It opens you up to a new world of different experiences.' I'm more of a voyeur – I'll be in among the fun. I like being in the vibe Katie Katie says the word swinging is now considered old-fashioned and those involved in the lifestyle call it ethical non monogamy – ENM. After splitting with her partner, she met her current boyfriend, Steffan, through the scene six years ago. About a year later, they took off to Cap d'Agde after learning about it from friends on the scene. 'The first time I went, it opened my eyes even wider,' says Katie. 'There's all sorts of stuff going on. You've got adults playing freely, having sex on the beach and in the sea. Some couples like to stand on the sidelines, enjoying the voyeuristic side where you watch others enjoying themselves.' Voyeurism is Katie's particular thing. 'There might be a handful of people I'll interact with, kissing or dancing,' she says. 'But I'm more of a voyeur – I'll be in among the fun. I like being in the vibe.' 'Freedom and empowerment' Katie and Steffan loved their first experience so much that they have returned every other year since. You could call it a swingers' pilgrimage. Katie says that contrary to what appearances might suggest, Cap d'Agde is not a free-for-all. Well, not most of the time. 'Everything is about consent and respect,' she explains 'When you go to Cap d'Agde, you'll be on one of the lifestylers [swingers] apps, such as one called Wyylde. If you have a profile, you explain what you're looking for, there is a conversation, then you meet. 'For single guys and adventurous couples, you could have over 10 interactions, from soft swaps to full sex, in a day.' Interacting with complete strangers is not unusual. 'If you're on the beach, for example, people might start to watch. You might say, 'Do you want to join us?' and there's the joy of the spontaneous situation. 'But there's always consent. There's no pressure. You do get people you're not interested in making approaches, but you can politely decline.' One of the curious things about Cap d'Agde is that while all this sex and wild abandon is going on, parents with kids might be eating picnics and building sandcastles just metres along the coast. 'There are families on a different part of the beach,' says Katie. 'And Cap d'Agde was a naturist village 20 to 30 years ago, before swingers started going there. So you'll see naturists walking about, who are not there for sex.' Surprisingly, Katie claims she doesn't get jealous when she sees Steffan having fun with other women. 'No, actually I find there's less jealousy,' she says. "It's about sex positivity, freedom and empowerment. It can strengthen your relationship.' Katie believes swinging has 'skyrocketed' in recent years. 'From our research on Google, it's around five per cent and growing. It's opening up in the mainstream,' she says. "Most of my friends are now in the lifestyle. We told them and they were interested to see what it was all about. People questioning the standard monogamous relationship structures. 'There are ENM clubs across the UK, and events at mansions. From our research, 30 to 60 years old is the main age group, but the 20 to 30 age group is growing.' What is Swinging? SWINGING, also known as partner swapping, is a sexual activity where partners in a committed relationship engage in sexual activities with other people. All parties involved must give explicit and enthusiastic consent. Open and honest communication between partners is crucial. Many swingers engage with a community or attend events specifically for swinging. Such activity can enhance intimacy and trust within the primary relationship. It provides an opportunity to explore sexual fantasies and desires. But it is not suitable for every relationship and requires a strong foundation of trust. Jealousy and emotional challenges may arise and need to be managed. While Katie wishes her identity to remain unknown to the wider world, her friends and family know her secret. 'My parents' initial reaction was that they wanted to make sure I was OK and it wasn't something I was being forced into,' she says. 'But they're fine with it because they know I'm fine with it. Family members find it interesting – they're all very inquisitive.' Katie and Steffan recently started a family. Their baby son is just four months old, so they won't be heading out to Cap d'Agde this summer. 'Being a new mum, my attention is on the little one now,' says Katie. 'But I'll definitely be going back at some point. My family will be able to look after my son.' Despite the demands of motherhood, Katie says she's very much still part of the 'lifestyle'. She and Steffan recently set up a website, Playful Pineapple, aimed at improving the experiences of swingers. 'Playful Pineapple is a destination for people in the lifestyle. The online experience was dated,' says Katie. 'You get a lot of fake profiles on websites. We want to make it safe, so people know they're talking to a real person, a social networking space for the lifestyle. 'On our website, you've got profiles, what you're looking for in lifestyling, what your travel plans are, where you might be heading. It's a safe environment.' The logo is an upside down pineapple – a swingers' symbol. 'Upside down pineapple cake, that was the essence of offering, of hospitality, in countries like Hawaii,' says Katie. Now you get necklaces, earrings and so on, to showcase the lifestyle.' Pineapples are used as a secret sign to other prospective swingers. At Cap d'Agde, however, there's no need for pineapples or any other secret sign. When you hit the beach, there's not a chance of mistaking what it's all about. 7
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I'm a city councillor and a nudist... people think it's strange but I don't see an issue - here's how I balance politics with running sex camps
A German politician is coaching a sex camp in order to prepare several citizens who will be joining him on a nudist swinger holiday in his efforts to promote 'niche tourism'. Julien Ferrat, city councillor of Mannheim and representative of local political party 'Die Mannheime' told MailOnline he is planning to visit the French naturist village of Cap d'Agde in August. 'You have other politicians in Germany that are offering the trips to the Bundestag and to the European Parliament. So I thought, let's do something different,' he said. According to the 33-year-old, 21 people have shown interest in his steamy initiative, including two with a political background. But to prepare them for the eight-night trip to the swinger hotspot in southern France from August 2 to August 10, Ferrat is hosting a 'sex training camp' on a nudist beach in Mannheim later this month. Here, he will coach the participants in how to have sex in front of others as well as the norms and procedures for attending a nudist beach. 'It will be a little bit like a Tantra session where the coach is explaining the stuff and also doing the stuff,' he said. 'So one part will be, for example, how to approach people in Cap d'Agde, so to know what are more or less the social norms there, but also to get used to the situation that you're having sex and others are watching you'. Ferrat explained he has been in the nudist community for around 10 years and the swinger community for slightly less. He has privately visited the French nudist camp twice and is now planning on merging his personal interest in the raunchy world of nudism and sexual partner swapping with his political background in a bid to turn Mannheim into Cap d'Agde's 'little sister'. Ferrat is hoping that if he can turn his city into a version of Cap d'Agde which is just as recognised, those residing in the north of Germany or Scandinavia who may find it too far travelling to southern France can instead visit Mannheim and embark on the same experience. 'What I think is really interesting is to gain new earnings via niche tourism, because in Germany we have not enough money, and Cap d'Agde is, in my opinion, a good example to see how you can create new earnings by doing something unconventional, by being open-minded'. Ferrat believes through this initiative, he can raise money for Mannheim without having to increase taxes for citizens. During the trip, the city councillor is hoping to at least once a day speak with local business owners in Cap d'Agde and the tourist office to create business ties with the 'biggest nudist swinger resort worldwide'. Ferrat explained: 'In Cap d'Agde, sex on the beach is taken literally. And anyone who's always wanted to shop naked in the supermarket can easily indulge that desire there. 'Having sex in your own bedroom is different than on the beach with a group of masturbating men like in Cap d'Agde. 'So it's, in my opinion, a good combination of on the one hand the occasion, but there's also a political activity included. 'The goal is to know more about niche tourism, because it's something special that a town with only 30,000 inhabitants can become a worldwide leader in that field. 'This is what is the interesting point. So of course, we are focusing on the nudist and swinger stuff. But also maybe we can take lessons about niche tourism in general,' Ferrat said. Unsurprisingly, the councillor's proposal has been met with heavy opposition from fellow leaders, including the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), currently Germany's strongest political party. District chairman, Christian Hötting, blasted Ferrat's 'harebrained' plan, while Ferrat fired back: 'As a friend of freedom of speech, I will always advocate for Mr. Hötting's right to express his opinion – even if I expressly disagree with it in this case. 'If Mr. Hötting would participate in the educational trip, perhaps some of his prejudices against nudists and swingers could be broken down.' Regarding repeated objections from city council, he added: 'During the last budget discussions, I already proposed pushing forward something similar to promote niche tourism. Unsurprisingly, the proposal was rejected.' 'Many politicians offer educational trips to the Bundestag and the European Parliament. So I thought: Let's do something different.' Despite the pushback, Ferrat's unconventional trip appears to have gained momentum. By May 16, 75 people expressed interest in the visit to Cap d'Agde, with 22 people – including 14 men and eight women - confirming their place. Six participants hail from Mannheim, three from the nearby Rhein-Neckar-Kreis and two from the nearby Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, while two other participants reside elsewhere in Germany.
News.com.au
10-06-2025
- News.com.au
German politician's bizarre swinger holiday invite
A local German politician has copped backlash from fellow councillors after he stripped naked and called on residents to join him on a swingers trip in France. Julien Ferrat, a councillor at Mannheim City, in southwest Germany, and representative of local political party 'Die Mannheime', said the eight-day trip to swinger hotspot, Cap d'Agde, in the south of France, is to investigate how it became a global hub in nudist and sex tourism – and how this can help boost Mannheim's local economy. He gained plenty of attention – and pushback from fellow councillors – when a story of his unconventional idea appeared in the local Mannheim Official Gazette in May. It was accompanied by a naked photo of Ferrat on the beach with just a sign covering his genitals. The headline read – 'Political Education Trip to Cap d'Agde', translating to – Political education trip to Cap d'Agde. 'The naturist village in Cap d'Agde is considered a mecca for nudists and swingers,' the 33-year-old said in the article. 'What few people know: Without government support for tourism (...) this place would never have been created.' He has called for 'curious and open-minded citizens' to accompany him on the trip which will involve a training camp, to ensure no participant heads into the resort 'unprepared'. The training camp, according to t he Daily Mail, involves outdoor sex on the Friesenheimer Insel in Mannheim. He stressed the training camp will 'exclude the media' to protect the participants' privacy. 'In Cap d'Agde, sex on the beach is taken literally. And anyone who's always wanted to shop naked in the supermarket can easily indulge that desire there,' he said. 'Having sex in your own bedroom is different than on the beach with a group of masturbating men like in Cap d'Agde.' He said a 'great deal can be learned' from the project village, which is now a leading naturist resort on the Mediterranean coast with professional swinger clubs and privately-run nude restaurants, bars, and a beach, the Daily Mail reported. He plans to have discussions with the tourist office and local business owners, including hotel operators. As of May 16, 75 people expressed interest in the unique holiday, with 22 people – including 14 men and eight women – confirming their place. However, not everyone has expressed their support with one councillor calling it 'embarrassing' and 'idiotic'. 'I find this call idiotic because I believe it actually harms politics,' Christian Hötting, CDU district chairman in Mannheim and city councillor, told local publication, SWR Aktuell. 'I don't see anything sensible in it that will move the city, or the people of this city, forward. 'It's just a bit embarrassing.' Ferrat retaliated, saying, 'Nobody is forced to go there. Anyone who is bothered by it should simply put the article down.' According to the publication, the city administration is reluctant to comment on the article. 'The official gazette, as the municipality's official publication, is subject to special partisan neutrality,' a spokesperson for the council said, according to the publication. It added, that members of the municipal council write their articles on their own responsibility. It's not the first time councillor Ferrat has stripped naked. Last year, he published an introduction to himself in the official gazette alongside a photo of himself naked with his hands covering his genitals.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Daily Mail
German politician invites the entire country to 'educational' nudist swinger holiday and 'training camp with outdoor sex'
A German politician has invited his entire country invitation to join him on an epic nudist swinger holiday in his efforts to promote 'niche tourism' in his municipality. Julien Ferrat, city councilor of Mannheim and representative of local political party 'Die Mannheime', announced in May his plan to host a steamy vacation with an 'interesting political programme'. Ferrat has cordially invited 'curious and open-minded citizens' to accompany him on an eight-night trip to a naturist village in Cap d'Agde, southern France - known as a paradise hotspot among those in the swinger community. To ensure no participant heads into the resort 'unprepared', a training camp with outdoor sex will be held beforehand on the Friesenheimer Insel in Mannheim. Ferrat, who plans to act as the 'player coach' during training, hopes to 'combine theory and practice', while exploring 'Village Naturiste', and aims to ensure the group 'perform as a well-coordinated team'. He stressed the training camp will 'exclude the media' to protect the participants' privacy. Ferrat explained: 'In Cap d'Agde, sex on the beach is taken literally. And anyone who's always wanted to shop naked in the supermarket can easily indulge that desire there. 'Having sex in your own bedroom is different than on the beach with a group of masturbating men like in Cap d'Agde.' According to the councilor, a 'great deal can be learned' from the project village, which is now a leading naturist resort on the Mediterranean coast with professional swinger clubs and privately-run nude restaurants, bars, and a beach. The seaside hotpot was designed in the 1970s as a self-contained town and has since grown to become one of the most important income sources for Agde - though without government support for tourism, the gated village would have ceased to exist. Ferrat said: 'Without the state's tourism funding under the Mission Racine, this place would never have been created.' In Cap d'Agde, he plans to have discussions with the tourist office and local business owners, including hotel operators. Unsurprisingly, the councilor's proposal has been met with heavy opposition from fellow leaders, including the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), currently Germany's strongest political party. District chairman, Christian Hötting, blasted Ferrat's 'harebrained' plan, while Ferrat fired back: 'As a friend of freedom of speech, I will always advocate for Mr. Hötting's right to express his opinion – even if I expressly disagree with it in this case. 'If Mr. Hötting would participate in the educational trip, perhaps some of his prejudices against nudists and swingers could be broken down.' Regarding repeated objections from city council, he added: 'During the last budget discussions, I already proposed pushing forward something similar to promote niche tourism. Unsurprisingly, the proposal was rejected.' Pictured: Nudists and naturists on the beach for a last swim of the Year Nudists and naturists take a last swim of the year, Cap d'Agde, France 'Many politicians offer educational trips to the Bundestag and the European Parliament. So I thought: Let's do something different.' Despite the pushback, Ferrat's unconventional trip appears to have gained momentum. As of 16 May, 75 people expressed interest in the visit to Cap d'Agde, with 22 people – including 14 men and eight women - confirming their place. Six participants hail from Mannheim, three from the nearby Rhein-Neckar-Kreis and two from the nearby Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, while two other participants reside elsewhere in Germany. Participants will be booked into a cabin during their stay at the resort, though a confirmed date is yet to be revealed. Of the public's response, the councilor said: 'I was very pleased that the first interested people have now contacted me by email.' However, Ferrat further emphasised the political component of the trip: to investigate how Agde became a global hub in nudist and sex tourism - and how this can help boost Mannheim's local economy. He added that there are no municipal subsidies for what is 'by far the most interesting educational trip ever offered to Mannheim residents.' More and more people are swapping their swimsuits for the freedom of being completely au naturel on the beach - and it's not as controversial as you might think. In fact, as many as 7 million people in the UK are part of the nudist community, flocking to beaches and coastal towns to sunbathe, swim, and take scenic walks without a stitch of clothing on. Public nudity in the UK isn't actually illegal - though it's a bit of a grey area. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 states you are permitted to strip off, as long as there is proof you have no intention to 'harass, alarm or distress' others. If you're thinking of heading to a nudist beach yourself, check out our guide to all 60 of the ones you can go to around Britain. Is there one near you?
