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NederlandsMateille naturist beach
A large number of naturists are used to go to the middle of the Mateille beach, a northern district of Gruissan, which explains the title "Mateille naturist beach".
This fact seems to be accepted by the municipality of Gruissan because there is no board that forbids naturism on the site. On the other hand, there is no sign that indicates that you are in an official naturist area. Thus, Mateille naturist beach must be put in the category of beaches where naturism is tolerated.
The part occupied by the naturists is easily accessible from the free car park directly on the beach, as long as you park on the end of the car park and not in the beginning. The ground is hard, apparently there is no risk to get stuck.
Remark that the blue boards, indicating the end of the guarded zone "fin de zone surveillée" seem to have a subliminal sense because everybody understands them as the beginning of a naturist area. Moreover, coming from the car park, when we have seen the blue board, we immediately thought that it signposted the beginning of the naturist part, because after it, everybody was naked ! And this functioned in the same way on the other edge of the naturist area !
Wouldn't it be more simple and clear for everyone to add a second board indicating clearly "beginning of a naturist area" ?
The more now that the "naturist area" is not longer than 340 metres (we have measured it), and that when we were there, on the 7th of August 2019, there was a lot of people. There were different lines of naturists starting from the sea. We saw families and people of all ages.
Mateille naturist beach is a nice beach of fine sand, lengthy and very wide. Behind the beach lies the lake of Mateille. Between both, no building, which gives a natural feature, despite the town district Les Ayguades somewhat more in the north. It is a nice and easy place for bathing.
At last, despite that the naturist area is "trapped" between two textile beaches, the passing through is not disturbing.
In short, a nice very busy naturist beach that merits to become an official beach ...
Where is Mateille naturist beach ?
Mateille naturist beach, 11430 Gruissan, France.
Latitude : 43.1178571
Longitude : 3.1291085
Mateille naturist beach is located in the north of the town of Gruissan.
Gruissan is a seaside resort in the Aude department, in the Occitanie region. The town has grown between the lake of Gruissan and the lake of Grazel. The extensions Gruissan-Plage and Les Ayguades have been built along the Mediterranean Sea. Gruissan is known for its Redbeard Tower "tour Barberousse" that overlooks the ruins of an old fortress. The town counts more or less 5000 permanent inhabitants.
Between the highlights around Gruissan, we think particularly at :
- The Mediterranean with its beaches of fine sand.
- The mythical area of Gruissan-Plage with the houses on stilts become famous thanks to the French film Betty blue.
- The salt marshes of Gruissan and its ecomuseum.
- The Notre-Dame des Auzils chapel in the Massif de la Clape.
- Narbonne at 14 km.
- The island of Sainte-Lucie nicknamed "îsland of thousand scents".
- The island of Nadière with its old fishermen's hamlet at the lake of Bages-Sigean.
- The fortress of Salses at 60 km.
- The castle of Carcassonne (UNESCO) at 73 km.
How to reach Mateille naturist beach ?
1 Join Gruissan by the D 32.
2 At the first roundabout near the lake of Gruissan, take to the left the D 332 by following "Guissan Mateille". Don't follow straight ahead "Gruissan centre".
3 Continue straight ahead on the D 332. Don't follow "Gruissan Mateille" on the right but continue straight ahead until the next roundabout located in front of an Intermarché supermarket. There, take to the right, by following "Les Plages, Espace Balnéoludique".
4 Pass between the supermarket Intermarché and the « Espace balnéoludique » of Guissan (Avenue des bains).
5 At the next roundabout, take to the left by following "Base Ecole de Voile" (Avenue des plages).
6 At the next roundabout called "De la mer", continue straight ahead on the Avenue des plages (no signboards).
7 Pass over the stream that links the lake of Mateille to the lake of Grazel.
8 At the next roundabout (in front of Gruissan Sailing Center), continue straight ahead on the Avenue des plages (no signboard).
9 Continue straight ahead until the end of the road to reach a small parking located before the entry to the beach of Mateille (divided in "Plage Pleine Mer" and "Plage des Ayguades" according to the board). Don't park on this car park !
10 Drive on the beach with your car and pass under the wooden porch, at the left from the big board "Plage Pleine Mer". Drive on the "way" that follows the upper part of the beach, close to the wooden poles.
11 Drive until the end of the car park, recognizable by a wooden fence. Park your car.
12 Walk from the car park in the northern direction. After a couple of ten metres, you will see a blue board with the inscription "Fin de zone surveillée" (end of the guarded area). The not official naturist area starts just after this board !
The facilities of Mateille naturist beach
Free car park on the beach !
A naturist beach volleyball court !
Other naturist destinations around Mateille naturist beach
Mateille naturist beach has the nr. 6 on this map.