Domaine de la Sablière in France: Revisited

It’s been more than six years since we were last at Domaine de la Sablière. For many years, the resort had been on our bucket list because it’s one of the most popular naked getaways in France. It’s just that kind of place that seemed to appear on all bucket lists and on even more “Been there, got the t-shirt” lists. However, we can’t remember seeing Sablière t-shirts in the shop.

What we didn’t know at the time was that we were “Upper Sablière people”. That’s not an actual thing, we just invented it. As Domaine de la Sablière is located on the slope of a mountain, it can roughly be divided into three parts: There’s the top, which has mostly rentals that give great views. In the centre is the recreation area with pools, a restaurant, and some sports courts. And at the bottom is more like a camping area right next to the river.

As we were staying in a Bellevue rental at the very top of the hill, our days were usually spent in the top and centre part. This time we came with our own van, parked right at the bottom, and we would get to experience a very different Sablière.

Domaine de la Sablière sits in the Gard region of southern France, and honestly, having a car makes everything so much easier. The region is gorgeous, but not exactly built for public transport travellers.

If you’re flying in, Marseille Provence and Montpellier airports are your best bets. If you’re arriving from outside of Europe, you’ll likely have a layover at Paris or any other major European airport. Once you land, you’ll really want that rental car to explore La Sablière and the beautiful surrounding area. Of course, if you have no intention to put on clothes during your entire stay, you might as well take a taxi and avoid organising a rental car.

Determined to do it by public transport? You can take the TGV (high-speed train) to Avignon and then catch bus number 15 to Barjac. Just know this bus only runs twice a day, and you’ll still need to cover the final 6 kilometres to the resort by taxi or hitchhike. It’s doable, but not exactly convenient.

Unless hiking up and down a steep hill or doing unnecessary short car rides are your thing, the number one question you should ask yourself is whether you’re more a swimming pool person or a natural water person. Trust us, it makes a big difference.

If you like sunbathing on a beach and swimming in a river, you want to make sure to get a spot in the Mésange or Fauvette neighbourhoods. They are right at the bottom of the resort and offer easy access to the Cèze River. There are lots of camping pitches in these neighbourhoods as well as a variety of rentals like glamping tents, mobile homes, and the scenic Balcon de la Cèze chalets.

Are you more the “snoozing on a sunbed with regular skinny dips in the infinity pool and quick access to your next cocktail” kind of person? Then it’s best to book a spot higher up the mountain. There are a few camping options here, but this is mostly where you find the larger rentals like the Bellevue chalets, a variety of mobile homes, and the brand new Clico chalets.

Just to be clear, we are talking about just one big resort. The division between “Upper Sablière” and “Lower Sablière” is something we invented because we think it can be a very different experience.

An abundance of nature is one of the biggest assets of this resort, and truth be told, we’ve never seen a naturist resort of this size that manages to maintain the natural environment so perfectly. Yet, Lower Sablière offers more of that true camping in the woods experience than Upper Sablière. You are completely surrounded by nature, and the river flowing through a spectacular canyon obviously adds a lot to that as well.

Lower Sablière also has a snack bar where you can get delicious pizza as well as burgers, paninis, fries, that kind of stuff. Here’s also the grocery store and the gym. While we were at La Sablière, they were still building additional snack points, which should be open by the time you’re reading this.

Central Sablière is the centre of activities. The main highlights are the four swimming pools. There’s a children’s pool for the little ones and an infinity pool with a large sundeck that gives magnificent views over the valley and the surrounding mountains. Then there’s an indoor pool for chilly mornings, and the best pool of all isn’t an actual pool but three big slides that look as if they’ve been stolen from a water park. These don’t just entertain the kids, trust us.

In this part of the resort, you’ll also find the restaurant,t which serves a varied menu of salads, pastas, and fish and meat dishes. There’s a bar area with a big screen to watch movies or sports games, a sauna, a minigolf court, a tennis court, the kids club, and a few other things to make your days more entertaining.

Upper Sablière, on the other hand, has a “small village in the woods” kind of feeling. There are few facilities here, except for the amazing views of the valley and the river down below.

Since we’ve already been using some invented terms, here’s another one: “The Naked Valley”. That’s what we like to call the valley of the Cèze River. Not just because we think it would be a great name, but since there are several naturist campgrounds in this valley, you’re actually more likely to run into naked people than clothed ones. There are established trails along the river and up the hills where naked hiking is totally normal and even expected. You can choose easy riverside strolls or tougher mountain hikes with incredible views.

Water sports fans can try naked kayaking and canoeing in front of the resort, and if you’re willing to put on a bathing suit, there are plenty more watersports to enjoy in the nearby surroundings. Drive an hour and you’ll hit the famous Ardèche canyon for even more dramatic French canyon scenery.

There’s culture too if you’re into that. Medieval towns like Uzès, Nîmes, and Avignon are all at day-trip distance, each with its own historical charm. And there are, of course, the many local markets where you can buy food and wines straight from the farm or vineyard.

As mentioned in the introduction, during our first visit, we had been Upper Sablière guests. We stayed in a nice rental and spent most of our days in or around the swimming pools. This time, we were Lower Sablière guests, and even though we did hike up to the pools and restaurant a few times, most of our days were spent in or around the river.

During our stay, we noticed that we were not alone in this. This is one of the great things about La Sablière, it can cater to a large variety of guests. If you’re more of a resort type of person, you just stick around near the top of the domain, and if you’re a camping in the woods person, you’ll find everything at the bottom. And if you’re into both, that totally works too. But you’ll be looking at a few hikes up and down (in the summer months, there is a “train” going up and down to bring you to the different parts of the resort, though).

Domaine de la Sablière opens each year from mid-April to late September. Springtime (until late June) is the most beautiful time to visit the resort as the forest will be bright green and flowery. Temperatures tend to be mild this time of the year, with regular sunshine during the day and cool nights. Activity-wise, there isn’t much happening yet ,though.

July and August deliver the classic “family high season”. The place is packed and often fully booked, and there’s a vibrant atmosphere all around. There will be plenty of things to do and lots of entertainment, although with temperatures easily hitting over 30°C, you’ll probably want to spend a lot of time in the river or in one of the pools (or under a big tree if you’re not a water person).

September indicates the end of the madness, things are getting much more relaxed again,n and you get to enjoy the last warm temperatures and the early autumn colours.

Given the resort’s popularity, advance booking is essential for camping in July and August and throughout the whole season for rentals.

The best ways to book at La Sablière are:

The staff speaks French, English, Dutch, and German.

Domaine de La Sablière changed owners around 2020, and ever since, there have been rumours that the resort would go textile. One thing we can tell you is that this was 6 years ago, and the resort is still naturist. We obviously can’t look into the future, but after revisiting and talking with a few staff members, we can confirm that these are nothing but rumours. As far as we know, there are no intentions to make it a clothed resort.

There isn’t a single spot in La Sablière where you’ll be asked to cover up. This is a 100% nude resort, including in the restaurants, the shop, and everywhere else. But this also isn’t the kind of place with strict nudity rules. As in most other naturist resorts, you’re expected to be naked in and around water facilities, but it’s acceptable to cover up everywhere else. Which brings us to the next question…

If you’ve ever been to a naturist resort in France, you know that people like to dress up for dinner, and it sometimes bothers us that we are the only or among the very few naked people in the restaurant. This was not the case at La Sablière. We have no idea why, but the very large majority of the guests will be naked pretty much everywhere and at any time. Making the nude ratio higher than at many other resorts.

It totally is, and in summer, you’ll find a true family vibe with lots of kids around. So if you’re coming with the family and want your kids to make new friends, aim for July and August. If you don’t like being around kids, come in the other months.

You definitely can. The river has different depths, so in some parts you can just sit to cool down your butt (use more sunscreen next time!) and in other parts you can actually swim.

Yes, dogs are welcome.

Well, this is a tricky one. Technically, it is, the resort has ramps in the central area, and if we remember correctly, some accommodations are also built for wheelchair access. But the design of the resort itself (on a mountain slope) may not be easy to navigate in a wheelchair. We’d definitely recommend bringing a car or so to take you to the different parts of the resort.