CHM Monta

In Vendays-Montalivet, south of Montalivet-les-Bains, in the Médoc region of Gironde, the CHM (Centre Hélio-Marin) was founded in 1950 by Christiane and Albert Lecocq. It is the very first naturist holiday village created in Europe, and it was here in 1953 that the Fédération Naturiste Internationale was born. The estate’s name recalls its founding ambition: combining sun and sea for a healthy naturist way of life.

The estate now spans 200 hectares of pine forest, backing directly onto two kilometres of naturist beach, with two direct access points to the Atlantic Ocean. Around 3,000 pitches and accommodation units are spread across historic bungalows, mobile homes, studios, furnished tents, tiny homes and camping pitches.

Nudity is compulsory by municipal order on the beach, and in most communal areas (pool, water park) whenever the weather allows. The CHM prides itself on a family-oriented naturism, welcoming regulars and newcomers alike, from children to seniors.

The CHM is open from 4 April to 28 September. On site, a shopping centre brings together 27 businesses (bakery, restaurants, grocery store, supermarket…), making it possible to holiday without a car, and around 200 activities are offered each week in high season.

The CHM’s Centre co’ brings together 27 businesses: a bakery, an organic grocery, a butcher, a wine merchant, a supermarket-tobacconist, as well as around ten restaurants, bars and pizzerias (a crêperie, a fishmonger, Spanish tapas…). A hairdresser, a bike rental shop, a surf school, a launderette and a post office round out the offer, meaning guests can holiday without ever leaving the estate.

The indoor pool, with its swimming lanes and a jacuzzi, stays open every day during the season, even in cool weather; its gently sloping leisure pool, just 10 cm deep, introduces the youngest guests to swimming. The water park, open and supervised from mid-June to mid-September, features four large slides, a paddling pool and water games, sometimes open at night in high season.

The two kilometres of naturist beach, accessible via Plage 1 and Plage 2, are supervised from May to September on a schedule that extends in high season. The baïnes, natural water hollows typical of the Atlantic coast, mean you must swim between the flags and respect the supervision hours. The library, open year-round with over 20,000 books in several languages, rounds out the relaxation offer.

The Espace Robert Poulain brings together most of the sports facilities: football, volleyball and basketball pitches, a multi-sports area, two padel courts, seven tennis courts, twenty pétanque courts, four beach volleyball courts, a mini-golf course, a street sports area and a fitness trail. Archery is practised from mid-June to mid-September, with equipment provided. Surfing, swimming and tennis lessons, aquabike and baby swimming are offered as paid activities.

From the campsite’s opening, a daily wellness programme (yoga, pilates, aqua gym) is offered, with around fifty sessions a week in July and August. Four children’s clubs, for ages 3 to 17, run from 6 July to 31 August, Monday to Friday and Sunday afternoons, with creative and sporting activities supervised by activity leaders.

The entertainment programme counts around 200 events a week in high season: open-air cinema at Oboulaba three evenings a week, theatre, concerts, cabaret and the CHM Gala, which brings together the holidaymakers’ own talents. The Village Artisanal offers creative workshops, the Culturum runs themed exhibitions each week, and the Chalet Lecocq hosts gatherings on the history of naturism every Monday in summer. The Jeux du CHM (races, treasure hunts, sandcastle contests) and the Grands Jeux du Parc Water park, in July and August, complete the programme.