Clothes are Optional
| Sabliere is not only a great place for a naturist holiday but also a good centre for touring a historic area. These are my personal impressions from two visits and some practical information for anyone thinking of going there. |
The place
There are three main rivers running eastwards from the Massif Central into the Rhône. They are, from north to south, the Ardèche, the Cèze and the Gard (or Gardon). Of these, the Cèze is the least well-known, but it ought to be celebrated amongst naturists.
The river passes through a limestone plateau with an elevation of around 200 metres, cutting an impressive gorge, not as spectacular as that of the neighbouring Ardèche, but very beautiful in a wild way. This area of the gorge has become something of a naturist paradise, with three adjacent naturist campsites (Domaine de la Sablière, Chateau de Feyrerolles, and Ran du Chabrier) and a fourth on the opposite side of the river, La Genèse. The pictures in the leaflets on the area, available from the tourist information office in Barjac, make it clear how important naturism is in the area.
La Sablière covers about 60 hectares from the plateau, where the entrance is, down to the river. It comprises both chalets and camping spots. The vegetation living on the dry limestone is mostly a low deciduous woodland, about 5 metres tall, called 'garrigue'. The accommodation is hidden away in the garrigue and is invisible in views of the area.
There are three main areas, named after birds. The area near the top (Pinson) has the reception office and many of the chalets. At the lowest point of this area, about halfway down the hill, is the main area for activities, the two swimming pools, poolside bar, tennis courts, an archery range, a library and a viewpoint. Alongside the river, there are two areas mostly devoted to camping, Mésange and Fauvette. At Mésange there are a shop, restaurant and bar, washing machines, postbox and message pick-up point. At Fauvette, there is a snack bar selling drinks, ice-cream and chips. Phone boxes, showers and toilets for campers, and garbage disposal are available at various points throughout the site.
The hill between the entrance and the riverside areas is long and steep, so a holiday at Sablière may not be the ideal thing for someone who is not very fit. There is a shuttle bus service that runs during the daytime in the high season, and many people use their cars to travel round the site. Unfortunately, the amount of traffic rather spoils the walk and too many car drivers fail to observe the speed limit.
The river is the wonderful feature of the area, passing through a craggy and wooded gorge. In the summer, there is not a lot of water in it, although after heavy rain it can rise quickly: signs forbid camping in the 'zone inondable'. The river has rocks, pebbles and coarse sand. There are some pools where swimming is possible, there is fishing (with a permit), and a channel is maintained for canoeing. Many of the canoeists are travelling downriver from elsewhere, and a few seemed surprised to be in a naturist area.
Because so much of the area is dedicated to naturist properties, it is possible to walk for several kilometres through woodland without getting dressed. One of the designated walks leads to the ruined Chateau de Feyrerolles, perched high over the river. I don't know where the designated naturist area ends, but I suspect that as long as you carry something to wear if you hit a surfaced road, you are unlikely to bother anyone.
The area is close to the great monuments of Roman Provence and is very rich in sights to see. Just a few examples:
In driving around, it is important to remember that some of the roads in the vicinity are winding and narrow. Also, the towns of Uzès and Bagnols sur Cèze lie on important routes and have some magnificent traffic jams.
Getting there
A car is essential. The nearest main railway stations (TGV and Avignon Centre) are in Avignon. The distance by car from Avignon is about 40 miles, from Calais about 600 miles. Cars can be rented in Avignon.We took the car on the overnight Autotrain (Motorail) from Calais to Avignon (see below).
Lettings in France in the high season are usually from Saturday to Saturday, which means that a lot of people are on the move at the same time. Allow for long delays on the main roads south on Saturday. We arrived early, having come off the train in Avignon in the early morning, and had no trouble being allowed early into the chalet.
Naturism
Officially, nudity is compulsory whenever the weather is suitable. We found that people did tend to be nude much more than at La Jenny, although there were still many people who wore some clothing while moving around, and most dressed when it was cool in the evening. Unusually, the staff at the small bar in Fauvette are nude; we saw few other staff without clothing. Perhaps that explains the notice 'Real Naturist Space' outside the bar.
The land is mostly covered with sharp limestone fragments and the roads are rough. There is no grass. So La Sabliere is not a great place for going barefoot.
La Sabliere is geared to couples and families, and there seems to be some inconsistency in their attitude to singles - enquire before booking. On arrival I was asked for my BN membership card, which was held in the office with the 20 euro deposit during our stay. It occurred to me later that this may have been because my partner stayed at the car and did not accompany me to the reception while I was checking us in, so they had no way of knowing whether I was really part of 'a couple' or not.
The Accommodation
The chalets are pleasantly situated amongst the trees, and are usually well shaded. In some cases they are a bit close together or close to the road.
On both occasions, we stayed in one of the larger chalets, a 'Garrigue', following my own advice always, when in France, to rent self-catering accommodation advertised for a larger number of people than is actually in the group. The accommodation was fine, containing furniture and a kitchen with gas rings (no oven). Quilts are provided but not sheets, but owing to past experience (at La Jenny) we prefer to take all our own bedding. A small 'welcome pack' of essentials like matches and washing-up liquid was provided.
We had only one problem, the sewage outlet pipe failed on our very first evening, and we awoke in the norning to find the contents spilling on the road. It took until the afternoon for the repair team to deal with it.
Weather
Summer can be very hot, but the weather is not always reliable. In 2000, the temperature in late August was in the mid-30s every day for two weeks except the day after a thunderstorm. However, we later learned that a family who had visited in the preceding weeks had gone home early because of rain. In 2002, again in late August, we had a couple of days when it was too cool for most people to go nude, but it was mostly in the upper 20s. About two weeks after we left, there were floods worse than anything recorded for that area, and parts of the site close to the river sustained considerable damage.
After our trip in 2000, we decided to take fans, as the hot nights feel very airless in the wooden chalets, but we did not need them in 2002.
There are quite a few insects, many more than I remember from the Atlantic coast resort of La Jenny, but the top of the hill was not bad for mosquitoes. I don't know how bad they are near the river.
Shopping and eating out
On site, there is a small supermarket carrying a limited range. For better choice, the nearest shops are in the very small town of Barjac about 5 km away. You can get good fruit, vegetables and bread, and there is a small supermarket. There are two banks, a petrol station, a newsagents, a hardware store, gift shops, a pharmacy, tourist information and other shops. Barjac is the site of a major antiques fair, held at Easter and in August. Parking can be difficult when this is on; many landowners charge 2 euros to park on their property, but it is usually possible to find free parking near the roundabout on the north side of town, on the road to Vallon.
We have never tried the restaurant at Sabliere, as we catered for ourselves, only eating out while off site. One place we have visited several times is 'Au Diaprysius' close to the cavern at Orgnac l'Aven. It has a shady patio, is very friendly and serves good food.
Night Life
In the high season, there is some sort of musical entertainment each evening at the bar by the swimming pool.
Sleaze
None whatsoever, as far as we could see. We saw no offensive behaviour.
Conclusion
We have been twice, and would go back. 'Nuff said?
Postscript: French Motorail (Autotrain)
As I do all the driving on the continent, this year we took the car by Motorail from Calais to Avignon. It is expensive in high season, but against this consider what it would cost you in fuel, wear and tear, overnight and refreshment stops, and the considerable tolls on the autoroute.
The route we took runs from Calais to Avignon and then on to Nice, but there is another route from Calais for those going to the southwest, and other routes go from points in Belgium and Germany.
The journey from Calais to Avignon is about 12-13 hours overnight. The fare includes sleeper accommodation in comfortable 2-berth compartments with washbasins, and continental breakfast on arrival. The service on board was excellent and the train was on time to the minute in both directions. The only real complaint was about the waiting and breakfast facilities at Avignon. At Avignon, the cars arrive and depart from different stations from the passengers, and you have to take a shuttle bus from one station to the other.
Copyright © 2002 Richard Burnham