CHM Montalivet

CHM Montalivet (CHM for "Centre Hélio-Marin", "center of sun and sea"), also known as CHM Monta, is the world's first naturist holiday resort located south of Montalivet, in Vendays-Montalivet, France. CHM Montalivet opened in 1950, and the International Naturist Federation (FNI/INF) was founded there in 1953.

The centre is 175 hectares (430 acres) of land adjoining the beach to the south of Montalivet-les-Bains, in the commune of Vendays-Montalivet, in the Medoc, part of Aquitaine north of Bordeaux in France. It comprises a mixture of about 1000 privately owned bungalows and caravans, and 960 sites suitable for touring caravans and 260 for camping. There are over 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) of internal roads laid out in an approximate grid formation. The pitch and bungalows are arranged into 20 villages, each having its own character and characteristics. Families tend to return regularly, usually to the same village.

There are the usual sports facilities: tennis, archery, volleyball, football, three restaurants a shopping centre with 20 shops, a cultural centre with a multilingual library and a theatre that screens films. There are two cybercafés and five commercial WI-FI portals, a mail system and cash points. All this is fronted by a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) white sand beach, with two supervised swimming points,the second swimming pool has a flume.

CHM Montalivet is family-oriented, and access is limited to those having valid FNI/INF identification. 55% of the visitors are non-French.

Nude bathing has been practised on the Aquitaine coast from time immemorial. It is noted by Marcel Kienné de Mongeot from 1920 along the entire coast. Before the 1939-1945 war, the locals bathed 'sans maillot', and during the war so did the occupying troops. Christiane and Albert Lecocq, from Arras who had been instrumental in setting up a region framework for urban naturist clubs, conceived the idea of combining naturism and travel made possible by paid annual leave, introduced in 1936 in France. He concluded that the 70 hectares on the Île du Levant near Toulon was too small, and through Robert Poulain was introduced to the mayor of Vendays-Montalivet who rented him 23.8 hectares (59 acres) of burnt forest that was zoned to become a 'Colonie de Vacances' or holiday resort. The deal was signed 23 July 1950. The legal structure was new. The lease was taken in the name of Albert Lecocq as if it were a suburban club, which would have to be non profit making. It was to be a 'Centre de Vacances' and thus a separate legal entity that could make a profit and a commercial company SOCNAT was formed in 1954.

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