THIS SECTION
This exceptional club, one of the most spectacular in the world, is found in an old vinyard called Domain St-Jean des Sources, up a lane off the D51 route beyond Marseillan, some 7.5 miles from Cap. It’s a 20 min drive by hire car or taxi.
To find L’Extasia, you turn left off the D51, go up the lane and drive past the farm on the left to turn into the huge parking field. The Palaisia d’Occitanie restaurant opens on to this side. If you arrive early you may be able to park in the road nearer the club entrance or even in the inner car park in the farmyard itself, which will save female partners from stumbling over the grass in their party shoes. If not, you have to walk out of the field and down the lane to the club gate. The Club opens at 10pm and costs €35 a couple with one free drink each. After that drinks are €10 each regardless of whether they include spirits or just a mixer.
The Palaisia d’Occitanie restaurant is a must to go to and really gets you into the mood before going into L’Extasia. The food is simple but good, and for €70 a couple it includes a bottle of wine and floor show. Most people seem to go to Palaisia d’Occitanie before entering L’Extasia. Its very popular and during July & August and you must book to go on a Saturday night to get in – 04 67 77 96 46.
OUTSIDE
Beyond the gate is the main club building on the left and the first door there is the shop – not cheap but with some good outfits and L’Extasia souvenirs.
Further down, the outside bar is along the front of the clubhouse on the left and opposite it on the right is a large yard full of tables and chairs with fairy lights in the trees. At the other end of the yard is a big marble dancefloor with a glitter ball suspended above it, and a cage and separate dancing podium on the right. Between them a DJ’s room looks out from the building.
On the other side of the dancing area from the cage, a path meanders into the wood. It is occasionally lit by footlights and if you follow this for 150 yards you come to a large and dark clearing. On the left are two huts open on the side facing you, full of beds. One is lit with a dim red light, the other has no light at all. On hot nights couples flock here for fun and huge groups of interacting people form in the middle of the clearing.
Turning back to look at the main club building, to the right of the exterior bar are two entrances. The one of the left goes into the ground floor nightclub, the one on the right ascends to the play zone. They are generally known as Inside and Upstairs.
INSIDE
The ground floor (Inside) is a nightclub with bar, seating, dancefloor and – this being Cap – a cage. It is likely to be crowded (if you want seats for your party you need to arrive early) and lively. All the women will be looking their best in their sexiest and most revealing outfits. Many of these outfits come off on the disco floor and energetic stripteases are common by women who climb into the cage to show off.
Undemanding, lowest-common-denominator music gets a great response from an international crowd like this. So the choice is unpretentious pop including eurotrash sounds that never make airtime in Britain.
UPSTAIRS
At the top of the stairs leading to L’Extasia’s playrooms are staff ensuring that men don’t enter and women don’t leave alone.
Once through the door you enter into a space with some seats and a maze of partitions straight in front of you. But behind you and above is a mezzanine floor built over the stairwell. If you turn left you can ascend a rickety stair up to the sofas and beds arranged there. You can even lean on the rail here and watch people go by below.
Beneath the mezzanine level in the far corner are loos and showers. The partitions in this area divide up the space into cubicles and a larger den with a big bed and peepholes.
A corridor runs along the front of the building with windows looking out towards the dancefloor outside. From this you can enter the Big Room. There are soft furnishings interspersed with greenery along the sides and down the middle and beyond that two large round couches. At the far end there is a large low stage, with judo mats you can pull together if more than two of you are going to have a