The French mainland has water on more or less three sides – the Atlantic, the English Channel – or La Manche as the French prefer to call it – and the Mediterranean so France has beaches to suit just about everyone everyone, from families to super stars, world class surfers to naturists.
The Côte d’Azur stretches the whole length the Mediterranean coast from Marseilles in the west to Menton in the east, while the French Riviera is the eastern section from Cannes to Menton. Head for France‘s Riviera to get a tan in a busy social hot-spot with warm waters, to Brittany for family oriented holidays with lots of kid’s attractions, to the south Atlantic coast for space or surfing in cool waters and to Corsica island for some excellent beaches along with wild hiking.
Pampelonne Beach
Pampelonne Beach is a long stretch of white sand and clear aquamarine water where celebrities and influencers love to party. The famous beach is located near the village of Ramatuelle, while Saint Tropez is just a few miles to the north. The endless stretch of dazzling sand is unforgettable. Often referred to as the crown jewel of Saint Tropez beaches, Pampelonne Beach is a combination of natural beauty and an alluring party atmosphere.
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Leucate Beach
Leucate Beach is above all a beach bordered by the Leucate cliffs! The only beach sheltered from the prevailing wind: the Tramontane, it offers a sand recognized worldwide as it is the standard sand. At the foot of the cliff, the Briganti beach and its cove for a swim in a unique setting: crystal clear waters and nature as far as the eye can see.
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Notre Dame Beach
Notre Dame Beach has fine sand and translucent water that makes it an emblematic site on the island. Sheltered from the Mistral wind on the west side and from the easterly wind on the east side, it is bordered by pine and oak forests; a wooded bay in a blue jewel case.
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Cote des Basques Beach
The magnificent beach of Côte des Basques and has long been a playground for the wealthy and surfers surrounded by cliffs and a magnificent view of the Spanish coast and mountains. Sun bathing is suspended during the high tide (there is no more sand). Parking is at the top of the cliff and beach access is by steps, paths or a free shuttle. There is a first aid station at the beach. There is also surfing lessons available and equipment rental. Enjoy a day relaxing and watching the surfers. No need to bring food are there are cafes and restaurants in the area.
Ondarraitz Beach
Lying between Monte Igeldo and the Palacio Miramar gardens, Ondarreta proposes over half a kilometer in length and 100m in width for taking in the sun. Volleyball, beach-tennis and football are real classics on this beach. On stormy days, the waters of Ondarreta attract vast numbers of surfers and bodyboarders.
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Deauville Beach
The colorful umbrellas on Deauville’s fine sand beach have become a landmark of the town, as has its boardwalk made of exotic wood. There are various clubs to keep children entertained throughout the day. The Center Nautique offers windsurfing, speed sailing, catamarans, sea kayaking, bodysurfing, kite flying and surfing. Watersports including jet-ski and sailing are also available on the Bassin de Plaisance Morny.
North Beach
North Beach in Le Touquet is part of the central squares. It revolves around Centenaire Square and ends at the dunes. It is very well equipped and has many activities including a kids club, recreation center, bars and restaurants on the beachfront, and mattress rentals. This beach is monitored in summer and has lifeguards on duty. The beach is huge and the water is very far away at low tide making swimming a little difficult. The beach is handicap accessible, has showers and restrooms.
Central Beach
Central Beach in Le Touquetis much more than a beach! Most come for the swimming like on most beaches, but there are also many equipment and recreational activities. There are two patios below the car parks with beach volleyball courts on the promenade. There are three beach clubs, several beach attendants (with bars) and more beach volleyball courts on the beach. It is impossible to get bored at this beach, even at low tide when the water is so far away!
Tamaricciu Beach
Tamaricciu beach in Porto-Vecchio is located south and is an extension of Palombaggia. Less known than its neighbor, the pictures of this beach are renowned the world over thanks to its pine tree sitting in a narrow encroachment of the sea. The setting is idyllic. The shallow waters and fine sand attract thousands of tourists every day. Several restaurants and private beaches are available. You can reach the nearby beaches through trails along the coast. There are paddle boats and mattresses for rent, and nautical sports are popular here.
Juan les Pins Main Beach
Located along the Boulevard Charles Guillaumont, the main beach of Juan les Pins is a long stretch of fine sand lined with restaurants and bars, some of which serve excellent French cuisine. Gor a day of relaxation on this wide and luxurious beach, you can rent a beach chair and umbrella, which allows you to soak up the sun with thousands of other sun-worshippers. There are plenty of shops along the waterfront and boardwalk which offers a nice view of the ocean.
Garden Beach
This may be a private beach attached to the Le Meridien hotel, but it’s the place to be if you’re interested in water sports. The Meridien has provided many services designed to help you to enjoy the water to the fullest, from water-skiing, wakeboarding, parasailing, boat rental, and other fun activities. It is located on a section of beach at Boulevard Baudoin; head to the pontoon dock in front of the hotel to get started on your water activities.
Tres Goarem Beach
The Blue Flag Beach of Trez Goarem is perfect for sunbathing and relaxing, as well as a great beach for surfing and swimming. This long beach of fine sand has lifeguards in the summer. And behind the beach is a protected natural area. It is important to stay on the coastal paths for accessing the beach, to protect the environment.
Hello, here is another amazing posts full of amazing beach destinations. Well I have been to France many times and i have seen many famous beaches over there. My favorite is notre dame beach. I can say with my own experience that it is such a heaven on earth.
I would agree that Notre Dame Beach is heaven on Earth, among other beaches as well 🙂 Thanks for visiting Sarah and your continued support for beach travel destinations.
Great write-up on these French beaches. Kudos to you 🙂
However, having had experience of English Channel and North Sea (ergo, Atlantic) sea temperatures, I can tell you that the Mediterranean coast beaches would definitely be more my cup of tea.
Yeah, mine too and I have to have warm water. But I do love to go to exotic places and just soak in the sun and the beautiful scenery! Thanks for visiting the beaches of France!
I have never been to France, actually I have never been out of Australia and did not realise there were SOOO many beautiful beaches around the world. Funny thing was only this morning there was a face book post about the number of beaches in Australia and that if you were to spend 1 day at every beach then it would take 29.27 years to see them all (yes, there are 10,685 beaches here)… I am enjoying your reviews and they may even tempt me to leave our shores 🙂
You do live in paradise Kay, and yes it would take a very long time to visit all of the beaches! There is soooo much more to explore for sure and I will spend a lifetime doing it! I am glad you enjoyed reading about the beaches of France!
I’ve traveled many different places before. Ireland, Germany, and all over the Caribbean, but I’ve never been to France before. These beaches look absolutely beautiful. Especially Tamaricciu Beach. The rocks give it this unique look. You are giving me serious travel envy. Although I don’t think I will be able to afford to go to any of these beaches any time soon.
You know out of all the places in Europe, France is probably one of the cheapest to fly to believe it or not. And of course France has great beach travel destinations 🙂 Thank you for reading about the beaches of France!
Well website! The pictures you selected for your home page are fantastic. I am guessing you have visited all these locations with the detail you describe. The pages on the airline,hotels and packaged deals were informative. And the ads you included on the beach gear looked great.
All in all a very professional looking product Leahrae.
Definitely have to visit one of these beaches soon, or at least when I have saved up enough to go for a holiday hahaha. It must be pretty costly to fly all the way to France from Asia.
In your selection of beaches, North Beach captures my attention the most. I’m not much of a professional swimmer, hence, the lifeguards on duty will definitely help keep my mind at ease. The kids club would be useful too!
Yes, you don’t find many kids clubs right on the beach, yet you will find it at North Beach. France is actually a lot cheaper to fly to (for me) say than Germany. I can catch a flight to Germany for around $2000, where I can fly to France for about $500. This is a huge difference. Thank you again for visiting Beach Travel Destinations Farhan.
I have never been to France as we mostly visit Indonesia when we travel as it is nice and close to Australia. When i think of France I tend to think of things like the eiffel tower I had no idea France had such beautiful beaches.I think that this year we will be looking into France as a destination a little more seriously. Thank you for your informative piece.
Hi, Leahrae. I have only been to France once, and like most, I went to Paris. I knew about the French Riviera in general, but I never knew that France had so many beaches. There’s a wealth of information here, and your information makes me want to visit them all.
I am glad you enjoyed! That is the wonderful thing about France, so much history and great places to see Paris. For the beach bum that I am, I feel like it’s a gold mine. I can see lots of history and culture and enjoy great beaches all in one vacation! France is positively a great place for a beach vacation!
Hello, here is another amazing posts full of amazing beach destinations. Well I have been to France many times and i have seen many famous beaches over there. My favorite is notre dame beach. I can say with my own experience that it is such a heaven on earth.
I would agree that Notre Dame Beach is heaven on Earth, among other beaches as well 🙂 Thanks for visiting Sarah and your continued support for beach travel destinations.
Great write-up on these French beaches. Kudos to you 🙂
However, having had experience of English Channel and North Sea (ergo, Atlantic) sea temperatures, I can tell you that the Mediterranean coast beaches would definitely be more my cup of tea.
Yeah, mine too and I have to have warm water. But I do love to go to exotic places and just soak in the sun and the beautiful scenery! Thanks for visiting the beaches of France!
I have never been to France, actually I have never been out of Australia and did not realise there were SOOO many beautiful beaches around the world. Funny thing was only this morning there was a face book post about the number of beaches in Australia and that if you were to spend 1 day at every beach then it would take 29.27 years to see them all (yes, there are 10,685 beaches here)… I am enjoying your reviews and they may even tempt me to leave our shores 🙂
You do live in paradise Kay, and yes it would take a very long time to visit all of the beaches! There is soooo much more to explore for sure and I will spend a lifetime doing it! I am glad you enjoyed reading about the beaches of France!
I’ve traveled many different places before. Ireland, Germany, and all over the Caribbean, but I’ve never been to France before. These beaches look absolutely beautiful. Especially Tamaricciu Beach. The rocks give it this unique look. You are giving me serious travel envy. Although I don’t think I will be able to afford to go to any of these beaches any time soon.
You know out of all the places in Europe, France is probably one of the cheapest to fly to believe it or not. And of course France has great beach travel destinations 🙂 Thank you for reading about the beaches of France!
Well website! The pictures you selected for your home page are fantastic. I am guessing you have visited all these locations with the detail you describe. The pages on the airline,hotels and packaged deals were informative. And the ads you included on the beach gear looked great.
All in all a very professional looking product Leahrae.
Thank you so much Dave! Yes, beaches are a huge passion of mine and I love sharing! Thanks for visiting best beaches of France!
Definitely have to visit one of these beaches soon, or at least when I have saved up enough to go for a holiday hahaha. It must be pretty costly to fly all the way to France from Asia.
In your selection of beaches, North Beach captures my attention the most. I’m not much of a professional swimmer, hence, the lifeguards on duty will definitely help keep my mind at ease. The kids club would be useful too!
Great post as usual!
Yes, you don’t find many kids clubs right on the beach, yet you will find it at North Beach. France is actually a lot cheaper to fly to (for me) say than Germany. I can catch a flight to Germany for around $2000, where I can fly to France for about $500. This is a huge difference. Thank you again for visiting Beach Travel Destinations Farhan.
I have never been to France as we mostly visit Indonesia when we travel as it is nice and close to Australia. When i think of France I tend to think of things like the eiffel tower I had no idea France had such beautiful beaches.I think that this year we will be looking into France as a destination a little more seriously. Thank you for your informative piece.
You are very welcome Jodes. Thank you for visiting Beach Travel Destinations. Please let me know if I can answer any questions!
Hi, Leahrae. I have only been to France once, and like most, I went to Paris. I knew about the French Riviera in general, but I never knew that France had so many beaches. There’s a wealth of information here, and your information makes me want to visit them all.
I am glad you enjoyed! That is the wonderful thing about France, so much history and great places to see Paris. For the beach bum that I am, I feel like it’s a gold mine. I can see lots of history and culture and enjoy great beaches all in one vacation! France is positively a great place for a beach vacation!