10 Most Beautiful Beaches in France

Summer is the season of sea, sun and beach holidays. And thanks to its convenient location, France can boast a huge number of beaches for every taste and color! Among the favorite seaside resorts of France are the pebble beaches of Nice and the entire Cote d’Azur, the sandy spit of Biarritz on the Atlantic coast, the aristocratic resorts of Deauville and Trouville in the north.

And which beaches in France are the most beautiful? This selection of the 10 best beaches in France will help you choose a place to relax in the hot summer.

10 Most Beautiful Beaches in France

10: Les Sables d’Olonne

Les Sables d’Olonne in its small bay accommodates over a thousand boats and numerous vacationers on the beach, which offers a beautiful view of the Atlantic. Les Sables d’Olonne is located in the center of the west coast of France, in the vicinity of La Rochelle and Nantes.

9: Collioure

The beaches of the town of Collioure, located on the Vermilion coast 20 km from Spain, are in no way inferior to their neighbors. Sometimes small, but charming, they will satisfy any taste, as there are many sandy and pebble beaches.

8: Erquy

The coast of Brittany has many wild beaches. In Erquy, a small fishing village on the Cotes d’Armor, all such beaches are convenient even for families with children.

7: Biarritz

Beach lovers and surfers gather at the Grande Plage in the resort of Biarritz, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Basque country. It stretches from the rock de la Vierge to the lighthouse.

6: Saint-Malo

Saint-Malo has long beaches with fine sand, small creeks, dunes and rocks, living in the rhythm of the tides, sometimes quite spectacular.

5: La Rochelle

Located west of the Old Port, Chef de Baie Beach in La Rochelle is easy to walk or cycle. It is a large sandy beach, sheltered from the waves by a dam, quite calm and quite wide at low tide, ideal for families.

4: Arcachon

Pereire Beach is one of the most famous and largest in Arcachon. It is about 3 kilometers of fine silky sand and has a magnificent view of Cap-Ferret.

3: Marseille

The approximately 40-kilometer coastline near Marseille is full of beautiful beaches, as well as picturesque bays and coves known as Calanques. The Calanques are home to incredibly beautiful small beaches, sheltered by rocks, with azure, clear waters, although they are a bit of a challenge to get to. Prophète Beach, located near the Old Port of Marseille, and Prado Beach are idyllic places for swimming. However, they are incredibly crowded during the swimming season.

2: Nice

The Promenade des Anglais in Nice has over 7 kilometers of beaches, where tourists from all over the world come to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the French Riviera. However, the beaches in Nice itself are rocky.

Note from French-Trip.com: As for the beaches of the famous French Riviera, they are certainly good, but incredibly expensive. In popular resort towns like Antibes and Juan-les-Pins, entrance to a paid beach costs about 25-30 euros per person per day. At the same time, the rare free beaches (very rare within the city limits!) are so crowded that you don’t know where to put your towel. Cannes with its large beach is better, but the beach is not so good. There is a wonderful and free beach in Saint-Tropez — Plage de Pampelonne — one of the best in France, but getting there by bus is inconvenient and takes a long time, and parking nearby is limited and paid. So… the sea is azure, of course, but this beauty is not for everyone…

1: Porto-Vecchio

Corsica — this is where the best beaches in France are located!!! Porto-Vecchio, or Portivechju in Corsican, is home to one of the most beautiful beaches on the Island of Beauty. Corsica is already famous for its beautiful beaches, but the magnificent Santa Giulia beach is picturesque cliffs, white sand and turquoise sea – everything you need for a paradise.

Santa Giulia beach

In the vicinity of Porto-Vecchio is Palombaggia Beach – one of the most famous beaches in Corsica and even in the Mediterranean. Crystal clear, warm water, a long strip of fine sand, large umbrella pines creating shade, numerous sea activities: what more could you want? You will not be alone in the summer, the beach is very popular…