21 April 2022 | Updated 4 September 202410 min read
France has some of the finest beaches in Europe. When you look at the country’s 5,000km of coastline and all its islands – including Corsica – there’s no wonder it has such a dizzying range of beaches.
Put together all the cliffs, coves and long sandy beaches that ring the coasts of the Mediterranean, Atlantic and English Channel and you have a breathtaking choice of places to swim and relax.
Some beaches are seemingly endless stretches of sand with few or no facilities, while others will have all the sun-loungers and watersports you could want.
Here we round up some of the best beaches in France, from cute little coves surrounded by pines to vast expanses of soft golden sand.
France’s second-largest island often gets overshadowed by its quietly chic neighbour to the north, Île de Ré. But people are slowly cottoning on to the rugged beauty of Île d'Oléron and its many sandy beaches.
Head to the south of the island and you’ll find plenty of room to pitch your towel at Plage de Gatseau. Backed by fragrant pines, the sandy beach runs between a curving sandy cape to the south and a beachfront outpost of Novotel to the east.
Even with the hotel nearby it doesn’t get crowded, and there’s also a delightful little open-air train that chugs through the forests to the beach along the aptly named Côte Sauvage.
Get there: Île d'Oléron is connected to the French mainland by a bridge from Bourcefranc-le-Chapus, which is between La Rochelle and Royan. When you reach the island, it’s about a 15-minute drive to the carpark at the beach. Or you can take the Petit Train from Saint-Trojan-les-Bains during the summer season.
The Atlantic coastline of Les Landes seems to go on forever, and that feeling of infinity is immediately obvious at La Lette Blanche.
While there are a few campsites set within the forests that back the beach, there’s nothing but dunes and the crashing surf rolling in from the Atlantic – oh, and a naturist site just to the north.
Combine a day at the beach with hiking through the cooling pine woods that cover so much of the Landes region. You’re also a short drive from the Etang de Léon, a little lake and nature reserve where you can have a dip.
The much busier Plage de Moliets is about 7km (4.3 miles) to the south, where you’ll find more campsites and holiday villages.
Get there: La Lette is a 25-minute drive from Castets, and an hour from the city Bayonne, which is to the south near the border with Spain. There’s a carpark on the beach.
In the height of summer, you’ll have to arrive early to make the most of Calanque de Figuerolles, a secluded pebbly cove just south of La Ciotat.
It’s a snug spot wedged between rocky cliffs that shield you from the wind and any rollicking waves, making swimming here an immensely calming experience. Bring your snorkel to get to know the vibrant marine life in this incredibly clear water.
After a morning in this peaceful place, walk back up the steps to where there’s a very handy restaurant with fantastic views of the cove from its shaded terrace.
Get there: It’s about a 15-minute walk from the centre of La Ciotat, a town between Cassis and Bandol to the east of Marseille. If you’re driving, leave your car in the carpark by the Calanque de Figuerolles restaurant before taking the stone staircase down to the beach.
Dune du Pilat looks like something from another world. Europe’s tallest sand dune soars over 100m (328ft) above sea level in front of the Atlantic, with dense pine forests forming a fragrant green backdrop.
With the Arguin sandbank as a natural barrier facing these endless sands, you’re protected from the wild waves crashing along other parts of France’s Atlantic coast.
Most visitors park at the northern carpark and work their way southwards, but if you’re into paragliding, head south to Petite Nice beach and rent a parapente for an unforgettable adventure over one of the best beaches in western France.
Get there: For the northern carpark, take the D259 from La Teste-de-Buch to the carpark at the roundabout where it joins the D218. Otherwise continue on the D218 until you see the carpark at Petite Nice beach.
Between elegant Deauville and its family-friendly pretty neighbour Trouville is a stretch of the Normandy coast that offers a fabulous beach experience.
Stroll along Les Planches, Deauville’s boardwalk of bathing cabins decked with names of Hollywood stars who have graced the town’s annual film festival with their presence over the decades. Then rent one of the colourful beach umbrellas that create Deauville’s most enduring image.
Head across to Trouville’s sandy Grande Plage, one of France’s best beaches for families, for donkey rides and swims in the outdoor pool, and where kids can be let loose on the beach playground.
Get there: Deauville’s beach is a 20-minute walk west from the Trouville-Deauville railway station, and there’s a long stretch of parking parallel to Boulevard Eugène Cornouche. Trouville’s Grande Plage is also a 20-minute walk from the station.
Brittany’s Crozon peninsula harbours several gorgeous beaches, including the Blue Flag sands in the lively village of Morgat.
Keen kayakers can explore the sea caves that lurk under the rugged cliffs, but if you want someone else to do all the work, join one of the small boat excursions that amble along the peninsula.
You’re also within reach of some of Morgat’s tranquil neighbours, namely the little sandy coves of Plage de Postolonnec and Plage de l’Ile Vierge, and the larger sweep of Plage de l’Aber.
Get there: It’s about a 90-minute drive from Roscoff’s ferry port (which you can get to from Plymouth), and an hour from Brest. The closest carpark in the village is a five-minute walk from the beach.
Sprawling along the western edge of the Petite Camargue, the vast dune system of Espiguette makes it one of the wildest and emptiest of Occitania’s beaches.
Almost all of the beach’s 18km (11 miles) are bare of beach bars – in fact, its easternmost edge is bare of clothes, as it’s a naturist section – giving the area an untouched air. It’s certainly one of the most laidback sandy beaches in France.
Away from the two carparks, you’re likely to have these huge dunes to yourself. But if you want a taste of civilisation, rent a sun-lounger at l’Oyat Plage beach bar, where there's live music and a chance to hire a paddleboard or pedalo.
Get there: From Le Grau-du-Roi take the Route de l’Espiguette past the lighthouse and you’ll come to two carparks. The second one is by the entrance to the naturist beach.
Just before the long, sandy beaches of France’s western Mediterranean coast hit the Spanish border, they come up against the deeply indented, rocky coastline of Côte Vermeille.
Among the little coves squeezing around the lovely village of Collioure is Plage de l’Ouille, a gravelly little beach with amazingly clear water that’s great for snorkelling.
If you fancy a bit of a hike, follow the scenic coastal footpath from Collioure and take in views of the Pyrenees along the way.
Get there: Take the D114 west of Collioure to the nearest carpark at Criques de Porteils, which is about a ten-minute walk from the beach.
Biarritz is particularly rich in beaches, and it’s obvious why this boho-chic resort on the Atlantic coast has become Europe’s premier surf spot over the decades. Surfers, bodyboarders and anyone else who appreciates wide, sandy beaches love the waves at Plage Marbella towards the southern edge of the town.
Unlike its much bigger neighbour, surf magnet Plage de la Côte des Basques, the beach at Marbella doesn’t disappear when the tide is in, giving you the chance to enjoy long, lazy days of sunshine on the Basque coast.
Get there: Buses 38 and 44 go from the city centre to the beach. If you’re driving, follow Rue de Madrid and turn left into the carpark opposite the Thalmar spa.
You’re already spoiled for choice on Brittany’s largest island, Belle-Île, where about 60 beaches are dotted about and tucked into coves shadowed by towering cliffs.
But one of the standout places is Plage de l’Herlin, where high cliffs curve protectively around this little estuary on the southern part of the island. During high tide, a rocky outcrop in the centre nearly cuts the beach in half.
For a change of scenery, follow the clifftop footpath to neighbouring Plage du Baluden, which is just as laidback and enchanting.
Get there: From the ferry port at Le Palais, take the D190 to the D25 and turn right on to Kervaijon, which eventually winds its way to the beach carpark. From here, it’s about a seven-minute walk to the beach.
Peaceful Plage de l’Ostriconi is only about a 25-minute drive from L'Île-Rousse – one of Corsica’s most appealing towns – but it seems to be in its own little world.
Walk about 15 minutes from the carpark and you soon reach a little pontoon bridge that stretches over a lagoon. Then you might pass a few curious cows before arriving at this 700m (0.4 miles) stretch of soft sands, with the dramatic backdrop of forested hills behind you.
If you want to get further off the beaten track, go beyond the next headland to sheltered little Plage de Vana.
Get there: Ferries from Marseille and Savona (near Genoa in Italy) go to L'Île-Rousse, which is a 20-minute drive from the beach.
Drink in the scent of warm pine as you lounge on the sands of one of the best beaches in the south of France, Plage Notre-Dame, on the exquisite island of Porquerolles.
One of the Hyères islands just south of busy Hyères port, Porquerolles feels very different from the rest of the Côte d’Azur. No cars are allowed, and they’ve even banned smoking beyond the island’s sole village. That makes the air so much cleaner and sweeter as you gaze at the impossibly clear waters of the Mediterranean.
The island is small enough to explore some of the other beaches, if you can bear to tear yourself away.
Get there: Regular ferries run from La Tour Fondue in Hyères as well as Toulon. The first beach you can reach from the ferry port, Plage de la Courtade, is a 15-minute walk away. It’s another 30 minutes’ walk to Plage Notre-Dame, so if you don’t have your own bicycle, you might want to rent one when you arrive.
The chalk cliffs looming over Plage d’Étretat on the Channel coast really are a jaw-dropping sight, easily ranking it among the best beaches in northern France.
Between the natural arches and the spiky rocky islet aptly given the French word for needle – Aiguille – you have enough wonders to keep you transfixed when you’re on the beach below. It’s easy to see why French Impressionist artists were so obsessed with this natural phenomenon, and captured its beauty in countless paintings.
If you have a head for heights, wander along the clifftop path to soak up those extraordinary views – or have a round of golf on the coastal golf course.
Get there: The nearest ferry port is at Le Havre, a 45-minute drive away. There’s a carpark right by the beach.
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