10 Best Beaches in France

The spectacular La Grande Plage (the Big Beach) is one of the most famous beaches in Biarritz. Close to the town center, this sandy paradise runs between Casino Barrière and the luxurious Hôtel du Palais for about 0.3 miles (500 metres).

Biarritz’s Big Beach is divided between swimming areas and surfing zones. It has all the facilities required to spend a fun lazy day on the sand. Beach clubs and surf schools line the promenade, striped beach huts and parasols are available for rent, and there's a host of bars and restaurants nearby.

If you want to sunbathe with celebrities and influencers, head to the glorious Pampelonne Beach. It’s best known for its long stretch of white sand and clear aquamarine water. It’s associated with Saint-Tropez, one of the most glamorous resort towns on the French Riviera, even though it’s located in the quaint village of Ramatuelle.

Stretching between the Cap du Pinet and the Pointe de la Bonne Terrasse, Pampelonne Beach is almost 2.5 miles (4 km) long and has lots of space and amenities. The beach is divided into sections, each named after the main beach club or restaurant on site. If you want to swim in the altogether, head to the Tahiti zone, at the north end of the beach.

The Prado Beaches in Marseille are part of a seaside park located between the Roucas Nautic Center and the Pointe Rouge Old Port in the south of the city. Covering an area of almost 100 acres (40 hectares), mostly reclaimed from the sea, Prado seaside park features 7 sand-and-shingle beaches protected from the swell by breakwaters.

The park is public and features a great choice of activities including a skate park, a climbing wall, first-aid posts on each beach and plenty of refreshment stands and restaurants. In terms of accommodations, many hotels are available near the Prado Beach and its surrounding parks.

Located south of Porto Vecchio on the southeastern coast of Corsica Island, the picturesque Palombaggia Beach is famed for its crystal-clear waters and umbrella-shaped pines. This 1.2-miles-long (1.9 km) strip of sand has stellar amenities, bars and restaurants, sun loungers and parasols

If you’d like to try your hand at water sports, you’ll get to choose from jet-skiing, scuba diving, windsurfing, and pedal boats. Palombaggia Beach is perfect for snorkeling, especially both rocky ends of the beach. A large parking lot is available just north of the beach, and you can enjoy cool strolls to the tip of the Acciaju Cape which marks the eastern end of the beach.

The charming resort town of La Baule-Escoublac in south Brittany boasts one of the longest beaches in Europe, La Baule beach. Running almost 5.6 miles (9km) between Pornichet and Le Pouliguen, this wide, sandy beach is bordered by a promenade that offers a cool place to stroll, jog or just watch the world go by.

Beach clubs, restaurants, sailing schools, and children playgrounds dot the beach which also features essential amenities. The town itself is packed with luxurious, upscale hotels, stylish villas and chic casinos.

Petit Sperone Beach in the scrublands, toward the southeastern tip of Corsica is a well-kept secret with fine white sand and turquoise waters. This roughly 330-ft-long (100 metres) beach is one of the most picturesque strips of sand on the island and has a Caribbean beach vibe about it.

To get to this secluded paradise, you have to walk for 0.6 miles (1 km) on a rocky trail along Piantarella Beach. Getting there might a bit challenging, but you’ll be rewarded with a tranquil day in the sun. For a bite to eat, you'll find a few bars and restaurants near the parking lot, so you might want to bring a cooler.

Located just 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Montpellier, l’Espiguette Beach is an unspoiled 1.8 miles (3 km) long stretch of pristine sand by the Mediterranean Sea. Surrounded by dunes and scrubland, l’Espiguette offers secluded and serene spots where you can disconnect and escape the busy everyday life. This beautiful beach is perfect for long meditative walks by the shore.

As l’Espiguette is an unmaintained beach, there aren’t many amenities here, but you can buy snacks and drinks from the food carts patrolling the beach. There are a couple of restaurants nearby if you prefer a heftier meal.

Saint-Guirec Beach is a stunning cove beach framed by Brittany’s famous large pink granite boulders. The majestic castle hotel Castel Beau Site as its backdrop, Saint-Guirec Beach has a luxurious vibe. This fabulous beach is located in the picturesque seaside village of Ploumanac’h, so it’s easy to find dining options nearby or find fresh produce to fill you picnic basket with.

Saint-Guirec Beach offers modern amenities and even a kid’s club during the summer months where you kids are in safe hands and looked after while you take a stroll down the beach. There are many trekking options in the area, some trails leading up to the Men Ruz lighthouse and even beyond.

The Deauville Beach, nicknamed the ‘Parisian Riviera’, is as chic and cosmopolitan as its namesake with pristine golden sands and a cool promenade. Deauville is located only a 2-hour-drive away from Paris and therefore a popular weekend getaway among the Parisians.

This vast and spotless beach is well-maintained, cleaned every morning and features lots of amenities. There are restaurants, bars, children’s clubs, showers and toilets. You can also rent sun loungers and parasols. Architecture lovers will appreciate the beautiful villas and hotels surrounding this picturesque beach.

The Grande Plage (the Big Beach) in les Sables d’Olonne welcomes you to enjoy a fun day in the sun, swimming, building sandcastles and eating endless ice creams. This long crescent-shaped bay features kids’ clubs for the little ones, and you can also rent beach cabanas for your comfort.

The Grande Plage boasts a great array of water sport activities such as windsurfing and kitesurfing. When the tummies start to rumble, head to the Georges Clemenceau Promenade which has beach bars, cafés and restaurants catering to every taste and budget.