Sunny days spent swimming in gorgeous waters, lounging by the beach and eating out at stylish restaurants right by the water - all these things are reminiscent of the typical French beach vacation. France offers a variety of amazing beaches, read about them below!
First, we’ll start with the French Riviera “Côte d’Azur” which translates to “Coast of Blue”. This is the perfect place to soak up the beautiful scene of azure waters at beach clubs. This strip of the Mediterranean coastline is very glamorous and includes some of the most famous resorts like Plage de Pampelonne in Saint Tropez. This resort is perfect for those who are looking for a beautiful Mediterranean scenery and seaside glamour. The town is very exclusive, and many celebrities are drawn to the resort because of this reason. Keep in mind that it is also very expensive - these days Saint Tropez is known as an upscale destination. Although back in the day, it was just an unpretentious fishing village. It has still kept its small town characteristic in other areas, such as in the Provence region. Saint Tropez’s historic centre still has Provençal markets which are very traditional. There are also a lot of outdoor cafés and open air squares shaded by nature that the locals often visit.
If you’re not looking for world famous, there are also more casual towns like Menton. Not far from Italy, Menton is a beach town that always has near perfect weather. With an average of 316 days of sunshine a year, we can’t disagree with the statement! The shoreline in this town has a variety of sandy and pebble beaches, private or public depending on what you prefer. They come with calm waters that are perfect and safe for swimming in. Menton also has a charming historic village, with narrow cobblestone streets, atmospheric staircases , luscious gardens, and sea views.
Another great area is Cal d’Antibes, which is renowned for this sandy beaches. Plage de la Garoupe is a picturesque white sand beach that is in a small cove. When it’s the summer season, most of Plage de la Garoupe is filled with private beach clubs, however during the off-season the entire stretch of the shoreline is open to the public.
Finally, we can’t forget about Corsica more specifically Plage de Palombaggia. This beach is known for its soft, fine white sand and crystal clear waters. It really is like an imagine out of a postcard of paradise. The drive that leads to this picture perfect beach is scenic and noteworthy itself. With large red granite rocks and maritime pine trees adding to the coastal scenery. This beach is one of Corsica’s finest, so it is often quite crowded. To avoid the crowds, we’d suggest visiting off season, when you can still enjoy the sunny weather and scenic views but when it’s much less crowded. Plage de Palombaggia is just 10 kilometres from Porto Vecchio which is an ancient fortified town with really nice town squares, outdoor cafés, and a beautiful marina. Le Sentier du Littoral de Tamaricciu is a coastal walking path that leads from the Plage de Palombaggia to the nearby Plage de Tamaricciu which is a beautiful beach shaded by pine and oak trees. The hike takes around 1 hour each way.
There are many other beaches in France, if we included all of them this blogpost would take hours to read! But these are some of our favourite ones, and stay tuned for a part 2 where we’ll continue to talk about some of our favourite French beaches!
