In a nutshell
- Plage de Pampelonne: a true all-rounder near Saint-Tropez on the Côte d’Azur — turquoise water, fine sand, and great for families with kids.
- Étretat: one of France’s most jaw-dropping beaches, set between towering rocky cliffs in Normandy on the Atlantic coast.
- Calanque d’en Vau: a dreamy cove in the Calanques National Park near Marseille — crystal-clear water surrounded by unspoiled nature.
- Those are our three top picks among France’s best beaches. Keep reading for eight more stunning spots and our best hotel recommendations for your beach vacation.
France’s Best Beaches on a Map
Before we dive into the details, we’ve marked all the top beaches in France on a map so you can get your bearings.
The Most Beautiful Mediterranean Beaches in France
From the border with Italy all the way to Spain, France’s Mediterranean coastline just keeps going. And it’s not just the popular Côte d’Azur — stunning beaches line the entire coast.
Plage de Pampelonne in Saint Tropez
The Plage de Pampelonne has everything you want from a dream beach: fine sand, a gently sloping shoreline, crystal-clear water, and a setting right in the middle of unspoiled nature.
And yet it’s super easy to reach, since it’s right near Saint-Tropez — a spot famous enough to have lured the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio.
It’s also a fantastic choice for a beach vacation in southern France with kids. Little ones can build sandcastles and splash around to their hearts’ content.
Our hotel pick for Plage de Pampelonne
Your best base is Saint-Tropez itself — it’s only a 15-minute drive to Plage de Pampelonne. We love the charming boutique hotel Le Pre de la Mer, which has a great outdoor pool.
What else the Côte d’Azur has to offer
Besides Plage de Pampelonne, the Côte d’Azur is packed with other dream beaches. Find out which ones made our list in our article on the most beautiful beaches along the Côte d’Azur:
Nice City Beach
Staying on the Côte d’Azur, the city beach of Nice is an absolute must-stop. What’s better than jumping into the sea after a full day of sightseeing?
The beach stretches 5 kilometers along the city, so you’ll always find your own little patch. The water glows a gorgeous turquoise — just watch your step going in, since the beach is made of pebbles. Grab a pair of water shoes and it’s no problem at all.
Our hotel pick for the Nice city beach
Right near the water, the Locarno hotel is a great option. It’s just 2 minutes from the beach, has a sun terrace, rents out beach equipment, and serves a seriously good breakfast.
What else to discover in Nice
Nice is a brilliant city for sightseeing. Our personal highlights are the old town, the Colline du Château, and the Saleya flower market. Get all the details in our Nice attractions guide:
Plage de l'Espiguette near Montpellier
Sand as far as the eye can see! The Plage de l’Espiguette stretches about 10 kilometers and is seriously wide — a perfect destination for families. You can play volleyball, sunbathe, or splash around with the kids without ever feeling cramped.
Because it sits tucked behind dunes, it’s also a great place to escape the crowds. The everyday world feels a long way away.
Our hotel pick for Plage de l’Espiguette
There are no hotels right at the beach, so your best bet is to stay in Montpellier, about 30 kilometers away. We recommend the Hôtel du Parc, which has cozy rooms and a lovely terrace for breakfast.
What else to discover near Plage de l’Espiguette
You can easily build a sightseeing day in Montpellier into your beach trip. How to get from the city to the beach and what highlights Montpellier has to offer — we cover it all in our Montpellier article:
Calanque d'en Vau near Marseille
The Calanques National Park is a breathtaking stretch of coastline near Marseille — and a highlight on any road trip along the Côte d’Azur. Between towering limestone cliffs lie turquoise-blue coves, and the Calanque d’en Vau is the most spectacular of them all.
It sits in completely unspoiled nature and can only be reached on foot from Cassis or by boat — but the effort is absolutely worth it. This place is simply breathtaking.
Our hotel pick for the Calanque d’en Vau
Stay in Cassis to keep things close. We recommend Le Jardin d’Emile — the rooms have sea views, breakfast is excellent, and the Calanque d’en Vau is only 5 kilometers away.
What else to discover near the Calanque d’en Vau
While you’re in the area, it’s well worth visiting France’s second-largest city, Marseille. You’ll find everything you need in our Marseille articles:
Argéles-sur-Mer near Perpignan
Argèles-sur-Mer is a small coastal town between Perpignan and the Costa Brava in Spain, and its beach is a real standout. It stretches a full seven kilometers of coarse sand, with beach access ramps for strollers and wheelchairs.
The water is clean, usually very clear, and great for swimming — making Argèles-sur-Mer a top choice for a France beach vacation with the whole family.
Our hotel pick for Argèles-sur-Mer
The Grand Hôtel Du Lido is right on the beach and has beautiful rooms plus an outdoor pool. Hard to beat for location.
What else to do near Argèles-sur-Mer
Argèles-sur-Mer sits in the beautiful region of Northern Catalonia, where high mountains and fascinating sights are never far away. Find out what’s worth seeing in our Perpignan article:
Plage de Notre-Dame on the Île de Porquerolles
Want a quiet beach in the middle of nature where hardly any tourists show up? Plage de Notre-Dame on the Île de Porquerolles is your answer.
Fine sand, blue water, barely a soul around — it’s a total dream. Why so uncrowded? Getting there without your own boat takes a little planning, but it’s absolutely doable.
Our hotel pick for Plage de Notre-Dame
Porquerolles is barely developed for tourism, but there’s one really cool place to stay. The Hebergements Bateaux a Quai are cozy, well-equipped boats with their own veranda. Unique!
How to get to Plage de Notre-Dame
You can reach Île de Porquerolles by boat from La Tour Fondue harbor in Giens. The easiest way to get to Giens is by car or by bus from Hyères (Hyères has a train station with connections to Toulon and beyond).
The ferry crossing (round trip) costs 22 euros for adults in summer and takes about 14 minutes. Tickets are cheaper in the off-season.
Once on the island, you can rent a bike or walk to Plage de Notre-Dame — it’s about 4 kilometers from the harbor.
The Most Beautiful Atlantic Beaches in France
The Atlantic coast is rougher, wilder, and more wave-filled than the Mediterranean. But there are gorgeous beaches at every turn — from the coast near Bordeaux all the way north toward Belgium.
Étretat in Normandy
Étretat is probably the most famous beach in France on the Atlantic coast — and for us, one of the most stunning sights in the whole country. The views here are seriously incredible.
The towering rock formations on either side of the beach look almost like mirror images of each other, and the whole scene is just jaw-dropping.
Our hotel pick for Étretat
The Dormy House sits on a cliff about 150 meters from the Plage d’Étretat. You get a breathtaking panoramic vista of the coastline straight from the hotel, and the rooms are beautifully decorated.
How to get to Étretat
Étretat is just under three hours by car from Paris. Flixbus also runs coaches from Paris directly to Étretat in about three hours and 20 minutes — so it’s easy to combine a beach visit with sightseeing in Paris.
Grande Plage de Biarritz
Biarritz is a true classic for a French beach vacation, and honestly still a bit of an under-the-radar pick for many visitors. This Basque Country city on the Atlantic is one of France’s top surf spots, and one beautiful beach follows another.
La Grande Plage is the main beach of Biarritz, offering a fantastic view of daring surfers, cool rock formations, and the Biarritz lighthouse.
Our hotel pick for Biarritz
We really love the small, family-run Hôtel Au Bon Coin. It’s in the heart of Biarritz, about 400 meters from La Grande Plage, and the value for money is excellent.
Want more tips for Biarritz?
Our Biarritz attractions article covers the most beautiful beaches and top highlights in the city. Worth a read!
Les Grands Sables in Brittany
The Caribbean in France? Not quite — but Les Grands Sables comes seriously close. Located on the Île de Groix off Lorient in Brittany, this beach is made up of fine, white sand with turquoise water that’s wonderfully refreshing.
There’s barely any surf here either, since Les Grands Sables is sheltered and faces toward the mainland — perfect for a calm, relaxing swim.
Our hotel pick for Les Grands Sables
On the Île de Groix, we recommend the Ty Mad Hôtel near the harbor. The rooms are really cozy and the outdoor terrace and pool area are lovely.
How to get to Les Grands Sables
As with most islands, getting there takes a bit of planning. You take a boat from Lorient, which takes about 45 minutes to reach the Île de Groix. From the harbor, you can walk to the beach in 30 minutes, hop on the bus, or rent a bike.
Boat prices vary by season and provider. The groix.online website has all the important details about ferry schedules and how to reach Lorient.
Lacanau near Bordeaux
Lacanau is the perfect pick if you’re after peace, nature, and wide-open space on France’s Atlantic coast.
The town itself is tiny, and if you walk just a short distance north or south along the beach, you’ll have the sand almost entirely to yourself — even in peak summer. It’s also a great spot for surfing and makes an easy day trip from Bordeaux.
Our hotel pick for Lacanau
The B&B Chez Augustin is only 2.5 kilometers from the beach and offers a great breakfast, a small wellness area, and bike rental.
What else to do near Lacanau
Lacanau makes a great day trip from Bordeaux. Find out what the city has to offer and how to get from Bordeaux to Lacanau in our Bordeaux articles.
Saint-Malo in Brittany
The old town of Saint-Malo is ringed by several sandy beaches. The most beautiful is the Plage du Sillon — visible in the background of the photo — where you get a gorgeous view of the historic city walls and can take a long, relaxed stroll along the water.
One thing you absolutely need to keep in mind in Saint-Malo: the tides are dramatic here. At low tide the beaches are incredibly wide; at high tide, there’s not much sand left. Check the tide times before you head out.
Our hotel pick for Saint-Malo
The Hôtel Le Nouveau Monde is right on the Plage du Sillon, with the old town just a 5-minute walk away. Rooms are spacious and breakfast is delicious.
How to get to Saint-Malo
The nearest major city is Rennes. Trains run from Rennes to Saint-Malo in 55 minutes — about the same time as driving.
Bonus tip: Corsica's Dream Beaches
So there you have it — our top 11 beaches in France along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. But what about Corsica? Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten the French dream island.
Since virtually every beach on Corsica feels like a true paradise, we’re simply adding the whole island as a single recommendation for a beach vacation in France.
Saleccia, Rondinara, Palombaggia — these are just three examples of stunning beaches with sparkling, turquoise-blue water that make Corsica one of the best places to swim in all of Europe.
