Best Beaches in France

While your definition of what makes for a great beach will largely depend on what you’re looking for (rugged, scenic coastlines with few people versus large swaths of sand complete with beach boardwalk shops and plenty of bikini-clad babes), there are plenty of beaches around France that are sure to please both sets of beach-goers. From the dramatic cliffs of the Normandy beaches to the sandy beaches packed with sun-worshipers beaches along the Mediterranean coast, France has plenty of beautiful coastal towns and spots that are sure to please all kinds of travelers.

Of course, going to the beach in France is largely a summertime activity, and the beaches in France in August especially become full of not only international tourists, but also French nationals enjoying beach time during their vacations. Because the weather in France can be on the chilly side before summertime, you’ll be best off hitting these beaches in the warmer months (though if you find yourself near the Normandy coastline in November, you should definitely check out the Herring Festival in Dieppe).

Brittany Coast

The Brittany coast is the second most popular beach destination in France (after the French Riviera of course). There is a good mixture of both great white-sand beaches great for sunbathing and swimming as well as rocky coves and dramatic cliffs that make for a rugged and beautiful coastline. There are also many islands off the Brittany coast, which also offer fantastic beaches.

Quiberon—Quiberon has always and will always be one of my very favorite beach destinations in France. My great-grandparents owned an apartment in this town located on a thin presqu-ile (peninsula) jetting out into the Atlantic, and growing up I spent several summers hanging out at the fabulous beach, eating salt water taffy from the boardwalk shops and eating freshly made gauffres (waffles) sprinkled with powdered sugar. The beach here is long and sandy, with a great swimming area and a delightful boardwalk full of beach-resort kind of shops and restaurants. In addition, while the sandy beach is great for working on your tan and taking a dip, the cote sauvage located just a few km from the beach with rocky coastlines, cliffs and coves that make for some fantastic photo ops.

>>Read more about visiting Quiberon

La Baule—This is perhaps one of the most popular beach destinations in France and is mostly known for its immensely long, wide and beautiful white sand beach that stretches along the length of the bay. La Baule is also a hugely popular resort town among both French national and international tourists who flock to this spot on the Guerande peninsula every summer. The wide beach is lined with hotels, shops, restaurants and other businesses, and while it is certainly not a beach where you can get away from people, it is certainly a perfect place to relax, people watch and work on your tan.

Belle-Ile—Located just off the coast from Quiberon and a daily ferry services this large island, which definitely lives up to it’s name of “beautiful island.” The island measures 17 km by 9 km and has a mixture of sharp cliffs and placid beaches—the largest being called Les Grands Sables (the great sands). The island is well-known across France, and was a setting for a portion of Dumas’ The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask as well as the setting for a series of impressionist paintings done by Claude Monet in the late 19th century. While the island can be explored in a day-trip, there are also a handful of hotels where guests can opt to stay overnight.

>>Read more about Visiting Belle Ile

Ile-de-Seine—Despite the fact that this town as the word “island” in it, this beach destination is actually connected to the mainland by means of a thin neck of rock. The small island village is only 2 km long and located on the western-most edge of Brittany. While the beach here is beautiful, it is also often rather inhospitable weather-wise with high winds and rough seas. However, the town (where no cars or motorbikes are allowed) is known as one of the most beautiful villages in France and thousands visit the island each year.

Normandy Coast

If you are a history buff, the beaches of Normandy are perhaps best known to you as the landing point for the Allied Troops on D-Day during WWII in France. However, with large expanses of sand and dramatic cliffs marking almost the entirety of France’s Normandy coast, there are lots of good beaches in this region of France.

Trouville—Although not as famous or popular as its neighboring beach town of Deauville, this is a delightful seaside town located between two estuaries. This town offers a good mix of a great beach and shops and restaurants in town, while being less crowded than many of the neighboring beach resorts. There is also an excellent fish market here.

Dieppe–-This coastal port city is more known for its fishing industry than its beaches, but the town does feature a very wide, large sandy beach flanked by dramatic sea cliffs. This coastal town has a rich fishing history, and the church at the top of the hill overlooking the quaint port town even has the names of all the fisherman lost at sea lining the walls. Although the best beach-going weather in Dieppe is definitely in the summer months, there is also a great Herring Festival in Dieppe that happens every November.

>>Read more about Visiting Dieppe

Omaha Beach—This beach with a very American name may be hard to find and remote, but the trouble is well worth the destination. It is also located close to an American cemetery, which can be an interesting and educational addition to a trip here. This is a truly spectacular beach, steeply backed by dunes the beach stretches seemingly for miles. There is a monument on the top of the dunes as well as a couple of former gun emplacements and some underground trenches to explore. As it is not that easily accessible it may not get too crowded in the summer months so may be worth seeking out.

Les Salines— Located to the north of Granville, Les Salines is large and very popular beach, which is separated from a beach-town area inland by a large expanse of sand dunes. On the other side of the dunes, travelers can find a few hits selling snacks and restrooms.

Southwestern France / Atlantic Coast Beaches

This southern stretch of the Atlantic coast of France not far from Spain is known as the surfing capital of France and is home to many popular and very beautiful beach resorts towns.

Biarritz—This immensely popular and famous beach resort located just steps away from the Spanish border attracts an international crowd of surfers as well as summer beach goers. The luxurious seaside town features the “Grand Plage” (Big Beach), where you can find plenty of sun bathers in the summer soaking up the rays in the shadow of two large casino and many waterfront shops and restaurants. While the beach at Biarritz is fantastic, this town is most interesting for its unique combination of culture that combine here with its strong surfing culture, French and Spanish ties and Basque influence. Because this town lies in the hart of Basque country, visitors will see Basque flags prevalent throughout town.

Cap Ferret—If you are looking for a charming, low-key and still totally beautiful beach town in France, go no further than Cap Ferret located on France’s western Atlantic coast. While you may not find yachts, P. Diddy or Ivanka Trump hanging out here, you will find a charming fishing villages with small wooden houses decorated by white and blue shutters and plenty of oyster farmers and fresh fish.

Saint Jean de Luz—Located just 15 km south of Biarritz hugging the Spanish border in the heart of Basque country is Cap Ferret, a small beach town along the Atlantic coastline. Although fishing was once the main industry here, tourism has gotten more popular here, though you’ll find far fewer people and smaller crowds than at nearby Biarritz. While there are new buildings in the surrounding area, St-Jean-de-Luz has so far avoided much of the coastal excess that blights so many beachfront towns, and is a charming place to visit. The beach here is also lovely, and travelers will find themselves able to enjoy both sunbathing on the sand and exploring the quaint town-center here.

Biscarrosse—This popular seaside resort town is just kilometers away from the great long sandy beaches of the Atlantic and is a pleasant place with plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants to keep you entertained when you want to escape from the beach. Although there is also a 15th century castle here that will interest some travelers, you should make sure not to miss the Biscarrosse Elm, a 750 year old tree and the oldest in Europe. There is also an extensive promenade areas here, with plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes.

French Riviera

The beaches of the French Riviera have long been a vacation hot spot for international jet-setters and movie stars—and with good reason. With warm Mediterranean waters, beautiful resort seaside towns, plenty of sunshine and great beaches, it is no surprise that these beaches are some of the most popular and famous

St. Tropez—When you think of the French Mediterranean, you think of St. Tropez—complete with beautiful sunbathing women, yachts, five-star hotels and lots of very rich and famous people. What was once a quaint seaside village and resort town, now becomes completely overrun with vacationers during July and August in France (complete with traffic jams and expensive hotel rooms).

Cassis—Not to be confused with crème de Cassis, which a specialty liqueur made from black currants, Cassis is a picturesque port town located not far from Marseilles. Although not nearly as famous as it’s nearby Riviera neighbor, Cassis is just as delightful as St. Tropez with an equally beautiful town and beach. Cassis is defined by white cliffs and sheltered inlets called calanques.

Cap d’Agde—If you are looking to hit the nudes beaches in France, than heading to Cap d’Agde isn’t a bad idea. Although there is a lovely public beach (not a nude beach) and a popular resort town here, there is also a “village naturiste,” located on the north-eastern edge of town. Sometimes referred to as the “Naked City” nudity is legal and common throughout this entire resort—including in its restaurants, shops and beaches. While you don’t have to necessarily spend you time naked at this lovely beach, at least you know you have the option.

Sete—Sometimes referred to as the “Venice if Languedoc” this seaside resort town is the eastern starting point of the Canal du Midi, one of France’s many popular canals with people taking barge cruises. Laced with canals and built around Mont St. Clair, Sete is a great beach destination for traveler looking for sand and culture.

Saint-Maxime—Located on the gulf of St Tropez, Sainte Maxime is a beautiful beach resort town that is much more laid back and subdued than its glamorous neighbor. The beach here has also received a Blue flag rating, meaning the beach has met stringent quality standards for bathers. There is also a convenient ferry service to St. Tropez for those who want a quieter place to stay but still want to check out what all the talk is about nearby.

Camargue—You probably didn’t think flamingos lived in France, but this beach area located close to Arles is home to more than 400 species of birds, including the greater flamingo. This protected area in the Rhone river delta (called the Bouches du Rhones or mouths of the Rhone), is Europe’s largest river delta and is a vast plane of brine lagoons (etangs), marshes and home to lots of flora and fauna. Because this is a protected area, there are also some lovely expanses of beach to be found in this area that are far away from any boardwalk shops, hotels and people.

Photos: Omaha Beach, Jungle Boy flickr; Quiberon, Mattieu flickr; Cassis, Castle Traveler flickr