Explore many of our favourite seaside resorts in France, with beach and town reviews
With thousands of kilometres of coast, on mainland France as well as Corsica, there are an endless choice of resorts and beaches to visit around France...while we haven't visited all of them, we have visited most of the important beaches and resorts, and have reviewed them on France This Way
It's always hard to choose a favorite village, town or attraction and beaches are no different, but if we were forced to choose, we would say that our favourite French beaches are in south Corsica around Porto-Vecchio - and we do enjoy a walk along the promenade behind Pereire beach between Arcachon and Le Moulleau...
Algajola (Haute-Corse)
Algajola is a small historic town with a long sandy beach near Calvi in north-west Corsica
See Algajola guideAnglet (Pyrenees-Atlantiques)
Anglet, close to Biarritz, has several kilometres of beaches on the French Atlantic coast
See Anglet guideArcachon (Gironde)
Arcachon is one of our favourite seaside resorts in France and has lots to explore. Recommended!
See Arcachon guideArgeles-sur-Mer (Pyrenees-Orientales)
The long beach, the forest and the lively town mean Argeles-sur-Mer is a very popular summertime resort
See Argeles-sur-Mer guideBandol (Var)
The beach and the harbour, the bustling old town and the vineyards nearby all contribute to making Bandol a very popular destination
See Bandol guideBanyuls-sur-Mer (Pyrenees-Orientales)
As well as the beach in Banyuls-sur-Mer there is also an old town of narrow streets to explore
See Banyuls-sur-Mer guideBauduen (Var)
Bauduen is a pretty village with a beach on the shores of Lac de Sainte-Croix in Provence
See Bauduen guideBiarritz (Pyrenees-Atlantiques)
The 19th century architecture and lovely beach and coast combine to make Biarritz a very popular destination
See Biarritz guideBinic (Cotes-d'Armor)
Binic is a small seaside resort with an attractive harbour and several beaches
See Binic guideBiscarrosse (Landes)
A small and modern sea resort Biscarrosse is also one of the liveliest and most popular in the region
See Biscarrosse guideBoulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais)
The old town with its ramparts, castle and ancient streets are the highlight in Boulogne itself, while nearby there are plenty of good sandy beaches
See Boulogne-sur-Mer guideBretignolles-sur-Mer (Vendee)
Bretignolles-sur-Mer is one of the smallest Vendee resorts - still has a big beach though!
See Bretignolles-sur-Mer guideCabourg (Calvados)
One time favourite of Marcel Proust, Cabourg has one of the longest and active beaches in the region
See Cabourg guideCagnes-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes)
If you visit the resort and beaches of Cagnes-sur-Mer be sure to also explore the attractive old village of Haut-de-Cagnes on the hill behind
See Cagnes-sur-Mer guideCalvi (Haute-Corse)
A very popular town with visitors, the resort of Calvi with its citadel also has an extensive beach and an attractive town centre
See Calvi guideCamaret (Finistere)
The pleasure port, local beaches, historic monuments and prehistoric standing stones nearby all make Camaret a popular Brittany destination
See Camaret guideCannes (Alpes-Maritimes)
Cannes has a charming town and harbour area, and is one of the most visited resorts on the Riviera
See Cannes guideCap d'Agde (Herault)
The resort at Cap d'Agde is one of the liveliest on the Languedoc coast, well known for its naturist and non-naturist beaches
See Cap d'Agde guideCapbreton (Landes)
Capbreton is a popular resort and beach that also has a traditional harbour and fish market
See Capbreton guideCapo-di-Feno (Corse-du-Sud)
Capo-di-Feno, west of Ajaccio is home to two of the loveliest beaches in the region: Petit Capo and Grand Capo
See Capo-di-Feno guideCarcans (Gironde)
Although small, Carcans-Plage is one of our favourite beach resorts in the Medoc
See Carcans guideCarnac Plage (Morbihan)
Sooner or later you might fatigue of the thousands of prehistoric monuments in Carnac...now head for the small resort and beach at Carnac Plage!
See Carnac Plage guideCarry-le-Rouet (Bouches-du-Rhone)
Slightly outside the main Riviera, the beaches and coastal paths of Carry-le-Rouet are very popular due to their proximity to Marseille
See Carry-le-Rouet guideCassis (Bouches-du-Rhone)
The harbour area of Cassis, its beach and proximity to the Calanques de Marseille all help ensure the popularity of Cassis
See Cassis guideCavalaire-sur-Mer (Var)
The focus at family-friendly Cavalaire-sur-Mer is firmly on the beach and related activities
See Cavalaire-sur-Mer guideChateau d'Olonne (Vendee)
Chateau d'Olonne is a very small resort, well placed for exploring the coast and visiting Sables d'Olonne
See Chateau d'Olonne guideChatelaillon-Plage (Charente-Maritime)
The seaside resort of Chatelaillon-Plage has a long sandy beach and a friendly atmosphere
See Chatelaillon-Plage guideCollioure (Pyrenees-Orientales)
With a very attractive traditional harbour town to exlore and a small beach, Collioure is our favourite Languedoc resort
See Collioure guideDeauville (Calvados)
The resort of Deauville, established in the 19th century, is still one of the most upmarket beach resorts in Normandy
See Deauville guideDouarnenez (Finistere)
Tourism based around the beaches and pleasure port have largely overtaken fishing as the principal industry at Douarnenez
See Douarnenez guideErquy (Cotes-d'Armor)
Erquy is a small resort near several sandy beaches and the viewpoint at Cap d'Erquy
See Erquy guideFort-Mahon-Plage (Somme)
Both the beach itself and the resort of Fort-Mahon-Plage are among the most popular coastal destinations in Picardy
See Fort-Mahon-Plage guideFouras (Charente-Maritime)
While the beaches are the main highlight here in Fouras, be sure to also visit the Vauban fortifications
See Fouras guideGranville (Manche)
Granville is best known for its long sandy beach, and the 19th century villas that follow the seafront
See Granville guideHendaye (Pyrenees-Atlantiques)
Hendaye, the last resort in France before the Spanish border, also has a popular large sandy beach
See Hendaye guideHossegor (Landes)
Soorts is one of the smaller beach resorts along the extensive Atlantic coast in South-West France
See Hossegor guideHoulgate (Calvados)
The beach is certainly the main attraction at Houlgate, and there are also some imposing 19th century villas to see
See Houlgate guideHourtin (Gironde)
As well as its long beach, Hourtin also has the largest lake in France with lots of leisure activities
See Hourtin guideJard-sur-Mer (Vendee)
Jard-sur-Mer is a very pleasant, if quite small, Vendee resort with a harbour and a beach
See Jard-sur-Mer guideJuan-les-Pins (Alpes-Maritimes)
A short distance west of Antibes, Juan-les-Pins is one of the liveliest resorts in the riviera
See Juan-les-Pins guideL'Ile-Rousse (Haute-Corse)
L'Ile-Rousse is a busy town and beach resort in the Balagne region of north-west Corsica
See L'Ile-Rousse guideLa Baule (Loire-Atlantique)
La Baule-Escoblac is a very pleasant and popular resort with a long sandy beach - a toch of the French riviera in the north-west!
See La Baule guideLa Croix-Valmer (Var)
It is the wide choice of beaches that attracts most visitors to La Croix-Valmer
See La Croix-Valmer guideLa Faute-sur-Mer (Vendee)
Here at La Faute-sur-Mer you can explore the nature reserve and peninsula - or relax on the long beach!
See La Faute-sur-Mer guideLa Grande-Motte (Herault)
The 1960's architecture gives La Grande-Motte its unique character, and the long beach attracts the crowds!
See La Grande-Motte guideLa Tranche-sur-Mer (Vendee)
La Tranche-sur-Mer is a small resort, but very pleasant and with an enjoyable promenade behind the beach
See La Tranche-sur-Mer guideLa Tremblade (Charente-Maritime)
Visit the beach and port at La Tremblade, and explore the sand dunes
See La Tremblade guideLa Turballe (Loire-Atlantique)
Less developed than some resorts here, the centre of activity in La Turballe is the long sandy beach
See La Turballe guideLe Crotoy (Somme)
The long sandy beach is the main attraction in Le Crotoy, and the town is also very pleasant to explore
See Le Crotoy guideLe Grau-du-Roi (Gard)
Le Grau-de-Roi is one of the most eastern, and one of the most popular, beach resorts in Languedoc-Roussillon
See Le Grau-du-Roi guideLe Lavandou (Var)
Le Lavandou is a quiet resort on the Cote d'Azur with several beaches close by
See Le Lavandou guideLe Moulleau (Gironde)
Le Moulleau is a popular and attractive coastal and beach resort to the west of Arcachon
See Le Moulleau guideLe Pouliguen (Loire-Atlantique)
If you visit the beach resort of Le Pouligueun be sure to follow the path that leads to the coastal caves
See Le Pouliguen guideLe Touquet (Pas-de-Calais)
Upmarket Le Touquet is probably the most popular of the coastal resorts in the region, with a lovely beach and wide range of facilties
See Le Touquet guideLe Verdon-sur-Mer (Gironde)
The small resort of Le Verdon-sur-Mer is quiet but has long sandy beaches
See Le Verdon-sur-Mer guideLes Moutiers-en-Retz (Loire-Atlantique)
The small town of Les Moutiers-en-Retz is best known for the nearby beach which attracts many summertime campers
See Les Moutiers-en-Retz guideLongeville-sur-Mer (Vendee)
At Longeville-sur-Mer you will enjoy the lively market in the town as well as the sandy beach
See Longeville-sur-Mer guideMimizan (Landes)
The resort at Mimizan Plage is a popular destination with several kilometres of sandy beaches
See Mimizan guideMoliets (Landes)
Moliets is one of the more recently established resorts on the Atlantic coast, very popular with families
See Moliets guideMontalivet (Gironde)
The resort of Montaliver has a 12 kilometre beach, and has been popular since the 19th century
See Montalivet guideMorgat (Finistere)
The long sandy beach at Morgat has been the centre of activity here for more than 100 years, since the resort was first established
See Morgat guidePalavas-les-Flots (Herault)
At Palavas-les-Flots you will find a long beach and a resort that is popular in summer
See Palavas-les-Flots guidePerros-Guirec (Cotes-d'Armor)
Peros-Guirec is a popular town in the heart of the beautiful Cote de Granit Rose
See Perros-Guirec guidePornichet (Loire-Atlantique)
The emphasis in Pornichet, immediately south of La Baule, is most certainly based around the long and sandy beach
See Pornichet guidePorticcio (Corse-du-Sud)
Porticcio is a beach resort in Corsica to the south of Ajaccio
See Porticcio guidePorto Vecchio (Corse-du-Sud)
Beaches are the main attraction in Porto-Vecchio, which is an attractive town and marina and is also close to splendid mountain scenery
See Porto Vecchio guidePropriano (Corse-du-Sud)
Propriano is a beach resort and harbour town in south-west Corsica
See Propriano guideRonce-les-Bains (Charente-Maritime)
Ronce-les-Bains is a long established resort with several beaches nearby, and an important centre for mussel farming
See Ronce-les-Bains guideRoyan (Charente-Maritime)
At Royan you will enjoy the beaches and also the promenade along the seafront
See Royan guideSables d'Olonne (Vendee)
The lively town of Sables-d'Olonne is our favourite resort on the Vendee coast
See Sables d'Olonne guideSables-d'Or-les-Pins (Cotes-d'Armor)
Sables-d'Or-les-Pins is a lovely beach on the Brittany coast
See Sables-d'Or-les-Pins guideSaint Cyprien - Pyrenees Orientales (Pyrenees-Orientales)
Activity in the seaside resort of Saint-Cyprien is most definitely centred around the beach and seafront!
See Saint Cyprien - Pyrenees Orientales guideSaint-Brevin-les-Pins (Loire-Atlantique)
The beach at Saint-Brevin-les-Pins is the main attraction and we also enjoyed exploring the dunes and forest
See Saint-Brevin-les-Pins guideSaint-Briac-sur-Mer (Ille-et-Vilaine)
The resort of Saint-Briac-sur-Mer is an attractive destination with lovely views, several beaches and a charming village centre
See Saint-Briac-sur-Mer guideSaint-Cast-le-Guildo (Cotes-d'Armor)
Saint-cast-le-Guildo is a small seaside resort with a sandy beach and easy access to attractive coastal scenery
See Saint-Cast-le-Guildo guideSaint-Cyr-sur-Mer (Var)
The beaches such as Les Lecques, the forest and the pleasant town make Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer a popular summer resort
See Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer guideSaint-Florent (Haute-Corse)
Overlooked by its 15th century citadel Saint-Florent is a very popular resort with an interesting old town and harbour and easy access to beaches
See Saint-Florent guideSaint-Hilaire-de-Riez (Vendee)
Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez is the beach resort next to Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
See Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez guideSaint-Jacut-de-la-Mer (Cotes-d'Armor)
Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer is a small town on a peninsula in Brittany that is surrounded by beaches
See Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer guideSaint-Jean-de-Luz (Pyrenees-Atlantiques)
A long established beach resort, Saint-Jean-de-Luz also has a lively and popular town centre to explore
See Saint-Jean-de-Luz guideSaint-Jean-de-Monts (Vendee)
At Saint-Jean-de-Monts you will enjoy the extensive sandy beaches and one of the livelier resorts on the Vendee coast
See Saint-Jean-de-Monts guideSaint-Lunaire (Ille-et-Vilaine)
Saint-Lunaire is a small resort, established west of Dinard in the 19th century
See Saint-Lunaire guideSaint-Raphael (Var)
The clean and popular resort of Saint-Raphael is one of our favourites along this section of the Riviera
See Saint-Raphael guideSaint-Tropez (Var)
As well as its very famous harbour, town centre and beach Saint-Tropez also has a charming medieval village centre to explore
See Saint-Tropez guideSaint-Valery-en-Caux (Seine-Maritime)
The area around the beach, harbour and marina in Saint-Valery-en-Caux is always very active in summer
See Saint-Valery-en-Caux guideSainte-Maxime (Var)
Sainte-Maxime has a small town to explore, but it is as a popular family beach resort that it is better known
See Sainte-Maxime guideSanary-sur-Mer (Var)
The historic boats and the palm trees around the pretty harbour are the highlight in Sanary-sur-Mer, with various beaches close to hand
See Sanary-sur-Mer guideSoulac-sur-Mer (Gironde)
Soulac-sur-Mer is a long established beach resort at the north of the Medoc peninsula
See Soulac-sur-Mer guideTheoule-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes)
The resort at Theoule-sur-Mer is on the coast near Cannes, and is a cheaper alternative to staying at Cannes or Nice
See Theoule-sur-Mer guideTregastel (Cotes-d'Armor)
The resort of Tregastel has one of the nicest beaches in the area, and we also enjoyed following the coast path near here
See Tregastel guideTrouville (Calvados)
The long established resort at Trouville has retained lots of its 19th century villas, which provide much of the character of the town
See Trouville guideVeulettes-sur-Mer (Seine-Maritime)
The pebble beach and promenade are the big attraction on Veulettes-sur-Mer, but find time for the coast path as well!
See Veulettes-sur-Mer guideVillers-sur-Mer (Calvados)
Villers-sur-Mer is one of several friendly beach resorts along the Normandy coast
See Villers-sur-Mer guideVillerville (Calvados)
Less popular than neighbours Deauville and Trouville, the resort at Villerville also has a long beach
See Villerville guideYport (Seine-Maritime)
A small sea resort, Yport has a pebble beach and is close to attractive coastal cliff scenery
See Yport guideSee more tourist attractions in France