Villefranche-sur-mer - just down the road from Cannes and Nice. This is a stunning beach yet it remains largely undiscovered by the masses. The quality of the sand is better than in Nice, plus it’s much less crowded. Yet it is close enough that it is easy to hop on a train and be in Nice in 5 minutes for shopping and sightseeing. The town itself though is interesting in its own right - it is a medieval town with some great architecture and interesting sights.
Eze-sur-Mer - The beach is so good here that Bono from U2 bought a house here right on the beachfront. The town above the beach, Eze, is a medieval town perched upon a cliff. It is famous for its Perfume industry, and is called the world’s fragrance capital. If you’d like to know more about Eze, you can read about it in a previous entry here.
Sete - this is a fishing village with a port, canals AND a beach: it’s got everything! This is a fantastic destination for watersport enthusiasts, as you can indulge in pretty much every watersport under the sun. You can read more about it here.Argeles - this beach has a reputation for being one of the best beaches in the entire country. The north part is probably the best section. Like many beaches in this region, it is huge. It has fine sand and is bordered by a great park with an abundance of shady trees and beautiful flowers. The one thing that really makes it stand out, however, is the incredible view of the Pyrenees - what a backdrop!
Portiragnes and Serignan - these two neighbouring beaches have a wild and remote air to them, even though they are conveniently close to civilisation and tasty restaurants. The tall, grassy banks which border the beach create a feeling of seclusion from the outside world. At Serignan, you can entertain the kids with pony rides too.
Cape d’Agde - is a naturist mecca. This coastal town features a nudist resort with a three-mile beach. You can shop at the bakery, go to the doctor, eat at a fancy restaurant - all without a scrap of clothing. If you’re the type who prefers to be dressed, you can still visit this town without having to dis-robe. Only one part of the town is naturist, and within the naturist section, the only place you’re really obliged to throw off all your clothes is the nudist beach.Valras-plage - really good for kitesurfing and windsurfing.
St Jean de Luz - this beach is in Basque country and is the last town before you hit Spain. It's cute and small, good for year-round surfing.Where to stay?
As always, we have some suggestions for great holiday homes in the area. We can recommend the following luxury villas for your French beach holiday: HE004A Villa Fabienne - Valras Plage
This villa is situated in the family resort beach of Valras plage, but at the 'quiet end' away from the Marina and the restaurants which are within a 15 minute walk. These sea front properties with gates leading out on to the sandy beach were built in the 60's - low rise with small gardens (or in this unique case - a swimming pool) overlooking the sea.
AM006A Villa Eze - Eze Sur Mer
This charming villa is located in a quiet residential area below Eze Village, on the Cote d'Azur, one of the most scenic stretches of coast on the French Riviera, between Nice and Monte Carlo. The villa is situated in the hills above the sea, facing south with a 180ยบ view of the Mediterranean and surrounding coastal cliffs, a superb infinity swimming pool, plus only a three-minute walk to the beach.
HE063A Villa Setoise - Sete This is a Stunning spacious state-of-the-art sea-front villa with private infinity pool and sea views. Only 5 minutes from colourful port of Sete.
Contributions by Katarina Byrne