The Beach Blog!

Provence and environs (ongoing)

I thought I would keep a running tally of the various beaches we went to this year, for future reference.  So I'll be updating this particular post off-and-on.

Cassis: little Cannes

12. Cassis, rating: GOOD.  Cassis is very much like a little Cannes.  There's some sandy areas mixed with rocky areas, and the footing in the water is more rocky than sandy.  If you go there, bear in mind that Cassis and the beach area are very small - finding a spot on the sand will be difficult in the summer, even if you manage to find parking.  Having said that, the downtown area around the beach is full of restaurants, little shops, and places for the kids to run around safely, and it was perfectly busy when we were there, on a 25C day in mid-October.  There are also some great sunny spots on the flat slab rocks lining the west side of the harbour (the furthest out from town is the nudest area).  The beach is easy to find - it's right with the marina and the Tourist Information office, just follow signs for those (or the Calanques tours); if worst come to worst, just walk downhill until you find it.  There are public washrooms around, but no showers (there was a place for them, but they were broken or disconnected).

Cannes: great sand, food, & ambiance; non-existent facilities & parking

11. Boulevard de la Croissette - Cannes, rating: GOOD.  The waterfront of Cannes is, like Nice, a wide promenade for walking, with beaches lining one side.  Unlike Nice, the vast majority are private - owned by hotels across the road or by restaurants right on the beach.  There are plages municipale on either end of the boulevard - one is right off the Palais des Festival, where the film festival is held.  However, if you can get to Cannes in the off-season, the public beaches are very nice, with great soft sand.  The water depth increases quickly, so there is good swimming (but not good wading for the kids).  Even in mid-October, the air temperature was 26C and the water temperature in the low 20s, so plenty warm for swimming!  The restaurant selection along the beach is varied in price, although again like Nice, everything on the beach shuts down at 18:00.  Luckily there are lots of restaurants across the boulevard with a wide variety of class-level and cost.  There is also lots of fashion shopping, small amusement parks at either end for young children, and marinas for the admiring of yachts.  The main drawback for a casual visitor would be the total lack of washroom facilities of any type anywhere along the promenade.  Parking is probably also a big problem (we had hotel parking and washroom, so not a big deal for us on this trip).  Compared to the other Riviera beaches we've been to (Bandol and Nice), it's certainly the nicest sand and it has best ambiance with the variety of shops and restaurants, but parking and no washrooms make it a poor choice of destination if you are a day-tripping.

Bandol: David on Plage des chiens (l) and walking along the marina (r)

10. Plage Centrale - Bandol, rating: GOOD.  It's interesting that we went to Nice and Bandol on consecutive beach days, because Bandol seemed to Craig to be run down compared to Nice.  Bandol can be considered the start of the Riviera, and a look at the marina tells you why - it is enormous, and the yachts range in price up to the million-dollar range.  There is a promenade along the beach/marina, but it doesn't have the same elegance as Nice, with small bars and shops instead of luxury hotels.  The beaches run along the main waterfront drag (Quai Charles de Gaulle - when you come off the autoroute from Aix or Puyloubier you'll end up on the D559 - when you see water, turn right!).  On the other hand, it's certainly more economical than Nice.  The beach itself is better, but not great: the sand is soft but shallow, near the waterline it's very gravelly, and there are boulders (say a foot or two in diameter) lurking just offshore for stubbing of toes and skinning of ankles.  On the plus side, there are free and clean washrooms all along the plage, lots of places to have snacks or food with the kids, showers, and very easy access to the various tour boats in the middle of the marina (to the calanques, dolphin-watching, Île de Bendor just off Bandol, and Île de Porquerolles just off Hyères).  There is also a Dog Beach on the other side of the marina.  It was 28C at the end of September and the parking lots were full, although hardly anyone on the beaches (they must have been in the casino).  There are lots of pay parking lots and the price is very reasonable - we paid €2.50 for 3 hours.

Plage Public du Voilier - rocky, but good swimming!

9. Promenade des Anglais - Nice. rating: GOOD.  Along the entire waterfront of Nice runs a wide pedestrian/cycling promenade called the Promenade des Anglais, because the paving was originally payed for by English tourists.  Along the entire Promenade is Nice's beach(es).  Although it is one long stretch, it is divided up into public and private beaches, the private ones being mostly restaurants that have seating on the beach.  As you can see from the picture, the charm of the beaches is not the surface - it is rocky, although that has a charming sound when the surf rattles the rocks against each other.  The water is, of course, beautiful as it is all along the Riviera - here it drops off very quickly (I was in over my head within 20 feet) but that does make for excellent swimming.  As you might expect for the Riviera, tops are optional for men and women, which maybe 10% of the women take advantage of.  Most of the topless women were presumably ex-hippies (they were certainly of that age!).  Depending on the time of year, the drive from eastern Bouches du Rhône is 1.5 hours (it took us over 2 hours because we didn't take the Autoroute most of the way).  Nice traffic is notoriously snarled, and there is a lot of construction, but we were not seriously impeded on a Friday afternoon in mid-September (the cross-town highway was nowhere near as congested as the Gardner Expressway, for example).  There are lots of public pay lots, although we found free parking on the street a couple blocks inland.  There are rentals for gear, parasailing outfits, showers at the beach stairs, and pay washrooms (€0.50).  All along the promenade are bistros right on the beach (plats price range €15-30), as well as fancy restaurant dining across the road (plats prices €45 and up).

Plage Lumière - France's smoke-free beach!

8.  Plage Lumière - La Ciotat, rating: EXCELLENT; Plage de Cyrnos - La Ciotat, rating: VERY GOOD.  La Ciotat is just east of Marseille and, depending on who you ask, somewhere near the start of the Riviera.  All the beaches are right in town, so there are many dining options, and a wide boulevard walkway links them.  They are separated by breakwaters and beachside restaurants.  We went to two.  Plage Lumière has excellent soft sand, a gentle slope in the water, washrooms, lifeguards, and showers on the beach.  It's the first Mediterranean beach where there's been a noticeable undertow (although it was pretty weak).  It is advertised as "France's largest smoke-free beach" so as you might expect, it was popular with families with very young children.  We were there on a Wednesday in September (29C) and it was full (but we could still find room to put down our beach mat).  Plage de Cyrnos has all the same facilities, but the "sand" is very fine pebbles, which is a little harder to walk on.  It also has a much steeper grade, slightly larger waves, and far fewer people.  The best part is the colours in the water - several shades of blue and green are noticeable as you look across the bay - this picture does not do the water justice.  The day we were there, a waterbomber was practicing - landing and loading water, then taking off and dumping the load.  It cycled at least 6 times while we were there.  To get there from Puyloubier is 60km and 1 hour on the non-toll roads.  We highly recommend the D96 through La Bouilladisse, then D559 from Roquefort.  The latter road is twisty with a magnificent view of the beach you're headed to as you get your first glimpse of the Med.

Pont-du-Gard: bad beach, cool scenery!

7. Pont-du-Gard, rating: POOR.  Just to be clear, Pont-du-Gard as a tourist site is excellent!  However, as a beach, it is not very good - the water is nice (clear, not too cold), but limited because there are places where the current is significant; for example, you're not allowed to swim under the bridge itself.  The shore is rounded rocks, but they range in diameter to about 10 cm, and are very difficult and painful to walk on, not to mention slippery with algae in places.  But, of course, you aren't here to go to a beach, and if you have a hot day trekking around a bunch of dusty Roman ruins, a dip in the river is very refreshing.  The kids also have fun looking at the rocks (lots of colour) and when we were there (late August) there were lots of small fry and even a couple adult fish swimming in the shallows for easy viewing.  There is a place to rent canoes up the river, and all the facilities of the site are available (washrooms, restaurants, etc., but no change rooms or washrooms right at the riverside).

La Capte: stretches out forever!

6. La Capte - Hyères, rating: EXCELLENT.  Another Riviera beach, this one located at Hyères on a spit that sticks way out into the Med.  It is very narrow but very long (the picture shows about 1/3 of the beach, it stretches even further in the other direction).  The sand is excellent and clean (no cigarette butts), there are free toilets and showers on the beach (although the facilities are not as good as at Couronne).  The water is very shallow with a gentle grade - I had to walk out maybe 75 m to get up to get over my waist.  We took the free roads - the most direct route is to follow DN7 to Brignoles then D43 south.  You can also take the D5/D554, which is mostly forested and has a neat switchback climb up a hill.  Once you're in Hyères, follow the signs for the Toulon airport (you'll have to traverse the town).  Once you pass the airport you need to be on D197 in La Capte (we followed the signs for La Tour Fondue, which is at the end of the spit).  The beach is all along the road, we accessed at a point just past the "leaving La Capte" sign.  We arrived at 4:30 on an August Monday, the weather was 27C (but a little windy); the parking was pretty much full but we found a spot on our first rotation through the parking area.  The clientele was mostly families, probably because of the shallow grade.  There was even an ice-cream vendor pushing his Dickie-dee-like cart up and down the beach; his French was too good for it to be Norman Leary.  The sails you can see in the background are catamarans that you can rent right at the beach.

The water park at Lac de Peyrolles

5. Lac de Peyrolles,  rating: FAIR to VERY GOOD.   This is a lake beach, although the beach itself is underwhelming.  The beach is hard stoney gravel and the water is cloudy (although warm enough).  However, the beach itself is not the real attraction, but rather the playground-like surroundings.  There are beach volleyball and beach soccer courts (both with excellent sand), a water park full of various floating things to climb and jump from (this costs €2/hr), and playground equipment.  There are washrooms, picnic areas, and a little canteen as well.  Overall, it's a good family destination with lots of variety.  Parking at the site is €2, although there is some free parking further away along the road and in Peyrolles-en-Provence.  It is right on the border of the Luberon, so there are some hills surrounding the lake, and some trails as well.  Unfortunately, it was very windy the day we were there, so it wasn't great beach weather.

Base Nature: breakers!

4. Base Nature - Fréjus, rating: VERY GOOD.  Base Nature is the nature park in Fréjus, which is in the French Riviera.  You can follow the DN7 from Puyloubier or Aix to Fréjus-St.Raphäel, then follow the signs in town for "Plage Fréjus" or "Base Nature" (sometimes only one or the other is on the sign).  You can also take the A8, which costs €8.40 (one way) from the Trets-Rousset exit.  The travel time difference is 60 minutes on the highway to 90 minutes on the DN7.  There is a large free parking lot, but the beach is enormous (several km long, although quite narrow) and, as you might expect for the Riviera in the summer, busy!  Luckily, it thins out a lot at night and we were easily able to park at 18:30 when we arrived.  It was mid-August, and the temperature was still 32C at that time of the evening.  The sand is pretty good - no rocks, although a little gravelly right at the water.  The water has a big drop right at the shore - maybe 3.5 feet in 10 feet, but it is more gradual after that.  The day we were there there were real breakers, as you can see from the picture.  There is a one large brasserie near the carpark, and showers on the beach (no change rooms).  There is only one pay toilet that we could see - i.e. one single toilet!  The cost is only €0.10, but annoying if you have to go all the way back to the car for a coin.

La Couronne: very similar to Risser's!

3. La Couronne-Plage, rating: EXCELLENT.  This is a very easy beach to travel to - it is right at the end of the D9 highway from Aix; therefore the beach is west of Marseille.  Coming from Puyloubier, we took the D6 towards Marseille, then across the city A51-A7-A55 (the last then crosses D9).  This route is toll-free but still a divided highway practically the whole way.  A very easy and pleasant trip, no traffic at 3pm on a Tuesday in August.  The beach itself has a 500-spot parking lot for €3.50, but it was full when we got there, so we parked along the highway - the cars stretched out probably 1 km on both sides of the highway and the street alongside (just like Risser's on a hot day!).  The temperature was 34C, so not surprising that it was so busy.  The sand was excellent - soft and deep, very few cigarette butts, good for digging and building sand castles.  The view wasn't quite as nice as Les Lecques, but still interesting.  The facilities were excellent: a 4-head shower right at the exit to the beach, plus well-tended and free washrooms, much like Risser's.  There were even some small breakers where the waves passed over the sandbar.  The grade into the water is very gradual - Andrew even went in up to his neck!  Very busy but not so crowded that you couldn't find a place because the sand is quite wide.  There are a few shops (a restaurant, ice cream place, etc.), but this is not in town.

Les Lecques: not too busy for 32C!

2. Les Lacques - Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer,  rating: GOOD. This beach is in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer and is long (but narrow).  There are some free parking lots, and others for €1/hour.  Beach access is free.  There is a row of shops/restaurants along the seawall (it appears most only take cash).  The sand is quite good, mostly fine sand with a few rocks mixed in.  It was busy but not completely packed when we were there (11-13:00 on a Tuesday in August, sunny 32C).  The deepness of the water increases gradually, and there is a breakwater at one end (for the yacht club) to keep the waves down.  Very safe for small children, we saw people of all ages (including teenagers by themselves, young couples with or without children, grandparents, etc.).  There are a lot of cigarette butts on the beach, but I expect that's true everywhere.  Scenery is quite nice with a curved bay on one side with a forested hill coming down to the water and houses dotting the hillside closer in.  Water is very clear.  There are public restrooms towards the centre of the beach on the boardwalk.

1. D-day Beaches (as beaches, not as historical sites): Omaha, Gold, and Juno.  Remember that the tides are very high along this part of Normandy, so the amount of sand is going to vary greatly with the tide!  For none of these did we find things like change rooms or taps to rinse off your feet, like you would at a Provincial Park beach in Nova Scotia.  We also didn't see public restrooms either, although we didn't have to "go" during any of these visits, except at Juno where we'd already paid to see the museum so we used their facilities (likewise, there is a museum right on the beach at Gold, and one just up the road about 3-5 minutes walk from Omaha).

Omaha: sand as far as the eye can see!

(a) Omaha (Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer).  By far the best beach for my tastes.  Very wide and open, plenty of free parking, wide roads compared to what is normal in the area.  Very clean, nice sand, wide, few people.  Very few nearby amenities (to eat, etc.).
 (b) Gold (Arromanches-les Bains).  The main beach is right in the village, so parking and travelling to the site in the car is difficult.  There is a pay lot right next to the beach and museum, but it is small.  We were there at high tide and there is literally no beach when the water is all the way in.  The sand (that we saw before it was covered) was good, there are still some Mulberries that you can apparently walk out to when the tide is out.  Overall, very poor access but good if you're looking for cafés and shops.
(c) Juno (Courseulles-sur-Mer).  There is a yacht club right next to the beach, with lots of windsurfers out.  The beach has nice sand, but when we were there, at least, there was a lot of seaweed and a slightly rotten smell coming from it.  Luckily you can get away from it because the beach covers a lot of area when the tide is out.  There is a watch post (not sure if they are lifeguards per se) in the middle.  The town centre is a short walk, between the yacht club and the Juno Centre there is a good amount of parking.