What are the most beautiful and unmissable beaches on the Côte d'Azur?
We anticipate: they are many, they are huge and have soft, golden sand. They are located in front of iconic seaside villages, chosen by artists during the early 1900s as an inspirational residence, or in front of tourist towns and cities, which became tourism icons in the 1960s.
SEE ALSO: SECRET BEACHES OF THE AZURE COAST
French Riviera beaches
The beaches on the Côte d'Azur are very varied, ranging from the dark beaches of Antibes to the beautiful light beaches of Ile de Porquerolles. In Cannes and Monaco, the beaches have a worldly charm.
Saint-Tropez is something of a complete microcosm because there are pebble beaches, rocky coastline and the beautiful fine sandy beaches of the Bay of Saint-Tropez that are the ones that have made this resort world famous through the cinema.
Below is our complete guide to the best beaches on the Côte d'Azur and our ranking of the most beautiful beaches:
Agay beach (Frejus)
Plage de TahitiLe (Grimaud)
Le Layet (Lavandou)
Plage des Engraviers (Bandol)
Palm Beach (Cannes)
Sablettes Beach (Menton)
Larvotto Beach (Principality of Monaco)
Baie de la Garoupe (Antibes)
Sainte Marguerite (Pornichet)
Sandy beaches on the Côte d'Azur
After Ventimiglia, from Menton to Cap Ferrat, beyond Monaco, the coast is almost all rocky or pebble beaches.
At Villefranche-sur-Mer there is a beautiful sandy bay where the water is very clear. However, the bay is very close to Nice and is usually very crowded in summer.
In Antibes, the beaches are dark and mostly famous for their social life. A walk through the old town is not to be missed. In Cannes, the Croisette beach is worth a visit.
Continuing westwards, after a panoramic promontory, you come to Agay beach, not far from Frejus and St-Raphael: the beach is very beautiful and also suitable for families with children.
From the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, the most beautiful sandy beaches begin. In Grimaud, there are beautiful beaches with crystal-clear water set in wild surroundings: one of the most beautiful is Plage de Tahiti and the name says it all. Plage du Cavalier, after Cap Negre, is, among the most beautiful beaches, one of the least frequented. Just beyond Bregançon there is another beautiful and fairly solitary beach.
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Naturist beaches
The Côte d'Azur is the right place for practising naturism. In fact, the official nudist beaches are many and very beautiful. Le Layet beach in Le Lavandou, near the Plage du Cavalier, is one of the most beautiful and well-known naturist beaches on the Côte d'Azur. The extreme corners of the Plage de Agay are also officially reserved for naturists. In Bandol, there is the Plage des Engraviers, while in Carqueiranne, those who like to sunbathe without a swimming costume can visit the Plage des Bau Rouges.
We also recommend Plage des Brouis in La Croix-Valmer and Plage de Pampelonne, de Saint-Aygulf and de la Batterie Basse in Toulon.
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Free beaches
On the Côte d'Azur, there is a mix of free beaches(plage publique) and lidos where you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas and enjoy other services. Most of the free beaches, in addition to being clean, are equipped with free showers.
SEE ALSO: SUMMER TRIPS
Map
Below you will find a map of the Côte d'Azur with the inlets of the indented coastline and all the villages that are part of this fascinating area in the south of France.
France