The 10 most stunning beaches of France

This small pebble-stone beach nestles at the end of a winding road in a valley. Extremely popular with the locals, the calanque (creek) de Sugiton paints a picture of crystal-clear water framed by rocks and umbrella pine trees in a landscape that shouts the South of France.

The beach of Pampelonne and its long stretch of white sand first made the headlines when bikini-clad Brigitte Bardot starred in And God Created Woman (1956). Since then, this stunning beach, private or public, nudist or dressed, has been a hit with celebrities and influencers.

Immortalised by Claude Lelouch in A man and a Woman (1966), this 2km-long beach is the quintessence of romantic. It is also famous for its boardwalk (‘planches’) installed in the 1920s alongside the Art deco Pompeian Baths, built to replace the old beach huts.

Sheltered from strong currents, Wissant Beach forms a generous curve between Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez. At low tide, the sea withdraws for dozens of metres revealing an immense expanse of fine sand lined by majestic 134m-high cliffs.

This beach is exceptionally located at the foot of the huge Dune of Pilat, unfolding like an ocean of sand on the Atlantic coast. To get to this Land’s End spot, those with energy to spare and stamina can clamber over the dune, everyone else will prefer the slightly less strenuous staircase at Pyla-sur-mer.

The largest beach of the Basque Coast unfolds over 3 kilometres of white sand. It is a hot spot for novice surfers, keen to try out their recently acquired skills against the waves.

Between the National Fort and Rochebonne headland, the beach is very wide at low tide, when the sea withdraws to the joy of walkers, kite flyers and sand yachters…

Étretat Beach is famous for the natural stone sculptures that flank each end of this expanse of pebble stones. The unspoiled beauty of the limestone cliffs bathed in the gentle Normandy sunlight has made it a haunt of artists.

In the arid Agriates, Saleccia Beach is lined by dunes of juniper bushes on one side and marshland on the other. This bijou of a beach isn’t easy to get to, which is probably why it is so unspoiled. Imagine turquoise water that laps a strip of immaculate white sand, lined by shady pine trees.