Swimming in Provence
The Provence coast runs from Méjean on the Côte Bleue through Marseille's city beaches and the calanques to Cassis and La Ciotat, then along the Var past the Îles d'Hyères and the Saint-Tropez peninsula to the Estérel at Agay; inland, the Lac de Saint-Cassien has a lifeguarded beach at Tanneron. The sea is typically 22 to 24 °C in August and 19 or 20 °C in October. En-Vau, Port-Pin, Sugiton and Cap Taillat are reached only on foot, and Porquerolles, Port-Cros and the Frioul islands only by boat.
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Every spot in Provence
Typical water temperature in November.
Txllxt TxllxT, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SACalanque d'Anthéor
Calanque, Saint-Raphaël · Dogs not allowed.
Calanque d'Anthéor is a 100 m sand beach directly below the arches of the Anthéor railway viaduct, where about 850 Allied troops came ashore on 15 August 1944.
17°NovFree
Andrew Wilson, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SACalanque d'En-Vau
Calanque, Cassis · No boat landings; massif closed on red fire-risk days, June to September
En-Vau is a narrow inlet between sheer limestone walls with a small pebble beach at its head, and boats have not been allowed to land here since the 2000s.
17°NovFree
Tobi 87, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SACalanque de Figuerolles
Calanque, La Ciotat · Dogs not allowed on the beach. Non-smoking beach.
Figuerolles is a small pebble cove west of La Ciotat's centre, walled by puddingstone cliffs and overlooked by the Rocher du Capucin, also called Tête de Chien.
17°NovFreeCalanque de Méjean
Calanque, Ensuès-la-Redonne · Coast road reserved for residents in season (18 April to 11 October 2026); the hills close on red fire-risk days, June to September
Méjean is a pair of inlets on the Côte Bleue west of Marseille: Petit Méjean with a small harbour and beach, and Grand Méjean with a cove under the railway viaduct.
17°NovFree
Eugénie Peigné, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SACalanque de Morgiou
Calanque, Marseille · Road closed to cars on set summer dates; massif closed on red fire-risk days, June to September
Morgiou is a steep-sided calanque with a working fishing port and about thirty occupied cabanons.
17°NovFreeCalanque de Port-Miou
Calanque, Cassis · No beach; not lifeguarded; pontoons closed to the public; boats moor on both shores; the hills close on red fire-risk days
Port-Miou is a 1,400 m inlet between steep limestone cliffs, the only calanque in the commune of Cassis and the closest one to the town.
17°NovFree
M.Strīķis, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SACalanque de Port-Pin
Calanque, Cassis · Massif closed on red fire-risk days, June to September
Port-Pin is a deep cove in the Cassis calanques, between Port-Miou and En-Vau, with a small sand beach and Aleppo pines leaning over it.
17°NovFree
Jeanne Menjoulet from Paris, France, Wikimedia Commons · CC BYCalanque de Sormiou
Calanque, Marseille · Road closed to cars on set summer dates; massif closed on red fire-risk days, June to September
Sormiou is a wide calanque with a sand beach below a hamlet of cabanons that still have no running water or electricity.
17°NovFree
ydecaseneuve, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SACalanque de Sugiton
Calanque, Marseille · Free booking needed on peak summer dates; massif closed on red fire-risk days, June to September
Sugiton is two small coves under steep cliffs, each with a tiny beach, reached on foot from the Luminy campus past a lookout at 245 m.
17°NovFreeCalanque du Mugel
Calanque, La Ciotat · Dogs not allowed; the hills close on red fire-risk days, June to September
The Calanque du Mugel has two pebble beaches, Grand Mugel and Petit Mugel, below the Bec de l'Aigle headland at La Ciotat.
17°NovFreeCalanque du Port d'Alon
Calanque, Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer · No fires or camping; dogs off the beach in season; closed on extreme fire-risk days
Port d'Alon is a pebble calanque between Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer and Bandol, ringed by pines and cliffs, with no concrete buildings and no developed beach.
17°NovFreeCap Taillat
Beach, Ramatuelle · Protected site; the massif closes on top fire-risk days, June to September
Cap Taillat is a wooded rocky headland tied to the shore by a narrow sand tombolo, with the Baie de Briande on one side and the Baie de Bonporteau on the other.
17°NovFreeLac de Saint-Cassien
Lake, Tanneron · Dogs are not allowed at the supervised beach.
A laid-out beach on the Tanneron shore of the Lac de Saint-Cassien, a dam reservoir in the Pays de Fayence, with a gentler slope into the water than the rest of the shore.
FreeLes Goudes (Plage de la Maronaise)
Beach, Marseille · Not lifeguarded; the hills close on red fire-risk days, June to September
La Maronaise is one of two small beaches at Les Goudes, a village district of Marseille on the city's southern tip inside the Calanques National Park.
17°NovFreeMalmousque (Anse de la Fausse Monnaie)
Cove, Marseille · Not lifeguarded. Dogs, smoking, alcohol and naturism banned on Marseille beaches; no diving from over 3 m
Malmousque is a village district on the Corniche in the 7th arrondissement, with a small fishing harbour and rocky coves facing the Château d'If and the Frioul islands.
17°NovFreePlage d'Agay
Beach, Saint-Raphaël · Dogs not allowed. Part of the bay is private beach concessions.
Plage d'Agay is the main sandy beach of Agay's harbour bay, with the Estérel massif behind it and restaurants and bars along the back.
17°NovFree
Remi Jouan, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAPlage d'Argent
Beach, Porquerolles · Port-Cros National Park core area: dogs banned from beaches, no fires or smoking outside the village, no camping. Summer visitor numbers are capped, with booked crossings from La Tour Fondue.
Plage d'Argent is a white-sand beach west of Porquerolles village, sheltered from the mistral with pine woods behind it, and it can get busy in summer.
17°NovFreePlage de Cabasson
Beach, Bormes-les-Mimosas · Dogs allowed on the beach November to March only; in summer they may use the small Plage de Brégançon beside the fort.
Cabasson is a 375 m beach beside the Fort de Brégançon, the summer residence of French presidents since 1968, with Porquerolles and the Giens peninsula in view offshore.
17°NovFree
dronepicr, Wikimedia Commons · CC BYPlage de Gigaro
Beach, La Croix-Valmer · Entrance to the Domaine du Cap Lardier, a protected area managed by Port-Cros National Park. Dogs are banned from La Croix-Valmer's beaches in the daytime.
Gigaro is a sandy family beach at the gate of the Domaine du Cap Lardier, a protected stretch of coast managed by Port-Cros National Park.
17°NovFreePlage de l'Almanarre
Beach, Hyères · Dogs not allowed (tourist office). The Route du Sel along the beach is closed to cars in winter.
L'Almanarre is a beach of nearly 5 km along the Route du Sel, one of the two sand tombolos that join the Giens peninsula to the mainland, with the old salt pans and their flamingos across the road.
17°NovFree
Lucas Mevius, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAPlage de l'Escalet
Beach, Ramatuelle · Dogs on a leash only. The commune publishes a beach police bylaw and a naturism order for L'Escalet.
L'Escalet is a 350 m family beach between Cap Camarat and Cap Taillat, where the sand breaks up into small coves and polished rocks.
17°NovFreePlage de l'Estagnol
Beach, Bormes-les-Mimosas · Road access only through the paid Estagnol park in season. Out of season the beach is reached only on foot by the coastal path.
L'Estagnol is 475 m of very fine white sand on a private estate shaded by umbrella pines.
17°NovPlage de la Courtade
Beach, Porquerolles · National park core: no dogs on the beaches, no fires, smoking or camping
La Courtade is about 1 km of sand and pebbles 800 m east of Porquerolles village, with eucalyptus and pine shade behind it, and the tourist office calls it the island's longest beach.
17°NovFreePlage de la Grande Mer
Beach, Cassis · Dogs not allowed
La Grande Mer is the main beach of Cassis, a mix of sand, pebbles and gravel in the village centre right beside the fishing port.
17°NovFreePlage de la Palud
Beach, Port-Cros · National park core: no dogs, fires, smoking or camping; the massif closes on top fire-risk days
La Palud is a small coarse-sand beach on the north shore of Port-Cros, shaded by tamarisks and backed by a reed bed, about 30 minutes on foot from the harbour.
17°NovFree
dronepicr, Wikimedia Commons · CC BYPlage de Pampelonne
Beach, Ramatuelle · Beach clubs along much of the bay. Naturism is authorised on the Gros Vallat and La Mataranne sections. Dogs on a leash only.
Pampelonne is 4.5 km of fine sand where Tahiti Plage opened in 1946 and Club 55 followed in 1955, and beach clubs still line much of the bay.
17°NovFreePlage de Saint-Clair
Beach, Le Lavandou · Dogs allowed on Le Lavandou's beaches November to March only.
Saint-Clair is an east-facing fine-sand beach 1.5 km from Le Lavandou, looking out to Le Levant and Port-Cros, with the rocks of La Baleine just off it for mask and snorkel.
17°NovFreePlage de Saint-Estève (Frioul)
Beach, Marseille · National park rules on Frioul. Dogs, smoking, alcohol and naturism banned on Marseille beaches; no diving from over 3 m
Saint-Estève is a small beach on Ratonneau, one of the four islands of the Frioul archipelago off Marseille, and the only real beach on Frioul according to the Marseille tourist office.
17°NovFreePlage des Catalans
Beach, Marseille · Dogs, smoking, alcohol and naturism banned on Marseille beaches; no diving from over 3 m
Plage des Catalans is a sand beach in the 7th arrondissement, a short walk from the Vieux-Port, looking out to the Frioul islands and the Château d'If.
17°NovFreePlage des Salins
Beach, Saint-Tropez · Dogs not allowed.
Les Salins is a sand family beach at the end of the route des Salins on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, where currents sometimes leave dry posidonia on part of the sand.
17°NovFreePlage du Bestouan
Beach, Cassis · Dogs not allowed
Le Bestouan is a 150 m pebble and rock beach on the west side of Cassis, looking across the bay to the cliffs of Cap Canaille.
17°NovFreePlage du Débarquement (Le Dramont)
Beach, Saint-Raphaël · Dogs not allowed.
Plage du Débarquement is a 500 m beach of sand and pebbles at Le Dramont, where more than 20,000 GIs of the US 36th Division came ashore on 15 August 1944; a landing barge and a memorial stand on the esplanade above.
17°NovFreePlage du Prado
Beach, Marseille · Dogs, smoking, alcohol and naturism banned on Marseille beaches; no diving from over 3 m
The Prado beaches run for 3.5 km along the seafront from the David statue to the Vieille Chapelle, backed by lawns, playgrounds and the Escale Borély complex.
17°NovFreePlage du Prophète
Beach, Marseille · Dogs, smoking, alcohol and naturism banned on Marseille beaches; no diving from over 3 m
Plage du Prophète is a sand beach below the Corniche Kennedy in the 7th arrondissement, with a free beach volleyball court and a first-aid post.
17°NovFree
Jean-pierre olivier, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAPlage Notre-Dame
Beach, Porquerolles · Port-Cros National Park core area: dogs banned from beaches, no fires or smoking outside the village, no camping. Summer visitor numbers are capped, with booked crossings from La Tour Fondue.
Notre-Dame is a fine-sand beach at the east end of Porquerolles, the farthest from the village, with pine and oak woods right behind the sand.
17°NovFreeVallon des Auffes
Cove, Marseille · Not lifeguarded; working fishing harbour. Dogs, smoking, alcohol and naturism banned on Marseille beaches; no diving from over 3 m
The Vallon des Auffes is a small fishing harbour on the Corniche Kennedy, spanned by a 19th-century bridge with three arches 17 m high.
17°NovFree
Nothing here for that filter.
Questions about Provence
Which beaches in Provence can you reach without a car?
Most of them, by bus, train, ferry or shuttle and a walk. In Marseille, RTM bus 83 runs along the Corniche to the Catalans, the Vallon des Auffes, Malmousque, the Prophète and the Prado, buses 19 and 20 go to Les Goudes, and the Frioul If ferry leaves the Vieux-Port for Saint-Estève; for the calanques, buses stop about 45 minutes to an hour on foot from Sormiou, Morgiou and Sugiton, and a shuttle from Les Gorguettes in Cassis takes walkers to Port-Miou for Port-Pin and En-Vau. The Côte Bleue train stops at Ensuès-la-Redonne for Méjean, Agay and the Calanque d'Anthéor are a few hundred metres from their stations, and Porquerolles is 15 minutes by ferry from La Tour Fondue. In summer free shuttles run from Ramatuelle to Pampelonne and L'Escalet and from La Croix-Valmer village to Gigaro.
When is the sea warm enough to swim in Provence?
June to October is the swimming season at every sea beach listed for Provence. The sea is typically 19 to 21 °C in June, 22 to 24 °C in August and 19 or 20 °C in October, with the Var beaches a degree or two warmer than Marseille and the calanques through the summer. In April it is still only 14 or 15 °C.
What are the national park rules on the Provence coast?
The Calanques National Park and Port-Cros National Park each have their own. In the Calanques, which take in Les Goudes, the Mugel and the Frioul islands, the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture opens or closes the massif day by day from 1 June to 30 September according to fire risk, Sugiton needs a free booking on peak summer dates, boats may not land at En-Vau, Marseille closes the Sormiou and Morgiou roads to cars on set summer dates, and on Frioul cycling outside the village and climbing are banned. Porquerolles and Port-Cros lie in the Port-Cros park's core area: no dogs on the beaches (on Port-Cros, none anywhere outside the village), no fires or smoking outside the village and no camping, with capped visitor numbers on Porquerolles in summer. Gigaro is the entrance to the Domaine du Cap Lardier, which the Port-Cros park also manages.
Can you bring a dog to the beaches in Provence?
Not to most of them. Marseille bans dogs all year from its bathing zones, from the Catalans to Les Goudes and the Frioul, and they're also banned at Figuerolles, the Mugel, the Grande Mer and the Bestouan in Cassis, Agay, the Calanque d'Anthéor, Le Dramont, L'Almanarre, Les Salins, the supervised beach on the Lac de Saint-Cassien and the beaches of Porquerolles and Port-Cros. At Cabasson and Saint-Clair dogs are allowed only from November to March, La Croix-Valmer keeps them off Gigaro in the daytime and the Port d'Alon does the same in season. At Pampelonne, L'Escalet and Cap Taillat dogs are allowed on a lead.
What is the water quality like in Provence?
In the 2025 EEA bathing season, 24 of the 30 places listed here with a monitoring site were classified excellent. Les Goudes (Plage de la Maronaise), Plage de la Courtade, Plage du Prado, Plage du Prophète and Plage Notre-Dame were classified good. Plage de Saint-Estève (Frioul) was classified sufficient.