BATTLE OF THE BEACHES
For the perfect French holiday by the water, should it be the French Riviera or the Marseilles coastline?
BY SARAH WOODS
Few sensations epitomise “getting away from it all” like a dip in the warm sea and wriggling your toes in the sand. On France’s southern coast, a fine array of coves, bays and coastal stretches, from the glamorous glitzy French Riviera to the unconventional low-key picks around neighbouring Marseilles offer plenty of options. Whether it’s a fun-in-the-sun party hangout, out-of-the-way hidden gem, ultimate chill-out beach haunt or posers’ paradise – there’s plenty on offer for beach-junkies. So, where exactly should you lay your towel?
Plage Publique de Beau Rivage, Nice
Shoestring travellers will adore this super-clean free public beach (next to the private Beau Rivage Beach on the Quai des Etats Unis); a popular hangout that fills up early and boasts a dirt-cheap lunch joint. Roll up at about 11.30am to make the most of filled baguettes and strong coffee for just a few euros at the on-site café, or pick up a scrummy fougasse (doughy Provençal bread) from a family-run stall at the Cours Saleya Flower Market nearby. Strolling beer vendors sell ice-cold Stella Artois, while hawkers ply beignet (huge doughnuts) along the sand.
beach-lust rating
7/10
(bring a padded cushion as chairs are scarce on this busy,
smooth-pebbled beach)
Plage du Corton, Marseilles
Set within the fine beach area of Cassis, 32km southeast of Marseilles, the rock-strewn Plage du Corton boasts plenty of hidden places to stretch out in the sun to the sound of crashing waves. In times gone by, the region was plundered by swashbuckling pirates. Today the only rampages are stampeding tourists dashing for a bowl of deliciously garlicky Soupe de Poissons des Calanques (fish soup) before stocks run dry.
beach-lust rating
8/10
(a rugged sea-swept beach with lots of low-key wow)
Forum Plage, Nice
The rose-coloured dome of the Hotel Negresco has dominated Nice’s Promenade des Anglais on the Baie des Anges for almost a century. Pop into the grand wood-panelled Bar Le Relais to sip cocktails in velvet armchairs under swathes of tapestries and famous portraits – a pianist every evening offers the chance to croon along to Sinatra classics and watch Euro it-girls quaff champagne.
beach-lust rating
7/10
(but leave your flip-flops on the beach)
Plage du Prado at Point Rouge, Marseilles
Windsurfers rave about this section of the Plage du Prado, where the Avenue Pierre Mendès France meets the Avenue de Prado andstiff sea breezes fan the sand year-round. When all that tanning and beach volleyball gets too much, pop into the aptly named Bar David for a sundowner. Nearby, you’ll spot an imposing five-metre-high copy of Michelangelo’s famous statue of David in marble, presented to the city by sculptor Jules Cantini in 1903.
beach-lust rating
8/10
(a great place to settle in for the sunset, merveilleux)
Plage de Pampelonne, St Tropez
This hedonistic temple to exhibitionism on the Baie de Pampelonne (near St Tropez, a 90-minute drive from Nice) attracts a skimpily-clad moneyed crowd. Check out the fringing of bars, cafés, hotels and clubs where gorgeous spike-heeled lovelies, much like Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s, let it all hang out.
beach-lust rating
9/10
(nudity is rife, so leave your inhibitions at home)
Plage du Prado, Marseilles
Hangout with Marseilles’ beachgoers on this man-made beach enclave along the Avenue Pierre Mendès France, where a sweep of sand is packed with toned, bronzed bodies. Laid-back and unpretentious, the Plage du Prado’s rugged surfing crowd sets a mellow tone, on a coastal stretch popular with film crews scouting for the next chiselled-face male lead.
beach-lust rating
8/10
(don’t forget to workout in the gym first)
Villefranche Bay, Nice
Nice’s diving hotspots span an array of underwater caves and drops, in over 30 dive sites, almost all of them within 6km of the city centre. Red and blue tree-like coral, gullies, tunnels and caverns are some of the highlights of a region rich in sea-life. Daytime and night dives suit all levels – so even if you’re rusty, there’s a tour that’ll cater for you.
beach-lust rating
8/10
(with such a dizzying array of dives, you’ll be out on the water 24/7)
La Point Rouge, Marseilles
Marseilles’ prime diving spot is situated in an imaginary triangle between La Pointe Rouge, Planier Island and the Frioul Islands. Most charters depart from Corniche Kennedy and head out to deep water in Jacques Cousteau’s old stomping ground, amid colourful marine fauna and flora and shipwrecks of the Calanques and the archipelago.
beach-lust rating
7/10
(expect keen prices to make your euro-budget stretch)
Plage Port Grimaud, St Tropez
Even the most hopeless amateur snapper can get a decent shot of the Plage Port Grimaud, a long soft-sand golden strip only 7km from the city centre, on a backdrop of blue waters and dazzling million-euro yachts. Try the glitzy harbour for a snap of a decadent see-and-be-seen circuit, or stick to the beach where a high celebrity headcount ensures paparazzi year-round.
beach-lust rating
8/10
(is that Joan Collins behind that palm tree?)
Plage de l’Arène, Marseilles
Hemmed in by dramatic chalky white cliffs, the sparkling waters of the fjord-like Plage de l’Arène at Cassis, 32km southeast of Marseilles, encapsulates picture-postcard splendour. Stunning silver shale edges a tranquil green-blue contoured bay that is best snapped from on high between the trees.
beach-lust rating
9/10
(wow, wow, wow…)
Plage de la Garoupe, Nice
Although the French Riviera is synonymous with posh, private beaches, there are plenty of fine sands that needn’t drain your budget. One of the nicest is the Plage de la Garoupe at Cap d’Antibes, 20km southwest of Nice. The beach’s public area is now significantly larger, so there’s plenty of space in which to lay a towel. Stunning views and excellent facilities make this an enjoyable full-day hangout, with a coastal path that leads from the beach and loops around the Cap.
beach-lust rating
7/10
(see, even the commoners can enjoy great beaches)
Plage des Catalans, Marseilles
Don’t baulk at splashing out for access to this private beach: the great sand near the Palais du Pharo in the northwest part of the city is worth every euro. A good stock of beach umbrellas and sunbeds makes it a comfortable spot to laze away the day. There’s a first-rate selection of cafés and kiosks if you’re feeling peckish, and a scattering of volleyball nets makes this a sociable place to get together with friends – just bring a ball.
beach-lust rating
8/10
(social and sandy – an unbeatable combination)
Plage du Monte Carlo, eastern French Riviera
Once frequented by Princess Grace, the Plage du Monte Carlo sits on French soil on the Monaco border (just 13km from Nice) and is one of the Riviera’s most fashionable resorts. The beach itself adjoins the ultra-chic Monte Carlo Beach Hotel, from where designer bag-laden shoppers enjoy cross-border retail excursions for souvenirs, perfumes and jewellery.
beach-lust rating
9/10
(dig out the plastic and prepare for a splurge)
Plage du Prophete, Marseilles
This charming stretch of city beach is flanked by a handsome promenade, edged by some magnificent balconied buildings staggered into the hills. Head to the Quai des Belges at the Vieux Port for one of the city’s most colourful shopping spectacles, as local fishermen jostle for trade from makeshift stalls to sell their catch to passers-by.
beach-lust rating
7/10
(you’ve not lived until you’ve haggled over an eel)
GETTING THERE
bmibaby flies from Birmingham and East Midlands to Nice, and from Birmingham to Marseilles. Prices start from just £24.99 one-way, including taxes. Log on to www.bmibaby.com for more info and book a getaway in the sun!
