French Beaches

Photo by Thomas Krull
© All Rights Reserved

There are many places in the world where you can find better beaches, but it’s unlikely you’ll find another place where you can have as much fun. Exquisite wines, scantily clad ‘demoiselles’ and some of the best dining on earth. Who can compete with that? "Viva la France!" And if you’re headed for a French beach, it's most likely that you're headed for the Mediterranean.

Notorious for its swimsuit styles, or absence thereof, the Mediterranean coast has become a mecca for rich, famous and free spirited souls who shed their worldly vestments for a purer form of existence. While this phenomenon is still the exception rather than the rule, even along such a liberal coast, it does lead to some intriguing mental extrapolations about the future.

The Côte d'Azur with its trendy hangouts is the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of French beaches. These are places where one goes to be seen, as much as they are places to see. La Croisette Beach at Cannes and Beaulieu-sur-Mer fall into this category, but come in a distant second to St. Tropez, which has taken the art of 'exhibition without inhibition' to heretofore untested heights. Where else in the world can one sit in a public bar sipping a glass of wine...in the buff?

"No shirt, no shoes...no anything!!??"

The French beaches on the Côte Vermeille near the border with Spain are a better choice for those whose interests tend more toward nature than display. The beaches here are larger, have better sand, better water, do not get as crowded and in general are - how shall we put it tactfully - less jaded by the excesses of the tourist trade. You can do anything here you can do along the rest of the coast, but the pace is slower and the social swirl less frenetic.

For an even more authentic leap back to nature, try Saleccia on the island of Corsica. While it may take some effort to get there, the reward is worth it.

"A little more sunscreen, please."

Click Photo to Enlarge Photo © David Kay - Fotolia.com