Languedoc Beaches - the good, the bad and the ugly

Most visitors to the Languedoc-Roussillon in the south of France head for the coast at some point in the visit. Whereas the region's coast might disappoint when it comes to gorgeous coastal scenery - it hits the jackpot when it comes to beaches. In fact, whereas Provence and the Côte d'Azur offer mostly small, pebbly beaches, the Languedoc offers mile upon mile of mostly unbroken stretches of sand - ensuring that even on the busiest of August weekends, you never feel the crush.

The lay of the land

Languedoc's sea beaches - from mass market stretches to intimate coves

Languedoc's beaches start with the massive and very wild Espiguette, the longest beach in the south of France, which stretches on into Provence. It's basically the southern edge of The Camargue - an enormous area of sand dunes that tumble into the Mediterranean. Here you won't find or even see any buildings, so it's the perfect place to go if you're intent on escaping everything. Languedoc's beaches then carry on down the coast of this part of the south of France, past towns and villages and the salt lagoon 'etangs' - endless, flat stretches of sand, sometimes scarred by ugly holiday developments, sometimes remote and wild, until you get to the pretty town of Collioure just south of Perpignan. It's here that the Côte Vermeille begins (where the Pyrénées fall into the sea) and where the coast starts to undulate creating more intimate coves shimmering with turquoise waters.

Of course, most think of the 'sea' when it comes to beaches. But we've devoted just as much time researching the region's river and lake beaches. They offer a great alternative to the salt-water variety, promising more shade and often more privacy, and are generally located in prettier areas than the flatter coast.

Something for everyone

The Martian landscape of Lake Salagou offers some great beaches

We highly recommend you read both our Sea Beaches page as well as our River & Lake Beaches page. Between them they should offer you every conceivable beach-option you can think of in this part of the south of France - from family-friendly seaside beaches with bouncy castles and inexpensive restaurants, to remote Languedoc beaches perfect for nude bathing - whether it's on the coast or on the strange shores of Lake Salagou. We've rated each beach overall - but also noted the setting, facilities and accessibility of food and drink for each of the beaches we visited. This section of the site also lists the best of Languedoc's beach restaurants and bars on offer. Each summer, these pop up like mushrooms all along the coast, from swanky all-white hipper-than hip eateries to down-to-earth family-friendly restaurants serving burgers and fish.