The Western French Riviera offers many hidden sweet little beaches, in addition to famous ones such as Pampelonne beach behind Saint-Tropez or even La Nartelle by Sainte-Maxime or Saint-Raphael's Plage du Veillat.

You'll find many of them along the coastline between Saint-Raphael and Agay. 

One of my personal favorite is Plage de la Pescade. I'm not the only one to think so, so this isn't an entirely secret beach. 

Why is this an AzurAlive Best Beach?

First, it's environment is simply gorgeous. The rocky shores that surround this sandy beach are an auburn red color that comes to life and glow in the evening under the setting sun. The sea gently laps ahead, and purrs in the distance along the rocky sides of the beach.

It's relatively sheltered, depending on where the wind blows.

It's family-friendly and children often get to make friends with other beach explorers lucky enough to have found this place. You'll find all generations on this beach, from great-grand parents to the little ones.

Note the La Pescade is not overseen by lifeguards even during the summer months. If you are keen on the watchfull eyes of lifeguards, consider La Peguiere or the Veillat beach in Saint-Raphael. 

You'll find no snack bar or restaurant on the beach here, and no transat rental. This is the raw deal, the wildish beach, a non-commercial just the sea kind of a place. You will find a small "Spar Casino" grocery shop across the street towards Boulouris.

If you enjoy swimming out around the rocky side of the beach, I recommend you bring a pair of water shoes. These are essential for children who enjoy roaming around. They're very useful for adults too if are like me and enjoy exploring the areas such as La Pescade that are untamed and do include the region's pebbles and rocks and not just sand.

Water shoes are available at the Spar Casino close-by if you need them.

La Pescade does have one little fresh water shower so you can clean the sand off your toes before leaving. There's also a portable toilet (in a  Mediterranean light blue colour to blend with the elements).

Where is the beach La Pescade?

You'll find it in Boulouris, just east of Saint-Raphael on the Western side of the French Riviera. 

Weather was briefly overcast and heavy with imminent rain this morning, giving a shiny grey luster to sea and sky. Even our beloved Plage de la Tortue beach around Saint-Raphael was shining like polished metal under these cloudy skies.

Rain poured in a very narrow section of town early in the afternoon, giving way to clearer skies once again. Typical tropical storm of the Western French Riviera!

Plage de la Tortue in Boulouris, between Saint-Raphael and Agay on the Western French Riviera is one of our favorite beaches on the Western French Riviera. Check out our article on this fantastic little beach of fine white sand. And access information on all of our favorite beaches under "Best Beaches" in the category cloud in the right-side column.

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The Palladio beach club is a simple, fast, friendly and non-pompous beach restaurant in Boulouris, on the Western French Riviera close to Saint-Raphael.

What makes it a best beach?

The beach is rarely crowded. You can actually spread your stuff all over the place, and it won't bother anyone.

The restaurant's atmosphere. This is a relaxed (for the customers that is, waiters go 100 miles per hour), friendly beach restaurant.

Food is very decent. The venerable cheese-burger is on the menu, with its generous helping of chips/fries and its little green salad. But Palladio also offers a half-dozen composite salads, ranging from the exotic thai salad with chicken to the carpaccio.

It's reasonable in price. A "plat du jour" costs between 12 euros for grilled sardines, to 14 for a generous salad or 20 for fish. A children's menu 8 euros. 

And the beach?

The beach is of golden rough sand, not the fine white powdered stuff next door, but perfectly fine.

The restaurant rents plush lounge chairs with their parasols, for 5 euros an hour, 12 euros for a 1/2 day and 16 euros for a full day from 9AM to 6PM.

You can swim in the shallow waters which are sheltered by a reef formed by an ancient lava flow, which makes it a good choice for families. You will need to wear water shoes as rocks abound. Water is usually pristine. The only downside is when the wind blows onshore, small waves will break on the reef making the waters choppy, but that could be your thing.

The beach is not under the watch of a lifeguard. That's usually the case for smaller secretive beaches in this area. 

Where is this beach?

Palladio is in the seaside resort town of Boulouris, between Saint-Raphael and Agay on the Western side of the French Riviera in the Var region of France. It is right next to Plage de la Tortue.

Reach it by train, stopping at the Gare de Boulouris  station.Reach it by bus from Saint-Raphael (AggloBus bus 5, not a very frequent line but convenient for access to lots of beaches) or of course by car (park by the seaside road if you're lucky or in the Boulouris "Parking de la Gare" open lot).

Any other beach you recommend on the French Riviera?

We have a long list of favorite beaches on the French Riviera. Consult the "Best Beach" category on the right and scroll through the list for a taste of what the region has to offer.

Adjacent to it is La Plage de la Tortue, another favorite beach, but with a different more upscale vibe. 

And if you're interested in hiking in the region between Saint-Raphael and Hyeres (short hikes from 2 hours to half-day), take a look at this unique hiking guide to the Western French Riviera: 

The eastern side of the French Riviera is beautiful, vibrant, cultural, but the western side of the Cote d'Azur is where you'll find the best beaches...

Here's a beach we love, Plage de la Tortue. We've talked it about it before in an 2007 post, but we have to mention it again as a "Best Beach" on the Western French Riviera.

What makes it a best beach?

Plage de la Tortue imports tons of fine soft white sand and the scenery is gorgeous: red rocks of the Esterel around, lush green of parasol and maritine pines, deep blue of the sea, lapping waves just beyond the tip of your toes and this powdery white soft sand. Pure pleasure for all senses.

The beach is rarely over-crowded, which is a real plus on the French Riviera in the middle of summer.

The white-sanded part of the beach is part of a private beach club. You can rent your plush lounge chair with parasol for a half-day or a full day. Current (2015 fees) = Morning 1/2 day costs 9 € from 9AM to 1PM, afternoon 1/2 day 14 € from 1PM to 7PM. Full day 19 € from 9AM to 7PM.

The restaurant next door serves decent food, especially good with seafood even if fish is inevitably the more pricy option on the menu. They often serve the day's fresh local catch with sea bream, sea bass and even swordfish on occasion. If you're looking for a simpler alternative, the restaurant serves lots of creative salads too.

Where is Plage de la Tortue?

Plage de la Tortue is in the seaside resort town of Boulouris, between Saint-Raphael and Agay on the Western side of the French Riviera in the Var region of France.

You can reach it by train, stopping at the Gare de Boulouris train station. You can reach it by bus from Saint-Raphael (AggloBus bus 5, not a very frequent line but convenient for access to lots of beaches) or of course by car (park in the Boulouris "Parking de la Gare" open lot)

We've talked it about it before in an 2007 post, but we have to mention it again as a "Best Beach" on the Western French Riviera.

The eastern side of the French Riviera is beautiful, vibrant, cultural, but the western side of the Cote d'Azur is where you'll find the best beaches...

What makes it a best beach?

Plage de la Tortue imports tons of fine soft white sand and the scenery is gorgeous: red rocks of the Esterel around, lush green of parasol and maritine pines, deep blue of the sea, lapping waves ahaead and this powdery white soft sand. Pure pleasure for all senses.

The beach is rarely over-crowded, which is a real plus on the French Riviera in the middle of summer.

The white-sanded part of the beach is part of a private beach club. You can rent your plush lounge chair with parasol for a half-day or a full day. Current (2015 fees) = Morning 1/2 day costs 9 € from 9AM to 1PM, afternoon 1/2 day 14 € from 1PM to 7PM. Full day 19 € from 9AM to 7PM.

The restaurant next door serves decent food, especially good with seafood even if fish is inevitably the more pricy option on the menu. They often serve the day's fresh local catch with sea bream, sea bass and even swordfish on occasion. If you're looking for a simpler alternative, the restaurant serves lots of creative salads too.

Where is Plage de la Tortue?

Plage de la Tortue is in the seaside resort town of Boulouris, between Saint-Raphael and Agay on the Western side of the French Riviera in the Var region of France.

You can reach it by train, stopping at the Gare de Boulouris train station. You can reach it by bus from Saint-Raphael (AggloBus bus 5, not a very frequent line but convenient for access to lots of beaches) or of course by car (park in the Boulouris "Parking de la Gare" open lot)

Best Beaches of the Western French Riviera

Continuing on our week-long review of the best of Saint-Raphael on the Western side of the French Riviera, we reveal another lovely little beach...

The jagged coastline between Agay and Saint-Raphael hosts a large number of small, intimate beaches where families love to go for their generally shallow waters and protected coves. When the offer the best protection against wind and rougher seas too (depending on their orientation).

We have a howling wind today.  Our little gem of a beach has relatively quiet waters.

It's called La Plage du Val-Fleuri and it sits in Boulouris, to the east of Saint-Raphael.

Why we like it?

It isn't overly crowded (though I may have ruined it!). It's petite like a jewel with clear transluscent waters and with open views to the Med. It's very clean.

To the east, you can see a rocky island with its doll-sized tower plopped in its center, all adding to the mystery of the place. You can easily drift into thinking you have landed in pirate's remote paradise.

What's my favorite may not be yours... Val Fleuri has plenty of rocks, and not just sand. I highly recommend you get yourself a pair of plastic water shoes (sold at the local beach market across the street - in 2015 around 15 euros) before getting in the rocky side of the beach. 

It's small, but so charming... No lifeguard is on duty.

Boulouris offers a small grocery store called Casion across the main street and a handful of shops and bakery inside the village. Plage de La Tortue beach is right next door with its restaurant on the beach. However, there's nothing on the beach itself.

Some folks prefer long wide beaches with lots of people around, a few restaurants, restrooms, that sort of thing. If this is what you are after, try Plage du Veillat in Saint-Raphael for its very central location.

Where is it?

You can easily access this beach by car from Saint-Raphael, following the coastline road heading to Agay. Look for a parking spot when you reach the stop light in Boulouris, with L'Olympe restaurant on the left-hand corner. 

By bus from Saint-Raphael, look for AggloBus 5, 8 or 10 from Saint-Raphael's main "Gare Routiere" bus station and stop at the "Mairie Annexe de Boulouris" stop on Boulevard des Mimosas. You will walk up a few steps on Boulevard des Mimosas and turn right at the roundabout to Rue Valrose heading down slightly towards the sea. Cross the seaside road or Route de la Corniche and you will see a sign on a little street that points to the sea and to Plage du Val Fleuri. 

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The jagged coast between Saint-Raphael and Agay hosts a number of coves and beaches, some of them with sand.

One I enjoy for swimming is the Plage d'Arene Grosse. Actually, it's just beyond that beach, immediately after the Port of Boulouris as you head east.

Why do I love this beach?

In general, it's far less crowded than the better-known public beaches nearby such as the beaches of Saint-Raphael, Frejus or even Agay. Few visitors know about it, unless they're staying in Boulouris right next door.

Because the beach faces the open sea rather than a sheltered cove, the water is usually very clean. You can check the current water quality status at the entrance by the port of Boulouris as water samples are taken and analysed regularly all summer long.

The other thing that may keep some beach-lovers out are the rocks. Most of the beach is sandy, but under the sand lays layers of rocks stretched flat. They create a gentle surf as the sea breaks on the rocks.
While they're not sharp, you'll probably be more confortable wearing water shoes. Personally, I wear fins as I love to swim beyond the reef to the open waters.

Where is the beach?

If you don't have a car, it's a walk from St Raphael to reach it, though a very pleasant one if you decide to take the coastal path instead of the main road. That probably keeps many folks away.

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Tahiti Beach is essentially the northern tip of the very long (in full, 5 km) stretch of beach on the St Tropez peninsula called Pampelonne Beach between the Cap du Pinet and Pointe de la Bonne Terrasse.

La Plage de Pampelonne is famous for its beach clubs such as Nikki Beach, Club 55, and others where plush mattresses and cool drinks line up facing the Mediterranean. 

I like Tahiti Beach but it is less glam than its adjacent sister on Pampelonne Beach. Tahiti's beach restaurants are more down to earth than the bigger names further south. 

Like all beaches here, Tahiti Beach offers a free section of public beach. The public beach sits between the private clubs, the larger free section being south of Tahiti Beach, the club. You can spot it on the map below. No one will offer you a beach mattress & parasol on the free section, but no one will ask you for money either. 

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Le Débarquement beach isn't for everyone.

Why? It is a pebble beach, not a sandy one. What's more, pebbles here are large rolling ones, more like rounded rocks which makes it impossible to comfortably lay down and lounge on the beach with just a towel. And getting out of the water back to the beach is a wobbling stumble upwards. 

So why did the Plade du Débarquement at Le Dramont make it to our list of favorites?

• Its large pebbles keep the some of the crowds at bay. This evening on July 15th, the beach felt deserted and we had no trouble finding space to spread out. Note that this is likely to change as the summer rolls foward all the way to mid-August as the beach is close to a number of campgrounds.
  
  
• Its seaside promenade along the rocky shores further out towards the Poussaï port makes for a great seaside stroll or a longer exporatory hike. 
  
  
• It offers showers, public bathrooms and large shaded picnic area. A reasonable beach-side restaurant called Restaurant La Plage de l'Ile d'Or serves salads & burgers and a 'Plat du Jour" that will not tear your wallet to pieces (currently 10€ for a very generous daily special - children's menu available).
  
  
• Next to the restaurant, a friendly outfit rents out stand-up paddles, pedal boats and kayaks for added fun. They rent plush transats with mattress and parasol too. Open in July & August.
  
  
• There's plenty of FREE parking in the large open lot above the beach (when it isn't overly crowded, of course). 
  
  
• The water is the clearest I have seen thus far this season along the coast. Probably, once again, thanks to the pebbles. Pebbles can be nice. 

Tips?

• Bring your water shoes as you will appreciate them for comfort getting in & out of the water.
  
  
• If you have young children or generally prefer the added safety of a lifeguard, stay in the designated swimming area which is fairly narrow in the centre of the beach.
  
  
• The beach can whip up waves and froth on windy days as it is open to the sea. 

Where is La Plage du Débarquement?

Plage du Débarquement at Le Dramont sits between the resort towns of Saint-Raphael and Agay. 

For specific location & directions, take a look at the below Google map.

More Info

Restaurant de la Plage de l'ile d'Or. Phone: 04 94 83 00 06. 
Cabane de Plage for kayak, stand-up paddles, pedal boats & transat rentals. Open in July & August only. Phone: 06 37 23 50 50

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So your pooch has brought you along on his smashing holiday to southern France's French Riviera? A true friend.

Now comes the hard part: finding a beach you can both enjoy.

While many dogs live in the French Riviera, few go to the beach. They may stroll along many promenades, ramble in the country side, play in a number of open parks, but not often go to the beach.

There are a handful of beaches where dogs are "tolerated" while on leash. In peak summer season, the tolerance dims. But July and August are not ideal months for a dog on a beach, especially during the day - it's hot and dogs are constrained in a small area between howling humans. 

Here are a few French Riviera beaches which currently tolerate dogs, on a leash and accompanied by a human carrying a poop-loving plastic bag:

• Cagnes-sur-Mer -- from the hippodrome to Villeneuve Loubet.
• Menton -  Only on the Reine Astride promenade to the left of port de Garavan; on the promenade du soleil in front of the casino and at the mouth of the Gorbio river.
• Roquebrune-Cap-Martin - Only on the beach between Roquebrune and Menton.
• Villefranche-sur-Mer - On the Marinières beach.
• Fréjus - On the Esclamandes beach.
• Sainte-Maxime - Plage de la Garonnette and Plage des éléphants, on leash