Beaches & the sea In Occitania, the preserved Mediterranean

Argelès-sur-Mer, Laurent LACOMBE - OT d'Argelès sur Mer

Leucate, J.BELONDRADE - Office de Tourisme de Leucate

Crique de la côte vermeille, G.DESCHAMPS

Leucate, Christine Chabanette

200 km of unspoilt beaches and clean sea! The Occitania coast is ideal for taking it easy and a swim. Unspoilt nature in Camargue, long stretches of golden sand from La Grande Motte to Argelès-Sur-Mer, creeks at Cap d’Agde or on the Côte Vermeille near Collioure: here, the Mediterranean is preserved, guaranteeing you great holidays with your family or friends.

From Le Grau du Roi to Argelès-sur-Mer

Fine sand, wide-open spaces and peaceful bathing

All along the Languedoc coast, from Espiguette beach (near Le Grau-du-Roi) to Racou beach (Argelès-sur-Mer), you can enjoy our large, long and wide sandy beaches, sometimes with dunes.

The waves can be gentle to attractively strong depending on the wind (Tramontane, sea wind or Mistral). You enter the water down a gentle slope, since the continental plateau is wide and not very deep. The deeper waters are over 10 Km from the coast: plenty of room for you to splash about with your family!

Argelès-sur-Mer

Top tip

Guaranteed holiday weather in Occitania: record sunshine levels, a clean sea (the vast majority of beaches have the Blue Flag label), and water temperatures rising to 24°C in summer.

From Argelès-sur-Mer to spanish border

Sheltered creeks and small beaches

On the Catalonian coastline, from Argelès-sur-Mer to Cerbère (at the Spanish border), the landscape changes. You can enjoy the sunshine and swim in the sea beside small sandy or pebble beaches. They are often sheltered from the wind by rocks or cliffs. To get there, you sometimes need to follow steep or craggy footpaths.

The waves are not high, and there are no strong currents near the beach. On the other hand, the continental plateau is narrow and sloping: you can find depths of 60 m less than 2 km from the coast, to the delight of fans of scuba-diving.

Anse de Paulille sur la côte vermeille, Christine Chabanette

With a disability

The Tourism and Disability label is given to sites with facilities for people with reduced mobility (Tiralos, beach wheelchairs, etc.) or visually impaired people (loudspeakers) to swim. Ask at Tourist Offices for more information.

Did you know ?

Cap d’Agde is the European capital of Naturism with 2 km of beaches and a large number of adapted facilities. The eastern part of Espiguette beach in Camargue, and several spots between Maguelone and Frontignan, are also "non-textile" beaches.

Réserve marine de Cerbère-Banyuls, Didier FIORAMONTI

Swimming and much more besides

Are you a good swimmer? Then whatever your age, set out on an underwater adventure with a minimum of equipment (diving mask, snorkel and swimfins) in spots where the water is shallow and there are no waves. Snorkeling is the ideal way to see the rich underwater flora and fauna along the Côte Vermeille. For your first experience we recommend the wonderful Cerbère-Banyuls underwater trail. You can also explore the rocky creeks of Paulilles Bay, near Port-Vendres.

How to get there?

By car: the beaches are never more than 30 minutes away from the A9 motorway exit between Nîmes and the Spanish border.
By plane: in all seasons the Nîmes, Montpellier, Béziers, Carcassonne and Perpignan airports have flights from a large number of French and European cities.

By train or bus: Montpellier, Nîmes, Béziers and Perpignan have high-speed train services.