Day 3298 (Friday) 19th June 2026
This is Fort Alban in Villefranche
And this is Plage Passable in Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat.
It was another glorious sunny day and we went to the port in Beaulieu to have lunch in the new café.
It was a lovely place to sit and people-watch and it was quite busy.
I love these whale’s tail benches.
and these pointus.
I was quite surprised to see this tsunami evacuation sign.
We shared a chicken tenders and chips washed down with a coke.
Beaches in France are public by law, so why are there so many private ones?
The law in France states beaches belong to the public, yet on many parts of the coast, especially the French Riviera, much of the pristine sand has been privatised.
Over half of the beaches in Italy (and often all the best ones) are private and you have to pay to get on them, and there are so many private beaches in Greece now that a ‘beach towel revolt’ kicked off in Paros in 2023.
In France however, things are different. Essentially it isn’t possible to own a coastal beach here.
What's the law then in France?
The glorious stretches of golden sand, the elegant grey pebbles, the dark red rocks, and glittering vistas of sparkling tidal beaches are all free for anyone to enjoy.
As set out in the Loi Litteral of 1986 and reinforced by a Décret in 2006, they are all publicly accessible.
"The “coastal” law of January 24, 1986 stipulates that access to beaches is generally free and open, as the beaches are mostly the property of the public domain," reads the government's website.
But despite this, the French Riviera is crammed with private beaches - or at least private sections of beaches.
And in La Baule - the famous Atlantic resort in Brittany western France, there are numerous private beaches along the 5km stretch of sand, where the public can lounge on a deckchair.
The authorities in La Grand Motte in the southern département of Hérault are currently battling to prevent more businesses setting up shop on the beaches.
So if beaches are all meant to be free for everyone, why are parts the pristine sand in private hands?
Legally speaking access to all the coastal beaches in France has to be free, and a substantial strip (3-5 metres) of beach at the water’s edge has to be left unencumbered.
But with the agreement of the local mairie, concessions can be granted by the local préfecture for a period of up to twelve years (renewable).
Around 1,500 of these concessions are currently in force on beaches all around France.
Businesses can only operate for 6 months a year unless they have special permission, and in theory must not occupy more than 20 percent of a natural beach, or 50 percent of an artificial one.
But in practice, especially on the non-tidal Mediterranean coast, businesses tend to inch their way down the beach leaving an ever-slimmer space for public access.
Atlantic versus Med - what are the differences?
Those who have frequented beaches all over France might have noticed a difference between the Atlantic coast - where privatised segments of the beach are not as common - and the Mediterranean coast when deckchairs and umbrellas for paying customers are widespread.
On the Atlantic coast, you'll mostly find restaurants (widely spaced out), not right on the beach, or facilities for water sports.
Meanwhile, on the Mediterranean coast, there will be rows of sun loungers separated from the rest of the beach, sometimes by partitions.
So how can we explain the difference? Turns out, it's a class issue.
“With the rise of seaside holidays and the fashion for hot baths and sunbathing, the upper classes acquired second homes on the Mediterranean coast. An elite form of tourism then developed on the French Riviera,” Grégory Salle, a researcher at the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) told Ouest France.
On the west coast however, coastal developments were more aimed to promote mass tourism, he explained. So, the population frequenting the beaches were not the same.
“This was part of a strategy to distinguish the upper classes,” explains Salle. “It’s a way of cultivating what we call exclusivity and distancing themselves from the working classes.”
Isabelle Bruno a researcher from the University of Lille adds: “There’s also a topographical factor, given the length and depth of the beaches on the Atlantic and Channel coasts are much greater than on the Mediterranean, where beaches are less accessible.
"This contributes to making it a more elitist place,” she says.
The weather also plays an obvious role, the experts say, with the Riviera seeing far more sun than the Atlantic coast.
Then there's the tides, which are more pronounced in the ocean.
Mediterranean beachgoers can place deck chairs close to the sea without too much risk to their equipment being submerged when the tide comes in, or having to move. They can stay in one place and soak up the sun.
What do private beaches offer?
Private beaches vary. Some offer safe supervised spaces filled with bouncy castles and other games where parents can leave their children for a few hours.
Some offer sporting facilities like volleyball or trampolines. Others offer raked sand and sun-loungers/parasols; others add in wind breakers, safe lockup boxes, or even four-poster double beds with white gauze curtains wafting in a gentle breeze.
Facilities include fresh water showers, changing rooms, and lavatories. And services can include ordering refreshments from your lounger.
When it comes to prices, private beaches along the western sections of the Mediterranean coast, parts of the Atlantic coast, and most of the North coast, are very reasonably priced, but others, particularly along the Riviera, can be eyewateringly expensive. Some are operated by beach front hotels and in practical terms access is only for hotel residents.
Prices also depend on what you hire. A sun-lounger and a parasol for a day can be as little as €15 per day on a low key beach in Hérault, and it is often cheaper to pay for an entire week in advance.
On the Riviera however, prices can run up to €75 euros per person per day for a sun-lounger and a parasol – which has less to do with the cost of providing these amenities and more to do with reserving certain parts of the beach for the ultra-wealthy.
Lake beaches
Lake beaches are different. Since lakes can be privately owned in France, access to their beaches can be paying.
Usually entrance is just a few euros, with sun-loungers etc priced separately. Owners say the prices charged defray the cost of providing sanitary facilities, up-keeping parking areas, and paying for rubbish disposal.
There are very often also free municipal beaches around lakes and reservoirs, offering free life guards, showers, lavatories, and a first aid station. You just pay if you decide to indulge in something like hiring a pedalo, going on a boat ride, or buying refreshments.
There are of course also beach bars, ice cream shacks and restaurants on coastal beaches and seafronts in all France’s holiday beach resorts too, although access to these isn’t usually paying.
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