Espiguette
Excellent

The King of Languedoc's beaches, Espiguette stretches for kilometre after kilometre of fine sandy dunes. This beach is big enough to find your own space, no matter how many people are there. The walk from the car park can be as long as you want - but the further you go, the more nude and then more gay it becomes. There are no buildings near by, but in summer the odd drinks seller will pass by. Finish your day here with a drink at nearby Aigues Mortes.

Vendres
Good

Vendres is one of the more hidden beaches, despite being just below busy Valras. It has quite a wild feel, and is very straight and long. Unfortunately, you can see the concrete of Valras in the distance and the sand is a little gritty, but its large and remote enough for you to feel you've escaped. There's a quite good beach club with restaurant on this beach.

Les Aresquiers
OK

This must be Languedoc's thinnest beach - being only perhaps 10m wide in places. It's quite pebbly and a little claustrophobic, but is away from any of the coast's ugly buildings and feels quite wild and remote. It's quite popular with anglers, who line up their rods along the shore.

Cap D'Agde's 9 beaches
OK to Excellent.  - 

There are nine beaches in the Cap d'Agde area (see map at top of page), ranging from small coves (Plage de la Conque and La Plagette) through to long stretches of sand 14 kms (the nudist beach, Plage de Richelieu and Plage de Rochelongue). Each of the beaches has a parking area nearby but the beaches are only backed by footpaths, so are not plagued by traffic noise. Unusually for this area, there is a rocky headland with magnificent views to Sete in one direction and the Pyrenees in the other.

Serignan
Excellent

Like Portiragnes and Vendres, Serignan feels more remote and wild, with a grassy sand bank hiding the few buildings that sit behind the beach. You can just see Cap D'Agde in the distance and the etang (inland lake) borders the north end of the beach. The restaurant behind the sand bank offers simple meals. You can also rent miniature ponies for kids to ride on. Serignan is quite popular in summer - so gets crowded. To get to the nude beach, turn right at the Ranch St Jean just before you get to Serignan - and follow the signs.

Portiragnes
Excellent

Remote and relatively wild, Portiragnes is a lovely beach, with fine sand and practically no views of ugly commerce. It's smaller than the huge Narbonne beaches - and so feels more intimate. DOG FRIENDLY - The only beach in summer with a dog-friendly area.

Maguelone
Good

Further down the coast and away from the built-up mass beaches of Palavas and Carnon we find Maguelone. The beach is relatively slim but quite long, and is very popular with nude bathers and gay men. It's quieter than the big Montpellier beaches. Parking is free if you're prepared to walk - whereas paid parking is quite close to the beach itself. A beach bar/restaurant offers sun loungers and umbrellas for a price.

Gruissan
Good

Gruissan is a popular seaside resort village with a ruin on top of a hill above the village itself. Its beach is really a continuation of the massive, wide stretches of sand that start at St Pierre. Like Narbonne and Mateille, it is extremely flat and wide, and feels very open. It does benefit from being further from the ugly buildings of Narbonne Plage, and is right next to a popular sailing port, where you can rent wind surfers.

Le Grand Travers
OK

Between the big urban beaches at La Grande Motte and Carnon (Montpellier) is a long, very flat strip of beach named 'La Grand Travers'. It's quite close to the road, and you'll be spoilt to a charming view of 1960's high-rises and cranes building yet more concrete apartments in the distance. It does, however, offer on-beach restaurants and night clubs between May and September. The end closest to Carnon is called Le Petit Travers, and is the closest beach to Montpellier - it's quite a popular beach in winter for joggers and people with kids and dogs.

La Grande Motte
OK

La Grande Motte is a huge and very famous seaside resort that, in summer, is absolutely crammed with hundreds of thousands of eager holiday makers. It's not a particularly up-market sort of place, with rather ugly concrete high-rise apartment blocks looming wherever you go. The beach here is not very big either, and so gets absolutely packed in summer - but it's well served with restaurants and amenities and activities for children.

La Franqui
Excellent

Very popular with wind surfers, La Franqui's beach is large and wide, with fine sand. There are two beaches, one just in front of a sweet village, and one further up the coast that is bordered by the sea on one side, and the etang (inland lake) on the other. The result is a long strip of 2-sided beach. It's windy here (thus the wind surfers) with pretty surroundings and relaxed, friendly restaurants.