Long sandy beaches, orange rocky coves, transparent waters… La Ciotat offers a magnificent choice of places to swim or sunbathe.
Here’s our selection of La Ciotat’s most beautiful beaches, with photos and tips for planning your stay.
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
The beaches of La Ciotat
La Ciotat is one of the Côte d’Azur towns with the best choice of beaches.
You can enjoy:
- to the south, calanques of orange-red rock
- in the middle of sandy beaches with gentle slopes
- to the east, a beach of flat rocks
It’s one of the most beautiful bays in the south of France!
1. Figuerolles cove
Why we love it
The Calanque de Figuerolles in La Ciotat is a natural wonder. This is one of our favorite beaches on the Côte d’Azur.
Nestled between steep cliffs and surrounded by lush Mediterranean vegetation, this calanque offers breathtaking scenery from the moment you reach the top of the stairs. Its crystal-clear waters and pebble beaches make it ideal for swimming, snorkeling and relaxing in the sun.
The Figuerolles cove is also famous for its spectacular orange-red rock formations. We loved the show!
See our article dedicated to the Calanque.
Advice
- 20 min walk from the port of La Ciotat, southwards
- A parking lot 5 minutes’ walk away, but not very large
- Pebble beach
- Unattended
- Ideal for snorkeling
- A restaurant along the access road
2. Calanques de Mugel
Why we love it
In the same corner of La Ciotat’s rocks, we discovered the other calanque, with 2 beaches, one large and one small. The calanque is a little less spectacular, but offers a beautiful view of Île-Verte and plenty of space for swimming.
The water is azure and transparent, ideal for spotting fish, sea urchins and starfish.
You can also take a stroll around the park to enjoy nature right next to the city.
Advice
- 20 min walk from the port of La Ciotat, southwards
- 5-minute walk to parking lot
- Pebble beach
- Unattended
- Ideal for snorkeling
- A restaurant on the beach
3. Light Beach (Handiplage)
Why we love it
La Ciotat’s best-known beach is Plage Lumière.
To the north of the old port, there’s a string of sandy beaches. In this area, the slope is gentle, making swimming and children’s activities easy.
We really liked the pretty shape of the cove and the large sandy area.
It’s also a beach with all the Handiplages facilities. They have plenty of chairs for the physically disabled, but also cater for the mentally, hearing and visually impaired).
Advice
- In the heart of the city
- 20 min walk from the old port
- Sand beach
- Gentle slope
- Supervised beach
- Non-smoking beach
- We recommend parking at the marina parking lot (15 min. walk) on the town side, or at the Saint-Jean Post Office parking lot (15 min. walk).
WHERE TO STAY IN La Ciotat
Option 1: Old port side
Enjoy the charm of the old town, the port and all the restaurants.
We recommend..:
- Best Western Vieux-Port Hotel with rooftop pool – see prices, photos and availability
Option 2: Beach side
With sea views and direct access to beaches. We recommend..:
- Aparthotel A Deux Pas de L’Eau – see prices, photos and availability
- Hotel Rose Thé – prices, pictures and availability
4. Grande-Plage
Why we love it
Following on from Plage Lumière, with just a promontory in between, lies Grande-Plage. It offers similar characteristics (fine sand, gentle slope, clear water) plus a few beach restaurants and deckchairs for hire.
Together, the two beaches provide an excellent area for swimming laps!
Advice
- In the heart of the city
- 20 min walk from the old port
- Sand beach
- Gentle slope
- Unsupervised section
- Non-smoking beach
- We recommend parking at the marina parking lot (15 min. walk) on the town side, or at the Saint-Jean Post Office parking lot (10 min. walk).
5. Plage des Capucins / Cyrnos
Why we love it
Still in the same area, Plages Des Capucins and Cyrnos are a little closer to downtown. They offer a slightly different visual effect, as the sand is mixed with fine orange gravel.
In our opinion, this is the most photogenic beach in the area, with a beautiful contrast of colors.
Advice
- East of the city
- less than a 30-minute walk from the old port
- Sand and gravel beach
- Gentle slope
- Supervised section in season
- Non-smoking beach
- We recommend parking at the marina parking lot (20 min. walk) on the town side, or at the Saint-Jean Post Office parking lot (10 min. walk).
OUR TPS FOR RENTING YOUR CAR IN Provence
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is powerful enough (the roads are steep) but compact (some passages are narrow).
- Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
6. Plage Nautique (from Port Saint-Jean)
Why we love it
A little further east, just off Port Saint-Jean, don’t miss the tiny cove with its fine sand and transparent water.
It’s not big, but that’s part of its charm.
In season, a hut is available to rent deckchairs and kayaks.
Advice
- East of the city
- 30 min walk from the old port
- Sand beach
- Gentle slope
- Unsupervised section
- We recommend parking at the marina parking lot (20 min. walk) on the town side, or at the Saint-Jean Post Office parking lot (10 min. walk).
7. Plage Saint-Jean aux roches plates
Why we love it
It’s not a typical beach, but for us who love rock formations, it was a real favorite. This hidden beach is accessible via a small alley. You can land on large slabs of rock laid in scales.
To swim, you’ll need shoes because of the rocks, but who wouldn’t want to float in this transparent water with one of the best views over the bay of La Ciotat.
Advice
- East of the city
- 40 min walk from the old port
- Unsupervised beach
- We recommend parking at the Saint-Jean Post Office parking lot, a 10-minute walk away.
8. Calanque de Seynerolles (Île-Verte)
Why we love it
L’Île-Verte has 3 small beaches. The most popular (and our favorite beach) is Seynerolles. We love the way the rocks surround the little bay, making it ideal for snorkeling. For us, it’s one of La Ciotat’s most beautiful beaches.
It’s a very small area of sand and the rest of rocks.
Advice
- Take the boat shuttle from the old port (15min)
- Once on the island, take the path to the south (left) to reach the beach: 15min walk approx.
- Take walking shoes and anything else you may need
- Wild beach
9. Calanque La Plageolle (Île-Verte)
Why we love it
On the north side of Île-Verte, you’ll find another tiny beach with turquoise waters. It’s closer to the pontoon, about a 5-minute walk, and offers lovely views over La Ciotat.
Advice
- Take the boat shuttle from the old port (15min)
- Once on the island, take the path to the north (right) to reach the beach: approx. 5min walk.
- Take walking shoes and anything else you may need
- Wild beach
A LITTLE MORE patience
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10. Plage Saint-Pierre (Île-Verte)
Why we love it
And if you don’t feel like walking, as soon as you arrive on the island, at the end of the pontoon, there’s a beach at the foot of a restaurant. It’s a pebble beach with a fairly steep slope.
Advice
- Take the boat shuttle from the old port (15min)
- Wild beach apart from the restaurant
11. Liouquet beach
Why we love it
This beach isn’t really for sitting on or swimming, but it should please geology enthusiasts.
The Liouquet beach is a pebble beach accessible by stairs from the corniche. The right-hand section is off-limits due to the risk of a landslide. But it does offer an interesting view of the rocks.
Advice
- East of La Ciotat
- 15min drive
- A few parking spaces along the narrow road
- Wild beach
PLAN YOUR STAY IN La Ciotat
- Things to do in La Ciotat
- Best hotels to stay in La Ciotat
- Best restaurants (coming soon)
- La Ciotat’s most beautiful beaches
- Tour de l’Île-Verte (coming soon)
- Calanques de Figuerolles
