Hyeres · FR

Plage de la Madrague

Plage de la Madrague is one of the small, intimate coves tucked around the fishing harbour of La Madrague at the tip of the Giens peninsula, a short drive from the centre of Hyères. Where the long, famous Almanarre beach next door goes about its business in wide-open windswept style, La Madrague feels more like a secret: a band of fine sand blended with pale pebbles, fringed by pine, set in an undeveloped natural landscape with no buildings crowding the shore. What draws families back here is the water. The seabed stays shallow for some 200 to 300 metres, so children can wade out safely, while the clarity runs high and the colour turns turquoise — a quality that, paired with the little uninhabited Îlot de la Redonne lying just off the beach, also makes it a favourite spot for a mask and snorkel. Out across the bay the view sweeps over the roadstead of Carqueiranne, the Redonne islet and the Saint-Mandrier headland.