Best Beach Near Aix-en-Provence

We've tried four beaches in driving distance from Aix.

Cassis, while a cute little village, has a pretty limited, rocky beach. Nonetheless, it was crowded. Close to Aix, it is the default choice when you want to go somewhere that has a little shopping, decent restaurants, activities (boat rides to the Calanques), and a beach. To sum up: Cassis is the close-to-Aix, multi-activity destination.

Bandol is pretty much the start of the French Riviera, and while a little further away, the contrast with Cassis is clear. The water is bluer and the whole town's emphasis is on the beach and beach culture. Parking is tight (as it is everywhere on the coast) but doable. The beautiful long beach is full of people, but there is room for everyone. Parking is paid, but available. To sum up: Bandol is the sophisticated, beach only destination.

Les Lecques (the beach part of Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer) is in between Cassis and Bandol, and has a very long, sandy beach. It is more family oriented than Bandol, though certainly still diverse, and feels a little more like a "local's beach" than Cassis (touristy) or Bandol (holiday destination feel). To sum up: Les Lecques is the diverse, local place to go.

St. Croix is a beach to the west side of Marseilles (nearest small town is Sausset-les-Pins -- take D9 to D49, left as soon as you cross the railroad tracks on Routes des Bastides, follow the beach [plage] signs.) We learned about St. Croix from a family in Luynes we befriended because our children attended the same art school there. This one rates as truly a find. There are only locals (and mainly Scandinavian tourists staying in the nearby camp ground) split between two nice white sand beaches. We got there about 10:30 am, and there was free parking with a bit of a walk and paid parking (2.2 Euro) that put us just steps from the beach. The beach on the right as you face the water biases slightly toward the teen, and the one on the left biases toward family, bit each has a mix. Both are delightful, with great sand, pretty water that stays shallow for a long ways, and enough space to feel comfortable (though still somewhat crowded -- this is no secret from the locals.) Our two youngest were able to walk out for many yards in the water safely, and enjoyed the small waves and clear water. You can rent umbrellas and pedal boats, and there are a couple of restaurants and snack bars on the bluff above. This is clearly the best family beach we've found. To sum up: St. Croix is the best family beach in driving distance from Aix-en-Provence.