Desert Island Discs, Robinson Crusoe, Castaway, they all have a lot to answer for when it comes to finding the perfect beach; the ideal is that there should be nobody there, and you can stroll along on the soft white/yellow sand enjoying the turquoise sea all by yourself. There are plenty such beaches in France, and it seems that where there are no ice cream kiosks, there are no people either. On Brittany’s Emerald Coast, just west of Saint Malo, we found some glorious stretches of sand, with gentle waves and fantastic rock pools and so it was a joy to explore these and the more chic resorts for The Guardian Read the feature here. If you go, just remember to pack a picnic.
We found similarly empty beaches (in fact, even more remote) on the west coast of Normandy’s Cotentin Peninsula, which I wrote about for The Times
Though certainly not remote, there are some great beaches down in the Basque Country too, so take a look at the articles in the South-west France section of my site, particularly Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Biarritz.
And if you don’t mind sharing the sand – these should fit the bill Best Beaches in France – The Times and Best beaches in Europe – the Guardian