Portuguese man o鈥� war sightings force French beach closures Venomous species is often mistaken for jellyfish
Why some beaches and lakes are being closed in France Affected sites include some in Landes and Lot-et-Garonne
鈧�1 train tickets in France: budget travel to beach resorts draws crowds Hundreds of thousands of cut-price tickets are available on popular summer holiday routes in north and south
practical 鈥楬andiplages鈥� for disabled people in France: what they offer and where to find them Certain French beaches provide specially-designed wheelchairs that can be used on sand and in water
Beach in Gironde named cleanest in France: see how others rate Water quality praised in national ranking by environmental protection association
Hundreds of eels wash up on Brittany beach: area closed off Around 200 have been estimated to have washed up in the past two days alone
Why one Normandy beach has German deckchairs These 鈥榮trandkorbs鈥� are popular and often fully booked - and have history dating back to 1880s
Pebbles, shells, sand: hefty French fines possible for beach souvenirs Fines of up to 鈧�150,000 could make you think twice about taking a bit of the beach home
French watchdog publishes map of beaches where swimmers risk illness Find your nearest beach: the interactive map lets you search and zoom in, and shows a colour-coded legend of whether to avoid a beach or not
398 French beaches awarded 鈥榖lue label鈥� in 2024: map and list details Check the beaches near you - but beware, the absence of the label does not necessarily mean a site is 鈥榖ad鈥�
SEE: 3 French beaches named among most beautiful in world A guide to the top 100 includes the coasts of Corsica, Brittany, and Provence-Alpes-C么te-d'Azur
Moving letter from daughter to late father in US washes up in Gironde 鈥榊ou are my legend鈥�: The letter - well-sealed in a glass bottle - allowed the finder to trace the writer, 6,000 km away
Cigarettes to be banned on Nice beaches from next summer The mayor says the move is to preserve the health of both people and the environment
Giant 800-metre ant colony beneath beach in the south of France 鈥楬undreds of millions of ants鈥� have been building a megacolony below the sand dunes
Large numbers of jellyfish spotted on beaches in southern France Here is how to avoid them and what to do in case of a sting
Which beaches should you avoid in France this summer? The water quality at the vast majority of French beaches is deemed excellent. But there is still a small number to steer clear of
How to pick a clean beach in France Pick from one of the 511 beach award with a Blue Flag for cleanliness
These have been ranked France鈥檚 most environmentally friendly beaches They have been awarded the Pavillon bleu label, which recognises locations that 鈥榬espect humans and the environment鈥�
Manche鈥檚 colourful cabins: Good for Instagram but bad for the beach? The multicoloured beach huts on France鈥檚 northern coastline look great in photos and videos, but their rising popularity is causing concern to local authorities
The turtle hospital rescuing Loggerheads injured on French shores France鈥檚 Mediterranean beaches may become future breeding grounds for sea turtles but they are at risk of injury - from humans
Pollution: Complaint lodged over plastic microbeads on French coast The beads are used in plastic production industries and can cause severe, invasive pollution to nature. It is thought an industrial accident may be the cause
Dunkirk beach swimming resumes after E. Coli suspicion A spokesperson for the city's mairie says it is not known if the cause is linked with overflowing sewage water in the UK
Best beaches in France 2022: 鈥楤lue Flag鈥� sustainable list revealed The accolade recognises the beaches and marinas that have a 鈥榩olicy for the development of tourism that respects the environment and human beings鈥�
Green, yellow, red, purple: New safety flag system for French beaches It is hoped that the colour system will help to improve water safety
Masks: What are rules for beaches and campsites in France? Do I need to wear a mask at the beach or at an outdoor pool at a campsite in France?
COP26: New map shows 20% of French coast at risk from erosion Regions with sandy coasts are most at risk, data shows, with estimates suggesting that by 2100, as many as 47,000 homes could be affected
Beaches on Basque coast reopen after toxic risk from smelly algae ends Beaches closed on Basque coast and Marseille fishermen up in arms due to negative impact of non-native species on marine environment
Donkeys trialled as beach-cleaners at Pampelonne beach in Saint-Tropez The often-stubborn but effective animals began work at the start of the season and are used in the collection of around 100 litres of cigarette stubs and other waste from the white sand every morning
Danger of hidden currents for sea swimmers in southwest France A campaign is being launched to warn about the risks of ba茂nes - calm looking patches of sea common along the Atlantic coast - which can pull swimmers out to deeper water
France's 'Blue Flag' beaches revealed for 2021 43 new beaches awarded prestigious environmental label, with Occitanie having the most Pavillon Bleu honours
French police ask topless sunbather to cover up A woman sunbathing topless on a beach in France was asked by police to put her bikini top on after a family nearby complained. There is no law against topless sunbathing in France.
Naturist resort in France sees 鈥榳orrying鈥� rise Covid cases At least 150 guests have tested positive for Covid-19 at a popular naturist village in Cap D鈥橝gde in southern France, which health authorities have described as 鈥渧ery worrying鈥�.
France's undiscovered holiday locations France is a large country and parts of it are sparsely populated which, so soon after the coronavirus lockdown in France was lifted and travel permitted from other countries, makes them ideal holiday destinations.
France鈥檚 cleanest beaches for 2020 revealed A total of 401 beaches and 106 ports in France have been recognised for their cleanliness in 2020, by awarding body Pavillon Bleu .
French departments give 鈧�1m in summer tourist vouchers Two departments in France have proposed giving away up to 鈧�1 million in 鈧�100 vouchers this summer, in a bid to encourage visits to the area and revitalise the local economy.
Deconfinement in France: PM to outline second phase The French Prime Minister is to address the country this Thursday (May 28) to detail the second phase of deconfinement, including whether bars and restaurants will reopen, and if travel beyond 100km will be allowed.
French police crackdown on crowds at beaches and parks Beaches in north France have once more been closed due to reports of 鈥渦nacceptable behaviour鈥�, as deconfinement continues, with police also investigating crowded parks, stadia and funerals this week.
Gendarme's routine patrol blows up on social media 'Sunbather' on locked-down beach in France is not all she appears
Deconfinement in France: What is reopening when? The French government has announced more details on the planned schedule for deconfinement, which is set to start on May 11 and continue to September - including when parks, beaches and caf茅s will reopen.
Artist turns French beach into message for Australia Giant fresco of koala drawn on sand in Nouvelle Aquitaine delivers dual message - with a little help from passers-by
Inquiry into 100kg drug discovery on French west coast An inquiry has been opened after more than 700 kilograms of 鈥渉igh purity鈥� drugs - mainly cocaine - were discovered on the Atlantic coast of France in the past three weeks.
French beach closed after shark sighting Latest sighting came a few days after a similar shark was reportedly sighted off Gironde coast
French couple faces six years jail for sand 鈥榮ouvenir鈥� A French couple is facing up to six years in prison after trying to take home some sand from their holiday in Sardinia, Italy.
鈥�2,000 jobs at risk鈥� at private beaches Strict interpretation of 2006 decree forcing private beaches to reduce in size
French start-up installs urinals for women in Paris New female urinals created by a French start-up have been installed in Paris in a bid to cut long waiting times for women at public toilets.
Marseille defends beach safety after weekend closures Tests found the sea water was unsafe to swim, officials said
France warned over seaside shellfish dangers Holidaymakers in France are being warned over picking up their own shellfish and seafood from the seaside with a view to eating it later, as the risk of poisoning may be high.
鈥�2,000 jobs at risk鈥� as private beaches lose out More than 2,000 jobs are being lost on the Riviera鈥檚 private beaches as they reduce in size to conform with the law, says a hospitality union.
France alert to beach green algae after sudden death The danger of toxic green sea algae naturally found on the Breton coast has come into renewed question after an 18-year-old oyster farmer died suddenly on a beach.
France鈥檚 best beaches and leisure areas named for 2019 The best beaches and harbours in France have been announced, as the 2019 Pavillon Bleu list has named this year鈥檚 winners across the country.
Clean up on French beaches as oil slick reaches shore Over one hundred people in the Var (Provence-Alpes-C么te d'Azur) have joined together to clean up 16 km of beaches after the largest oil slick to hit since 1991 caused severe coastal pollution this week.
Loggerhead turtles in rare hatching on French beach Over 60 baby loggerhead turtles have hatched on a beach near Montpellier (H茅rault, Occitanie), becoming one of the only known cases of the species ever successfully reproducing in France.
Have fun at the beach but beware currents With around 150 deaths by drowning on French beaches last year, divided almost equally between the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, holidaymakers should beware the dangers and, if there are flags flying, do what they say.
France still 鈥榯ourism world champion鈥� as sector soars France is on track to stay 鈥渃hampion of the world in tourism鈥�, the government has said, as it confirms that the tourism industry grew in the first half of 2018 and had a record 2017, after two tough years.
French parents shield kids from sun more than own skin French parents protect their children from the sun far better than themselves, are likely to neglect their own sun protection, and may hold wrong ideas on the dangers of UV, a new health study shows.
Having to clean beaches is shameful France鈥檚 Pavillon Bleu was the world鈥檚 first blue flag scheme for clean beaches. Here, Samantha David finds out what coastal authorities have to do to be awarded the prestigious mark
Hot weekend brings sun and thunderstorms Summer is in the air as this weekend鈥檚 weather looks set to be hot and sunny across most of the country - despite some thunderstorms in certain areas.
Floating 鈥榮ea bins鈥� come to France鈥檚 ocean ports Floating sea 鈥渞ubbish bins鈥� that suck up rubbish in the ocean and improve seawater quality are to be adopted across the country after being successfully tested in the H茅rault (Occitanie).
Two mystery dolphins found washed up on Brittany coast Investigations are underway after two dolphins were found washed up on Brittany beaches this week for no apparent reason, at Perros-Guirec and Tr茅gastel respectively.
Thick white mousse washes up on Biarritz beaches Huge waves of white mousse have washed up on the Biarritz coast, after the region was put on M茅t茅o France orange alert for coastline flooding this week.
Winter storms cause severe erosion on Aquitaine coast The strong winter storms of Bruno, Carmen and Eleanor have had a significant impact on the Aquitaine coast, with some beaches seeing erosion of up to 13 metres.
Coastal clean-up groups also help to trace polluters Volunteers regularly clean up debris from France鈥檚 beaches along the Channel and Atlantic coasts but several also try to trace the origin of the tonnes of rubbish and, perhaps, work to stop it.
Deadly creatures wash up on Finist猫re shores Portuguese Man o' War stranded on beaches in north of Brittany department
Bottle 鈥榩ost鈥� is slow Holiday campsite owners in Normandy have been in touch with a nine-year-old American schoolgirl to tell her that the message in a bottle she threw into the sea from Florida had arrived.
New beach mat helps disabled visitors enjoy seaside A beach in Bouches-du-Rh么ne has come up with an innovative mat solution to help disabled beach-goers to access the sand and shoreline more easily.
Corsica nudist beach shooter is local caf茅 owner A shooting on a Corsica nudist beach was carried out by a disgruntled local businessman, police have confirmed.
Red tape grounds drone beach lifesaver Plans for a beach drone to locate swimmers in trouble and drop a life-belt to them have been grounded by bureaucracy.
How to protect against vive fish stings this summer If you have any seaside bathing planned this summer, watch out for the venomous 'weaver' or 'weever' fish (known as 鈥� vive 鈥� fish in French).
Burkini debate reignited by small-town ban The mayor of Lorette in the Loire has banned the burkini and the veil from a new outdoor pool in the area
