Plage de la Grande Côte, Beach on the Atlantic coast, France
The Plage de la Grande Côte is a long sandy beach on the Atlantic coast of France, shared between the communes of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer and Les Mathes. It is backed by dunes and a pine forest, and it offers areas for swimming, beach sports, and walking along the water's edge.
The beach was once a working spot for fishermen from Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, who came here to haul in nets and dry their gear. During World War II, bunkers were built along this stretch of coast, and several of them are still visible in the sand and dunes today.
The Grande Côte beach has a section called Plage des Combots, which is the only stretch along the so-called Côte Royale where naturism is officially allowed. This part sits in the middle of the beach, between the two communes of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer and Les Mathes, and feels noticeably quieter than the rest.
The beach is reached via the RD25 road and has a dedicated parking area nearby. In summer, a lifeguard post, restrooms, and supervised swimming areas are available, but outside the season the site has fewer facilities.
Between mid-June and mid-September, a roughly 400-meter stretch is officially set aside for sand yachting, while outside that period the activity is allowed across the whole beach. This makes it one of the few beaches on the French Atlantic coast with a dedicated sand yachting zone.
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