The Best Perpignan Beaches

Nobody actually swims in Perpignan itself, the city sits about thirteen kilometres inland. The best Perpignan beaches are really a string of resorts along the Roussillon coast, the sun-baked Mediterranean coast of Europe where France meets Spain, and they are some of the easiest beaches in the south of France to reach without a car. The closest Perpignan beach is Canet, the prettiest is Collioure, and windsurfers head north to Leucate. Below are eight of them, ordered by how far they sit from the city, with how to reach each and what each is good for. Written and checked in July 2026.

Where are the Perpignan beaches, and how do you reach them?

Perpignan’s own nearest beach, Canet-Plage, is about thirteen kilometres east and runs a frequent city bus, roughly 30 to 40 minutes for a euro or two. For the beaches further south, Argeles and Collioure, the cheap TER trains down the coast are quickest and drop you a short walk from the sand. The northern spots, Le Barcares, Leucate and La Franqui, are easiest by car or by train to Narbonne and a local bus. Everything is in euros, and a hire car is only really worth it if you want to hop between several in a day. The Perpignan’s tourist office has current bus times.

Canet-en-Roussillon (Canet-Plage), the closest

Canet, officially Canet en Roussillon, is the closest Perpignan beach and where the city goes to swim, which is both its strength and its catch. It is a nine-kilometre run of fine sand with shallow, gentle water, a promenade of cafes and a big marina, and it is the easiest day out because the bus runs straight there from the city. In July and August it is busy and built-up rather than pretty, but for families who want sand, ice cream and a safe paddle within half an hour of the centre, it is the sensible pick.

Saint-Cyprien Plage, long sand and a big marina

A little further south, Saint Cyprien has one of the largest marinas on the coast and a long, wide beach that rarely feels packed even in summer. The northern end is the quiet, open-sand stretch for a towel and a book, while the centre has the shops, restaurants and the marina buzz. It catches the wind, so you will see kitesurfers, and on a clear day the Pyrenees sit right behind the beach.

Argeles-sur-Mer, the family resort

Argeles sur Mer is the camping capital of the coast and the point where the flat sandy shore gives way to the rocky Cote Vermeille. It is a proper resort, seven kilometres of Blue Flag beaches, a busy harbour at Port-Argeles, and rows of restaurants and shops, so it suits families who want everything on tap. It is about 25 minutes by train from Perpignan. Come for the facilities and the long sand, not for quiet.

Collioure, the prettiest stop on the coast

If you visit one beach near Perpignan, make it Collioure, even though its beaches are small. This old fishing town is the loveliest thing on the coast, a bell tower rising straight out of the water, a royal castle on the harbour, and steep lanes of ochre houses. Matisse and Derain painted here in 1905 and more or less invented Fauvism on these quays, so there is an art trail to follow, and the town still cures its famous Collioure anchovies. The coves are shingle and get crowded, so go early, swim, then give the afternoon to the town, the castle and a plate of anchovies. It is about 30 minutes by train.

Le Barcares, wide sand and a beached ocean liner

North of the city, Le Barcares is a straightforward family resort with more than eight kilometres of broad sand backed by a pine forest and a bike path. Its oddity is the Lydia, a real ocean liner that was hauled up onto the sand in 1967 and now sits in the dunes as a landmark and events venue. There is a port with jet-ski hire, mini-golf and the usual holiday machinery, and in December the seafront runs a Christmas market. It is a car or bus trip rather than a quick hop.

Torreilles Plage, the wild, duney one

For a beach that still feels natural, Torreilles is the pick, a broad strand backed by real sand dunes and a nature reserve rather than a resort. It draws fewer people than Canet, the views run to the Pyrenees, and there are a couple of simple beach bars at the back. It splits into three sections, the River Agly meets the sea at the north end, the central Plage Centre is the main one, and part of the southern beach is reserved for naturists. The 12A bus from Perpignan runs out to it.

Leucate and La Franqui, for wind and kite sports

The northernmost beaches, around Leucate and La Franqui, are the coast’s wind country, which is exactly why boardsports people love them. La Franqui hosts the Mondial du Vent each spring, one of Europe’s big windsurf, kite and sand-yacht gatherings, and Cap Leucate’s low cliffs and oyster beds give it more character than the flat resort strands. If you do not sail or surf they can feel breezy and exposed, so they are a specialist pick rather than a lazy-swim beach.

Which beach should you pick?

Here is how these beaches in the south of France stack up, with distance from Perpignan and what each does best.

When should you go, and what can you skip?

Aim for June or early September, when the sea is warm but the campsites and car parks are not yet heaving, and treat July and August as the hot, crowded peak. Two things worth skipping. You do not need a hire car unless you plan to string several beaches together in one trip, the bus and TER trains cover the main ones cheaply. And do not spend a whole day baking at built-up Canet if pretty is what you are after, ride the train the extra twenty minutes to Collioure instead. On a cooler day, the things to do in Perpignan itself, its walled old town and the Palace of the Kings of Majorca, make a fair inland fallback.

The short version, take the bus to Canet if you just want sand and sun, and the train to Collioure if you want the coast at its best. At VayCay Couple we would happily spend a week working through the lot.

FAQs