Active Pursuits

Of course, most visitors come here to have fun on the beaches. The best ones (some rock, some sand) are between the Vieux Port and Santa Lucia; stands rent watersports equipment on each beach.

The closest to the town center is the Plage du Veillat, a long stretch of sand that's crowded and family friendly. Within a 5-minute walk east of the town center is Plage Beau Rivage, whose name is misleading because it's covered with a smooth and even coating of light-gray pebbles that might be uncomfortable to lie on without a towel. History buffs will enjoy a 7km (4 1/2-mile) excursion east of town to the Plage du Débarquement, a partly pebble-and-sand stretch that was hurled into world headlines on August 15, 1944, when Allied forces overran the southern tier of occupied France, bringing World War II to a more rapid conclusion. Today expect relatively uncrowded conditions, except during the midsummer crush.

St-Raphaël's answer to the decadence of nearby St-Tropez is most visible in the municipality's official nude beach, the Plage de St-Ayguls, 10km (6 miles) west of the town center. Surrounded by thick screens of reeds that thrive along the marshy seafront, it's a short, clearly signposted walk from the heart of the simple fishing village of St-Ayguls.