Brutal Beach (Plage de Bonnegrâce)

Brutal Beach is the nickname of the western end of Plage de Bonnegrâce in Six-Fours-les-Plages, a seaside town in the Var about 13 km west of Toulon. Bonnegrâce is the largest pebble beach in Six-Fours, and its Brutal Beach section catches waves when the mistral blows, so it suits surfers, windsurfers and wind foilers on windy days and families on calm ones.

1.2 km of pebbles split by jetties

Bonnegrâce runs for about 1.2 km along the Promenade Charles de Gaulle, split by small jetties, with cafés and terraces behind it. The ProvenceMed tourist office describes it as pebble. Brutal Beach is the stretch toward La Coudoulière. Between the jetties a roped-off swimming zone is set up in summer, and lifeguards watch the beach from May to the end of September.

Mistral waves and the nickname

Waves are rare on this part of the Mediterranean, but this end of the beach picks them up when the mistral blows hard. Surf guides say it works when the wind rises above about 60 km/h, and one local account credits the windsurfer Robby Naish with the nickname after the force of the waves surprised him. A local surf contest has drawn around 30 competitors in waves of 80 cm to 1.2 m. Beginners should come on days with lighter wind and cleaner waves, as a strong mistral makes the sea rough.

A marked dog bathing area

A marked dog bathing area is set aside on part of Brutal Beach. Dogs must stay on a lead and must not disturb other beachgoers, and category 1 and 2 dogs under French law are not admitted.

Sunbeds, showers and free parking

The tourist office lists restaurants, sunbed and parasol hire, showers, a defibrillator, a free car park and a pay car park. A bus stop is within 500 m. Access is free all year, and only the sunbed concessions charge. Seafront parking fills early on summer weekends, so arrive before 10 am. The westerly outlook makes the promenade a popular place to watch the sunset.