Plage de la Nartelle

Plage de la Nartelle is a long sandy beach on the coast road from Sainte-Maxime toward Saint-Aygulf, about 4 km from the centre of Sainte-Maxime in the Var. It suits families on calm days, surfers and windsurfers when the east wind blows, and anyone interested in the August 1944 landings, as a restored Sherman tank stands beside it.

Fine sand, beach clubs and free public sections

The fine sand suits children, and restaurants and beach clubs alternate with free public sections. Showers, toilets, beach volleyball courts and a nautical base serve the beach, which is cleaned regularly. A bus stop lies within 500 m on the coast road, and the beach is accessible to wheelchair users with assistance.

Operation Dragoon and the 2nd Cuirassier stele

On 15 August 1944, during Operation Dragoon, Allied forces landed on this stretch of coast. A stele in the La Nartelle district honours the French 2nd Cuirassier Regiment, whose tanks the tourism board says were the first to reach Sainte-Maxime that day.

For decades the hull of a Sherman tank surfaced from the sand after heavy storms. In December 2011 the town removed it for safety reasons. The tank, weighing about 30 tonnes, was kept underwater in the port for several weeks to slow corrosion, then cleaned and treated. It was reinstalled near the beach at 61 Avenue du Général Touzet du Vigier on 23 October 2013, in a ceremony with town councillors and veterans' associations, and can be seen free every day.

East-wind waves and calm-day hire

When the east wind blows, the beach gets waves for windsurfing, surfing and bodyboarding. In calm weather, paddleboards, kayaks and pedal boats can be hired, and operators offer water skiing, wakeboarding and towed rides.

Free access, 2026 lifeguard dates and the dog ban

Access is free every day; you pay only for club loungers, food and equipment hire. In 2026 lifeguards were on duty every day from 12 June to 13 September, with an extra hour in the evening in July and August. Dogs are banned from La Nartelle all year except guide and assistance dogs. Parking along the coast road fills early in July and August, so arrive in the morning, before the beach clubs fill.