Plage des Sablettes (La Seyne-sur-Mer)

Plage des Sablettes is a public town beach of fine blond sand on the southern coast of La Seyne-sur-Mer, west of Toulon in the Var. It runs for a little more than a kilometre along the Promenade Charles de Gaulle and faces two rocks called the Deux Frères. It suits families from the Toulon area, swimmers and snorkellers, and evening strollers in summer.

Fine sand and the Deux Frères rocks offshore

The sand is fine and the water clear. Offshore stand the Deux Frères, the Two Brothers, two rocks near the Cap Sicié peninsula and a landmark of La Seyne-sur-Mer; divers and snorkellers explore the seabed around them. Several private beaches serve lunch and dinner on the sand. Because it is the main beach for the Toulon area, it fills on hot weekends and in school holidays.

Razed in 1944 and rebuilt in the 1950s

The Sablettes isthmus closes the Toulon roadstead, and with the neighbouring Tamaris corniche it was a popular seaside retreat from the 1860s until the Second World War. German forces razed the hamlet in spring 1944. Between 1950 and 1953 the agency of the architect Fernand Pouillon rebuilt it as a planned resort, with public spaces, shops and larger, low-cost homes for the former residents, in about 18 months of building work.

Night markets, concerts and fireworks in summer

Night markets, concerts and fireworks take place in the park and on the promenade in summer, and dinner with your feet in the sand is possible at the private beaches. Out of season the promenade still makes a pleasant walk.

Mar Vivo to the west, Saint-Elme nautical base to the east

To the west the beach continues as Mar Vivo, about 1 km away, also supervised in season with toilets, showers and restaurants. To the east, the Saint-Elme district has the municipal nautical base, a diving club and hire of kayaks, paddleboards and windsurf boards.