The seaside resort town of Carnon-Plage is one of the nearest to Montpellier (13 km away, around 15 minutes by car). It is the most popular local seaside resort among natives of Montpellier.
Here you can discover 7 km of fine sandy beaches which stretch from the port of Carnon to La Grande-Motte. The various beaches are well-loved by families as they boast a gentle incline, which makes swimming easier. The town centre’s beach is the best suited for children, as it boasts a playground on the beach and a kids’ club. This beach is also monitored. In this first zone, stretching from the Plage du Centre to the Plage Carnon-Est, you’ll find many little houses along the seafront (two floors maximum). The road is out of sight. From the Plage du Petit Travers, the environment is completely different. The houses are replaced with dunes, which make the area feel more rugged and wild. It's also the perfect place for lovers of kite-surfing. Indeed, the first kite-surf school in Europe was founded in Carnon. 

Located 10 km south-west of Montpellier, Villeneuve-lès Maguelone boasts 3000 hectares of preserved nature. From the sea to the marshland, it provides pure relaxation.
Its beach stretches out over 12 km and hasn’t seen any urbanisation (the Plage du Pilou is in the west and the Plage du Prévost is in the east). Every year it hosts an international kite-surfing competition: “Festikite”. The beach is accessible by bike or by bus from Montpellier. 
In Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, nature reigns supreme. Here you’ll find a mosaic of natural environments, between freshwater and seawater, where numerous remarkable species, particularly birds, come to reproduce or feed; here you’ll find such birds as pink flamingos, little egrets, shelducks, pied avocets, black-winged stilts, and sterns.

This former fishing village, located 20 minutes from Montpellier at the mouth of the River Lez, gets its name from the term “palus-avis”, which translates as “marshland of birds”. 
In Palavas-les-Flots, 7 km of fine sandy Blue Flag beaches are the backdrop for a wonderful day out for lovers of the sea. Here you can place down your towel for a lazy day, or be tempted by a spot of beach volleyball, jet-skiing or windsurfing, or perhaps even a dip in the sea. There’s something for everyone across the eleven beaches spread out along the resort's two shorelines.

Looking for a family resort, or to experience a wild beach? Discover all that La Grande Motte has to offer, just 30 minutes from Montpellier! 
La Grande Motte is renowned for its buildings shaped like pyramids designed by the architect Jean Balladur at the end of the 1960s. It offers an array of nautical activities, particularly around the Etang du Ponant, but there’s also a golf course, a tennis court, and a nautical centre. 
From the wild Plage du Grand Travers to family beaches like the Plage du Couchant, the Plage du Centre-Ville and the Plague du Point Zéro, there’s something for everybody at La Grande Motte with its 7 km of beaches!

Just 40 minutes from Montpellier, discover the seaside resort of Le Grau du Roi with its pleasure port, the number one in Europe for capacity!
Its most famous beach, the Plage de l’Espiguette is unique in Europe with its 10 km of sand seemingly stretching out to infinity. It is one of the greatest dune systems in the north of the Mediterranean basin, a stretch of natural sand free of any construction.
It is a sensitive natural environment with high ecological value, home to a unique array of flora and fauna. Holder of the European Blue Flag for more than 20 years like all the beaches in Le Grau du Roi, the Plage de l’Espiguette is ideal for a spot of horse-riding or learning kite-surfing.