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Côte d'Azur (the French Riviera) is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeastern corner of France, extending from Menton near the Italian border to the east to Hyères in the west (about 50 km east of Marseilles). Côte d'Azur contains many world famous seaside resorts like Nice, Cannes and Saint-Tropez.
To the west of Marseilles and all the way down to the Pyrenees and the Spanish border is a long, mostly flat coastline with with sandy beaches. This coastline is located in the Languedoc region. The major cities in this area are Montpellier, Nimes, Narbone, Sete and Perpignan. There are several resorts along the long sandy beaches, and a modern tourist infrastructure. Among these resorts are Cap d'Agde, Palavas and Norbonne Plage, but there are many other. These beaches and resorts are very popular among the French. In high season in August, there can be very crowded, but at other times there are often plenty of space.
The west coast of France faces the Bay of Biscay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is noted for its sudden, severe storms and strong currents. The coast can be split up in three main areas, with Brittany furthest to the north, Côte de Lumière (Coast of Light) stretching from Brittany down to La Rochelle and Côte d'Argent (Silver Coast) with wide sandy beaches all the way down to the Spanish border. There are several resorts along this coastline, most notably Biarritz, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) north of the Spanish border.
Corsica, the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is located 170 km south of Côte d'Azur on the French mainland. The island's climate, mountains and coastlines make it popular among tourists. Tourism is particularly concentrated in the area around Porto Vecchio and Bonifacio in the south of the island and Calvi in the northwest with glistering beaches and bays.
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