Cannes Crowned France’s Most Photographed Beach, According to Visitor Data

12 hours ago

Plage de la Croisette in Cannes has been crowned France’s most photographed beach, according to new data released by memory curation app Popsa.

Analysing the metadata of millions of customer photos uploaded in 2025, Popsa assigned each beach a Photo Index Score reflecting the relative volume of photos taken there - and Cannes’ most famous stretch of sand scored a perfect 100, placing it ahead of rivals from the Riviera, the Channel and the Atlantic coast.

Plage de la Croisette’s position at the top of the rankings will surprise few. Those who have strolled its sun-drenched promenade are often compelled to capture the sweep of its golden sand that meets the waters of the Mediterranean, framed by grand hotels. Every May, the beach becomes the backdrop to the Cannes Film Festival, drawing attention to it as one of the world’s great coastal photography locations. The Croisette’s top score confirms its status as France’s single most photogenic beach destination.

Pampelonne near Ramatuelle, on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, comes second with a score of 86. Its powder-soft sand, clear turquoise water and Riviera charm make it one of the most stylish beaches in France. Brigitte Bardot famously put it on the map during the filming of 1955’s And God Created Woman, and its photographic appeal has continued since.

One of the most notable findings from the data is the strong rankings of French beaches on the northern Channel coast - a region often overlooked in favour of the Riviera and Atlantic.

Third place is Étretat in Normandy (score: 80) - a different beach altogether to the top two. Just two hours from Paris, its pebble shore is sandwiched between towering chalk cliffs, punctuated by rock arches and sea-carved needles that rise above the water. It’s coastline landscape is so captivating that artist Claude Monet produced more than 80 paintings of it.

With its vast west-facing beach and Art Deco architecture, Plage De Touquet in Pas-De-Calais ranks fourth (score: 67). A favourite amongst British travellers, Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie were both regulars. Its beach is nearly 7km long and at low tide becomes a playground for land yachts - a sport associated with Le Touquet for more than a century.

In joint fifth place (score: 63) are the two top ranking Atlantic coast beaches - Plage De La Baule in Loire-Atlantique and Les Sables-d’Olonne in Vendée. The former is one of Europe’s longest beaches; the 9km arc of sand links two harbour towns and offers everything from kitesurfing to horse riding. The latter is best known for the Vendée Globe yacht race, as well as its south-facing Grand Plage that shelters from prevailing winds and is perfect for long summer days.

“France has one of the most photographically varied coastlines in Europe, and this data captures exactly how visitors are responding to it,” says Liam Houghton, CEO of Popsa. “Cannes topping the list is no surprise - it’s a beach that has been a byword for glamour for decades. But the strength of Étretat in third, and Berck Plage in the top ten, tells you that travellers are increasingly finding their most memorable shots away from the obvious destinations.”

The Top 10 Most Photographed Beaches in France