La Ciotat
La Grande Plage at La Ciotat could be a beach you would want to avoid during weekends and holidays. It can be very crowded over there. But when you have the luxury to visit La Ciotat on a quiet moment, it is a nice Mediterranean kid-friendly spot (especially because of other another factor, see below…). La Ciotat its beaches are a combination of rocks and sand and the beautiful seawater keeps being shallow for lots of meters. The beach itself is very narrow though, that’s why it can be packed with sun lovers.
A factor that it is very comfortable is that the beach has several restaurants where you can treat your kid on a very desired cold drink or ice cream. At the beach you have a beautiful view over the pretty blue sea and the old harbor. A lot of people are stand up paddle boarding or practicing some other water sports, because there are some rental companies on the boulevard. Parking can be quite a pain here, so prepare yourself for a walk. If you are interested in a more large beach, check my blog about Plage Sainte Croix.
Besides the beach
Although this is not my preferred beach to go to with my kids, I recommend it because there is another very nice activity in La Ciotat. You could combine the two when you are not too well cooked at the beach. You would have to take the car to drive up here.
It is the beautiful new park called Parc du Domaine de la Tour. What a wonderful place the village created for small and bigger children. There is a pretty wooden playground surrounded with lots of grass to have a picnic on. You also find very new sports courts and a great skate park. To top it, your kids can cool down at the splashing fountains. A necessity on a hot day, because the many trees that were planted still have to grow to create shadow. The park is guarded and has very clean, free toilets. Across the free parking you find a boulangerie for emergency hunger. Just super, this mediterranean kid-friendly spot!
