Best place/port for a beach day?

Will be on a Regents cruise in May. Assuming it will be warm enough to lay on the beach, what port area would be the best to have a beach day? Antibes, Marseille, Port-Vendres or Valencia, Spain?

We have never been to this area so any advice on a beach would be great!!

Will be on a Regents cruise in May. Assuming it will be warm enough to lay on the beach, what port area would be the best to have a beach day? Antibes, Marseille, Port-Vendres or Valencia, Spain?

 

We have never been to this area so any advice on a beach would be great!!

DW and I are long time beach lovers and not sure we would consider any of those ports as a great place for a beach day. But if we had to make a choice we would likely opt for Valencia...where they do have real sand. Folks need to understand that Europeans will lay on a pebble beach and call it a decent beach :(. When it comes to the French Riviera, DW and I used to book hotels in Cannes because there are some sandy beaches in that city. But east of Cannes, it is really hit or miss as to whether you will have a pebble beach, sand, or a combination of both. What many Europeans consider a "beach" would not attract anyone in North America. Sorry to my French friends, but when I walk on the more then 7 mile sandy beach of Kiawah Island, SC....I sometimes laugh when I think of our time on the south French Coast.

Hank

I agree that the beaches don't look like the sand us North Americans are used to in Florida;p.

From some of my research it looks like Antibes or the area of Cassis near Marseille might give us the beach day we are looking for?

We will also stop at Mallorca if that might be better?

I agree that the beaches don't look like the sand us North Americans are used to in Florida;p.

From some of my research it looks like Antibes or the area of Cassis near Marseille might give us the beach day we are looking for?

We will also stop at Mallorca if that might be better?

If you are stopping at Palma you can take the train to Soller and the tram to the Port of Soller. You need a full day but it is an easy DIY and combines an excursion with a beach.

There is a sandy beach at Antibes and even a longer stretch of sand at Juan-les-Pins just west of Antibes. However, there is a lot more of interest to do in this area and I would not waste it on a beach day if that is your first time in the area. You should also remember that this is not the Caribbean and that the water will be cold in May in the Mediterranean. Yes, it can be warm enough to lay on the beach, but you will not do much swimming. Why don't you plan on some sightseeing and include a nice lunch break at one of the beach restaurants in any of the four ports you mention?

PS - Antibes is at about the same latitude as Portland, Maine. Valencia is at about the same latitude as NYC. Yes, the Mediterranean keeps the climate warmer than the Atlantic, but just the same, it is NOT the Caribbean!

Agree with marazul and mskaufmann:

it would be a waste of resources to go for a beach day in one of the four mentioned ports.

But as you have Mallorca on your itinerary as well, then that's your best bet for a nice beach day (and it's probably also the warmest of them all) - and of course there are closer beaches then that soller beach mskaufmann mentioned:

Search for "La Ribera" or "Arenal" about a two mile long and sandy beach.

As has been said, May is not the height of the beach season -so you could combine a couple of hours on the beach with some sightseeing. We have done this in Valencia (wonderful beach) Palma and Cannes. I think we must have used the ship shuttle inValencia and explored the old town before getting a local bus to the beach.

In Palma there is a bus stop outside the port - get off in the. Town center, walk to the magnificent cathedral and a beach is not far away. We then walked back to the ship - a bit of a trek though. There probably is a shuttle to a more touristy beach from the port - but we have done this several times and it is a relaxing enjoyable day.