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Excellent: 2512Good: 535Sufficient: 123Not classified: 96Poor: 112
⚠️ Rated Poor in France — think twice
A Poor classification means persistent contamination across recent seasons. Authorities must advise against bathing, or ban it, at these sites.
- Acomat Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Allier Rive Gauche Base Canoe Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Alzu di Gallina Poor ⚠ Rated Poor within the last 3 seasons
- Amont Du Stade Poor ⚠ Rated Poor within the last 3 seasons
- Amont Retenue Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Anse de Toullain Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Arene Grosse Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Arfeuille Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Baie de la Vierge - Pont Roux Poor ⚠ Rated Poor within the last 3 seasons
- Baignade Amenagee Lac de Badech Bagneres de Luchon Poor 🆕 New site — not enough seasons for a track record
- Baignade Lac Baron Desqueyroux Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Bain Des Dames Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Bassin Balance Langevin Poor ⚠ Rated Poor within the last 3 seasons
- Beach Club Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Bercy Poor 🆕 New site — not enough seasons for a track record
- Bois-le-roi - Base Régionale de Loisirs Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Bon Secours Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Borely (champ de Courses) Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Boulogne Centre Plage Poor ⚠ Rated Poor within the last 3 seasons
- Bras de Grenelle Poor 🆕 New site — not enough seasons for a track record
- Bras Marie Poor 🆕 New site — not enough seasons for a track record
- Camping Municipal de Belcastel Poor
- Camping-plage Du Fleckenstein Lembach Poor ⚠ Rated Poor within the last 3 seasons
- Crique Morpio Poor ⚠ Rated Poor within the last 3 seasons
- Dibennou Poor ⚠ Rated Poor within the last 3 seasons
- Drome Centre Die Poor ⚠ Rated Poor within the last 3 seasons
- Drome de Beaumont a Luc En Diois Poor
- Eden Roc Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
- Etang D'isle Poor
- Etang de Berlange (woippy Plage) Poor 📉 Going the wrong way — used to be Excellent
…and 82 more. Full list across Europe →
✅ The safest bets in France
Sites that have held the top rating five seasons in a row — not a one-year fluke.
- La Planche Baron Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Etang de la Varenne Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Etang Intercommunal _ Zone Bain Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Lac Kir (plage Est) Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Lac de Chour Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Saint Florentin - le Trou Gallimard Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- La Plage Des Grangettes Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Plage Du Lac de Remoray Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Baignade Du Lac - Plage Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Poste de Surveillance Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Franceville Plage Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
- Le Home Excellent ✅ Excellent five seasons straight
📈 Turned around
These were rated Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago and are Excellent today.
- Etang Du Moulin Naudin Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
- Anse de la Visiere Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
- Horloge Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
- Annoville - Face Au Cd Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
- Le Rivage de Quettehou Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
- Porce Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
- Piscine Du Quai Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
- Nanthouar - Penn an Hent Nevez Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
- An Aod Vraz Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
- Pors Garo Excellent 📈 Turned around — was Poor or Sufficient a few seasons ago, Excellent now
📍 Destinations in France
- Nice
115 excellent of 178 within 35 km - Cannes
109 excellent of 166 within 35 km - Brest
92 excellent of 131 within 35 km - Toulon
76 excellent of 106 within 35 km - Saint-Tropez
77 excellent of 90 within 35 km - Saint-Malo
64 excellent of 85 within 35 km - Ajaccio
59 excellent of 79 within 35 km - Marseille
52 excellent of 75 within 35 km - La Rochelle
60 excellent of 72 within 35 km - Perpignan
62 excellent of 67 within 35 km - Biarritz
55 excellent of 63 within 35 km - Montpellier
57 excellent of 59 within 35 km - Annecy
40 excellent of 45 within 35 km - Deauville
16 excellent of 28 within 35 km - Bordeaux
4 excellent of 4 within 35 km
Common questions about swimming in France
Is it safe to swim in France?
Mostly yes. 77% of France's 3,378 officially monitored bathing sites hold the top "Excellent" class in the 2025 assessment, but 112 sites are rated Poor — bathing there is advised against or banned all season.
Which beaches in France should I avoid?
The 112 rated Poor: Acomat, Allier Rive Gauche Base Canoe, Alzu di Gallina, Amont Du Stade, Amont Retenue, Anse de Toullain and 106 more. Poor means the site failed the minimum standard across four seasons of sampling.
Where is the water cleanest in France?
2,064 sites have held the top rating five seasons running — a far better signal than a single good year. Around Nice, Cannes, Brest you will find the densest clusters.
How often is water quality tested in France?
Through the whole bathing season. National sanitary authorities sample each official site for E. coli and intestinal enterococci, report to the European Environment Agency, and the published class reflects the last four seasons combined.
Ratings are the official season-long classification, computed from the last four seasons of sampling — not a live reading. After a storm any site can be temporarily worse; local advisories win.