Plages des Flots Bleus Beach, Saint Laurent du Var

If you want to feel smooth soft sand between your toes then hire a sun lounger at Cocody Beach Club; they have covered their private stretch of shoreline in fine white sand.

Parasols are arranged along the peninsula so you can sunbathe surrounded by lapping waves and they have a bar and restaurant where you can dine under the shade of palm trees - what could be nicer?

This pebble beach is situated along a lively promenade and harbour, with a main road and the town centre nearby.

The Plage des Flots Bleus is classified as a "handi-plage", meaning it has facilities for disabled swimmers; as well as an amphibious buggy for assisting people in and out of the sea there is also an audio device to guide people with eyesight problems. Lifeguards are on duty from mid-June to mid-September.

The beach is naturally pebbly but a small section of it is covered in sand at the start of the summer; it usually lasts a couple of months before it's washed away by the tide. The rest of the beach is the usual grey pebbles that are typical of the Riviera; slightly unattractive but not too rough on the feet.

At the east end of the beach (nearest to Cap 3,000) is the watersports centre where you can hire paddle boards or learn how to windsurf. There is another watersports centre near to the Cocody Beach Club which has jet skis and parachutes, or if you head along to the port you can book a boat trip around the bay.

Saint-Laurent-du-Var is very easy to get to and buses stop all along the seafront, take the no.200 that runs between Nice and Cannes. The train also stops nearby and is about a 15=minute walk from the beaches.

You can even cycle there using the Vélobleu bikes that are stationed all along the coastline from the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.