Plages du Prado (Escale Borely)

The Plages du Prado form Marseille's largest urban beach complex, a string of sand and lawn sectors about 3.5 kilometres long in the 8th arrondissement, around six kilometres south of the Vieux-Port. The Escale Borely sector, at 142 Avenue Pierre Mendes France, is the liveliest and most family-oriented of them. The beaches are artificial, created in the 1970s using rock excavated during the building of the metro, and they combine sand, pebble-free grassy lawns and a flat, shallow seafront. The water is calm and sheltered compared with the open Corniche, and visibility is moderate, as is usual for a large urban shoreline. The vibe is that of a big, social city beach: families spread picnics on the lawns, groups play volleyball, children use the playgrounds and others rent water sports equipment. Lifeguards cover all sectors, including Bonneveine, Grand Pavois and Borely, from mid-June to mid-September. Facilities are extensive, with showers, sanitary facilities, lockers, first-aid posts, playgrounds, volleyball courts, private beach concessions and the restaurants and snack bars of Escale Borely. The Parc Borely gardens lie directly behind the beach and provide welcome shade away from the sand. Getting there is simple. Metro line M2 runs to Rond-Point du Prado, from which bus 19 or 83 serves the La Plage stop, and the walk from the metro takes about 20 minutes. Bus 19 also continues along the sector. A car park exists but fills from July, so public transport is the more dependable option in peak season. Weekdays outside July and August are the easiest time to find a patch of lawn, whereas summer weekends draw large crowds from across the city. The complex suits families, groups of friends, sunbathers and visitors who want food, rentals and green space in a single place within Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur.