Les arcades de BanyulsLet’s start with the first one you see when you arrive on the heights of Banyuls: the beach of Elmes. Family friendly and small in size, it will be the ideal playground for children. Exploring the sea bed, building sandcastles, beach games (beach volleyball among others), it lends itself to appointments of short pants!
Be careful, however, not to stray far from the water’s edge, as steep rocks line the surroundings.
Banyuls sur mer dans les Pyrénées-Orientales vu de la mer
Banyuls sur mer dans les Pyrénées-Orientales vu de la mer. Plage du SanaTo the left of Elmes Beach, the beach known as “Les Grandes Elmes” or “Helio Marin Center” is hidden right there. Here, calm is the key word of the place. Farniente, paddle and sorkeling will be your activities of the day!
By accessing the city center of Banyuls, the majestic “beach of Fontaulé” or more commonly called “central beach” opens its arms to you. It will surprise you by its location in the heart of the village and especially its pebbles!
It is probably here that all the banyulencs have worn for the first time the famous “jellyfish”, plastic sandals, practical to avoid having sore feet.
Facing the beach proudly stand the arcades, under which you can walk along the “Passellis”. Don’t hesitate to stop and tilt your head over the water and rocks, the local marine fauna and flora is abundant. It is here that young fishermen, armed with nets and buckets, discover wonderful treasures (fish, mussels, shells, crabs, sea urchins, etc., which they will release after observation of course!) Continuing your way, you can access the Osoral cove by following the coast. Be careful, the access is difficult, the commune declines any responsibility in case of accident. It is necessary to be well shod and we advise you not to go there with children. At the end of the arcades, look up and you will see a cannon ready to fire into the Mediterranean. We invite you to take a closer look: a splendid panorama and the history of the cannon await you.
Banyuls sur mer
ArcadesThe central beach has the Blue Flag label, which means that it has a number of facilities to minimize the impact of tourist traffic. Sorting garbage cans are available to recycle waste and the presence of sanitary facilities helps to keep the bathing water quality. Safety and accessibility to bathing for all are also taken into account, as well as information on the quality of the bathing water and on the local fauna and flora. As the commune is committed to this label, it organizes environmental awareness activities throughout the year in various forms (beach clean-up with the population for example).
From July 1st to August 31st, “Le Beach”, a sandy field for beach games, is installed in front of the Tourist Office. Every afternoon from 2 to 7 pm from Monday to Saturday, young and old alike can try their hand at beach soccer, beach volleyball, sandball, beach rugby, etc., supervised by a sports instructor.
And finally, the last beach of Banyuls-sur-Mer, shared with the commune of Cerbère, the beach of Peyreffite. A pebble beach, nestled in the hollow of steep schist hills, it is here that the Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Reserve drops its bags in July and August to inform you about the local biodiversity. Also located here is the underwater trail, not to be missed under any circumstances. Put on fins, mask and snorkel to go and meet the inhabitants of the Reserve. We advise you to do it rather in the morning, the beach is quieter and the fish, out for breakfast, more numerous. This beach is worthy of an artist’s canvas: the turquoise blue of the clear water and the green of the pine trees are omnipresent.
Banyuls sur mer 
