At Cap d’Agde, in the Languedoc, two beaches come up again and again. Richelieu is a long stretch of sand to the west of the harbour; La Roquille, to the north-east, carries on from Le Môle beach. Both fly the Blue Flag in 2026, and each has its own character.
Richelieu, long days by the water
West of the harbour, Richelieu runs for more than a kilometre. It is wide, and the sandbanks along the water’s edge are a gift to children. Everything is close at hand: bars and restaurants, a play area, a children’s club and, in summer, beach cafés known as paillotes.
The beach has a boardwalk and a tiralo, a beach wheelchair that lets people with reduced mobility bathe in the sea. Beside the Richelieu Est section, the Centre Nautique du Cap d’Agde offers sailing lessons for every age and level.
Named after a cardinal
The name is the cardinal’s: Richelieu, chief minister to Louis XIII. In the seventeenth century he wanted a great military port at Cap d’Agde, with a breakwater meant to reach the islet of Brescou. The scheme was never finished, but the breakwater, to the west of the cape, kept his name, and so did the beach.
From the sand, Fort Brescou stands out at sea on its volcanic islet. It can also be seen from the top of Mont Saint-Loup, one of the stops in our article on Agde, city of basalt.
From harbour to beaches, a two-hour loop
To stretch the day, the tourist office suggests an easy 7.1km loop of about two hours, starting at the Palais des Congrès. It follows the quays of the marina, lined with shops and restaurants, then Richelieu, with Fort Brescou in view, and carries on along the Mail de Rochelongue, a promenade with views of the beach and the sea. All along the way, ganivelles, fences of wooden stakes, protect the dunes. On foot, by bike or on a kick scooter, it can be taken at your own pace.
La Roquille, a beach open to everyone
North-east of the harbour, La Roquille carries on from Le Môle beach, widening towards the east. It holds the Tourisme & Handicap label, France’s accessible-tourism mark, for all four kinds of disability: motor, visual, hearing and mental. A boardwalk, with a reception area and a shaded space halfway along, eases the way to the water. Several tiralos, a Hippocampe beach chair and a hoist are available, along with a voice-guided swimming aid for visually impaired visitors. In July and August, beach assistants are on hand.
There is also a play area, a picnic area, a bar and places to eat, with parking nearby and a Cap’Bus stop 150 metres away.
Which one to choose?
- Richelieu for long family days, children in the sandbanks, a sailing lesson or the walk to Rochelongue.
- La Roquille for a day where access is made easy from start to finish, from the car park or the bus stop to the water.
Nothing says you must choose: a day can start at one and end at the other. The only real decision left is lunch.
Before you go
- Blue Flag. In 2026 both beaches fly it, as does the Cap d’Agde marina.
- Lifeguards. Both beaches have lifeguards in season; the tourist office lists the dates.
Staying a few steps from the sand
At Villa Roquille, a terrace gate leads directly to La Roquille beach, in a private, secure residence at Cap d’Agde. The villa itself is not adapted for people with reduced mobility.
If you would also like a private pool, Villa Camarines, in Agde, and Villa Signature, at Le Grau d’Agde, each have one, a few minutes’ walk from a beach. All our villas in Agde are on our villa rentals in Agde page; for other shores, see our guide to the best beaches between Agde and Sérignan.
A breakfast delivered to the villa, a grocery basket before you arrive, a boat trip: our concierge service can arrange them on request.
