400 beaches to avoid. The Eau & Rivières de Bretagne association unveils its 2026 ranking to identify the beaches to favor and those to preferably avoid this summer along the entire French coast.
Sunny days and long weekends are ideal for enjoying your first swims. But before diving, it is essential to find out about the quality of the water. Especially since the most “natural” places in appearance are not always the “cleanest”. Certain swimming areas can have a high concentration of Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci, two bacteria (also found on supermarket trolleys) which can make you sick by ingestion (if you drink the cup for example) or simple contact with the mucous membranes of the skin. They can lead to gastroenteritis, bacterial dermatitis, conjunctivitis and otitis. To swim safely, a beach map indicating the water quality for 2026 has been produced by the Eaux & Rivières de Bretagne association.
This classification called “La Belle Plage” is based on water analyzes carried out by the Regional Health Agencies (ARS). At each check, the two pollution indicator bacteria mentioned above were measured. Depending on their concentration, each sample is judged “Good”, “Average” or “Bad” in relation to the health risk. To establish its final score, La Belle Plage counted the share of samples classified as “Good” over the last four years: a beach obtains 100/100 when all controls are good, then the score drops as soon as certain samples reveal a higher health risk. The beaches are then divided into several categories ranging from “Recommended” to “Avoid”. In total, 1,871 beaches were analyzed:
- 567 beaches are classified “Recommended”
- 881 beaches are classified “Little risky”
- 353 beaches are classified “Not recommended”
- 70 beaches are classified “Avoid”
Beaches with a score below 70% should be avoided
Eau & Rivières estimates that vacationers can swim with confidence if the rating is greater than or equal to 95 (“Recommended”), and with limited risk if the rating is greater than or equal to 85 (“Little risky”).
The blue points (“recommended”) largely dominate the coast of Corsica, which is a champion of quality. In addition to the Isle of Beauty, health excellence is also found on the French Riviera with a high concentration of blue zones between the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes, as well as on certain Atlantic islands such as the Ile d’Yeu. On the interactive map, we can also identify large green areas (“low risk”) all along the Landes coast, from the south of the Gironde to the Basque Country, as well as on the Mediterranean rim. Conversely, red (“avoid”) and orange (“not recommended”) beaches are very present on the northern coast, Normandy and part of northern Brittany. Vigilance is required on the coasts of the Channel and the North Sea, where the risks of contamination are most frequent. For what ?
Contaminations detected in beach water always reflect pollution of fecal, human or animal origin. The sources can be multiple, such as sanitation problems, faulty wastewater networks or even certain agricultural and livestock activities. “A pig produces 30 times more bacteria than a human. Their effluent is used as fertilizer in the fields and, when it rains, the land is washed away and the bacteria transported to the sea via rivers”explains for example Christophe Le Visage, vice-president of Eau & Rivières de Bretagne, to the Vert media.
A simple pass on the interactive map will allow you to select your place of relaxation in complete safety. “Of course, where swimming is not prohibited, each bather bathes under his own responsibility, and remains perfectly free to use this information or not”specifies the association. To minimize the risks, choose supervised swimming and avoid the shore immediately after a stormy episode. Thorough rinsing with fresh water is recommended after each swim, especially for young people and vulnerable people. If suspicious symptoms such as fever, stomach upset or rash appear within three days of swimming, seek medical advice promptly.
