Located in South of France, on the Mediterranean Sea shore, the towns of Palavas (Palavas-Les-Flots) and Carnon are a big attraction for tourists who are visiting the Gulf of Lion in Languedoc-Roussillon, during Summer time.
Their beaches are a nice playground for kite surfers, beach volleyball and beach tennis players. There is no big waves, so it’s not ideal for surfers, but you can see some from time to time.
F4, 1/640 sec, 25 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F11, 1/400 sec, 500 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F5.6, 1/1000 sec, 20 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F11, 1/400 sec, 332 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F3.5, 1/1250 sec, 22 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F11, 1/500 sec, 500 mm, ISO1000, Canon EOS 7D
F3.5, 1/500 sec, 100 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
F16, 1/500 sec, 244 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D
F16, 1/130 sec, 10 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D
F5.6, 1/1250 sec, 43 mm, ISO1600, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
Personnaly, I prefer the periods when there is much less tourists (and a bit cooler weather than during July and August months). You can enjoy walks on the beach and also swim when it’s less crowded. Palavas is much more visited than Carnon. From sand to pebbles, taking pictures on the beach can be really interesting. Capturing the scenery, or simply some details.
F3.5, 1/20 sec, 18 mm, ISO1600, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F13, 1.3 sec, 10 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 7D
F11, 1/160 sec, 70 mm, ISO400, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F11, 1/130 sec, 118 mm, ISO400, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F5.6, 1/1250 sec, 46 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F6.3, 1/1600 sec, 500 mm, ISO1000, Canon EOS 7D
F6.3, 1/1600 sec, 373 mm, ISO1000, Canon EOS 7D
F11, 1/500 sec, 244 mm, ISO1000, Canon EOS 7D
F16, 1/320 sec, 100 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D
F23, 6.2 sec, 10 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 7D
If you want to enjoy some sand dunes and a wider beach, you can go a bit further after La Grande Motte and Le Grau du Roi, at the Espiguette beach. There, you will see the Espiguette Lighthouse (The Phare de l’Espiguette), a 27m (89 ft) high square tower, built in 1869.
It’s also a nice place to photograph sunsets. Close to the Camargue area, the beach is also great in winter, offering a peaceful place to walk along the Mediterranean Sea.
F13, 10 sec, 18 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 7D
F9, 1/250 sec, 38 mm, ISO250, Canon EOS 7D
F9, 1/400 sec, 10 mm, ISO250, Canon EOS 7D
F11, 1/80 sec, 34 mm, ISO400, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F22, 1 sec, 10 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 7D
F9, 1/60 sec, 126 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
F9.1, 1/100 sec, 10 mm, ISO250, Canon EOS 7D
F13, 1/200 sec, 11 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
F5.6, 1/640 sec, 126 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F22, 1/10 sec, 10 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 7D
F14, 1/200 sec, 10 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 7D
F2.8, 1/6400 sec, 50 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 7D
F1.8, 1/8000 sec, 50 mm, ISO125, Canon EOS 7D
F1.8, 1/4000 sec, 50 mm, ISO125, Canon EOS 7D
F16, 30 sec, 18 mm, ISO100, Canon EOS 7D
I hope you enjoyed my photos of Palavas, Carnon and the Espiguette along the Mediterranean Sea. Maybe you will go there to see it with your own eyes!
