Quick answer
Le Grau-du-Roi, the fishing port on the Mediterranean in the Gard, is about 1h10 by car from Uzès (67 km by route-planner figures). The Espiguette beach is about 73 km, 1h17. For a day at the sea, pair the dunes of the Espiguette with a walk and lunch by the canal in the port.
Good for: a long beach with dunes, a change from the river, seafood by the canal, Aigues-Mortes on the way.
Not for: a short outing (allow a full day) or a quiet beach in July and August.
Le Grau-du-Roi is a fishing port and seaside town in the Gard, on the Mediterranean about 1h10 by car from Uzès. It has town beaches on both sides of its canal, a family beach at Le Boucanet and, a few kilometres away, the Espiguette: a long, wild beach of dunes that is a protected natural site. The Seaquarium offers an indoor hour, and Aigues-Mortes, with its walls and salt flats, is a short drive away.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | About 1h10 to Le Grau-du-Roi (67 km) and about 1h17 to the Espiguette (73 km), by route-planner figures. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map on the day; summer weekends are slower. |
| The Espiguette | A long natural beach of dunes, listed as a protected natural site. You walk in from the car park on a wooden walkway. Parking is paid in season. | Rates and access on the town's beach guide, letsgrau.com. |
| Town beaches | Rive Droite and Rive Gauche lie on either side of the canal. Le Boucanet is known as the family beach. | The flag at the lifeguard post, every time you swim. |
| Lifeguards | Posts are staffed in high season, from about the end of June to early September, 11:00 to 18:30. The town's 2026 beach guide and tourism listings give slightly different dates. | The dates in the town's guide, before you rely on them. |
| Markets | Town market on Place de la République (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings), Le Boucanet market (Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings) and Port Camargue (Wednesday morning), per the town's 2025 agenda. | The days with the tourist office. |
| If the weather turns | The Seaquarium, the marine aquarium of the town, takes about two hours. Its hours and prices change with the season. | Hours and prices on seaquarium.fr. |
The wild beach
The Espiguette, dunes and wind
The Espiguette is the long natural beach near the town: sand, dunes and open sea, listed as a protected natural site. You leave the car at the car park and walk in, so bring what you need for the day: water, a hat, a parasol and something to eat. Beach directories also list a naturist area on this beach; ask the tourist office if that matters to you. Rates, lifeguard dates and access are in the town's beach guide (letsgrau.com).
Wild means few facilities: plan the day before you walk in.
In town
The port, the canal and the family beaches
Le Grau-du-Roi is built along a canal that runs out to the sea. Rive Droite and Rive Gauche, the town beaches, lie on either side of it, and Le Boucanet is the family beach. Walk along the canal in the morning, when the markets run, then have lunch in the port. For a rainy hour the Seaquarium is in town (seaquarium.fr).
A second stop
Aigues-Mortes and the salt flats
Aigues-Mortes, with its medieval walls and the pink salt flats, is about 10 to 11 km and 15 minutes by car from Le Grau-du-Roi (route-planner figures). It fits a morning or a late afternoon around the beach: see our guide to Aigues-Mortes for the walls, tickets and the salt works.
Frequently asked
A day at the sea
About 67 km and 1h10 by car to Le Grau-du-Roi, and about 73 km and 1h17 to the Espiguette, by route-planner figures. Allow more on summer weekends.
For space and dunes, the Espiguette. For an easy day with the port and lunch close by, the town beaches Rive Droite and Rive Gauche. With children, Le Boucanet, known as the family beach.
In high season, at the main beaches. The town's 2026 beach guide lists posts from 27 June to 30 August (11:00 to 18:30), while tourism listings give 1 July to 3 September. Outside those dates, do not expect a lifeguard, and check the flag whenever there is one.
La Grande-Motte is the next resort along the coast, built from 1964 to a plan by the architect Jean Balladur and known for its pyramid-shaped buildings. The Ministry of Culture gave the whole town its Patrimoine du XXe siècle label in 2010. It is a good stop for architecture and has its own beach.
Yes, if you come for the dunes, the port and lunch. The lifeguard posts are staffed only in the high season, so outside it you swim at your own risk. Spring and early autumn are calmer than July and August.
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