You are looking for somewhere to go to that has beautiful beaches and clear blue sea but you want to go somewhere that is not touristy and also easy to get to from the United Kingdom. Well, if you want a short weekend away then why not visit La Ciotat on the coast of the South of France!

The easiest way to get to Ciotat is to get a flight to Marseille and then the train is about half an hour from the city centre train station or a short drive depending on how you get there. There are not many hotels in the town so you may want to stay in Marseille or Cassis and visit for the day.

So why should you visit the town of La Ciotat? Well the first and main reason is the coast – the sand and the sea really make this place magical and if you are into water sports then it is a fantastic place for you to do these. The city has a lot of history and is actually the location in where one first ever projected motion pictures (L’Arrivee d’un train en gare de La Ciotat by the Lumiere Brothers) was filmed.

The area is really quaint to walk around and the town is full of lots of lanes that twist in and out with lots of hidden treasures throughout. The port is also somewhere that is impressive to walk around as there is  a lot of expensive boats as well as working ones too.

I would recommend visiting La Ciotat as it is a really lovely place, if you do go by train though, take my advice and wait for the bus because the walk down to the coast is about 30 mins along country roads with no pavements and can be a tad scary!