Lounge seats and food: price hikes observed on private beaches in Pampelonne

The mere mention of its name conjures up images of vacations and the prestigious services of seaside resorts favored by the wealthy and famous. Others will have memories of a stretch of sand invaded by unplanned facilities and caravans, but with a more family-oriented, more popular feel. But is it still possible today to claim to spend a day with family or friends without breaking the bank? An analysis of the prices charged by the 21 concessionaires based on the services offered.

Getting a tan is worth its weight in gold

The first thing you expect from a private beach is obviously to be able to lie down in a deckchair rather than lay your towel on the hot sand. While it's hard to describe the prices as "cheap," the lowest prices are nonetheless accessible. Playamigos and Cabane Bambou are the two most competitive, with a lounge chair, umbrella included, costing €35. Not far behind is L'Esquinade at €39, followed closely by Club 55, Bar du Soleil, and Thahiti Beach at €40.

But sunbathing can be expensive too: 90 euros (deckchair and parasol) at the Club des Palmiers and Byblos Beach, and even 100 euros at Jardin Tropezina. Within this very broad range, the median price is 50 euros. This means that half of the prices are below this bar and the other half are above.

Have a bite to eat without breaking the budget

Lunchtime arrives, and you're getting hungry, so what better way to whet your appetite than with a starter? But compared to the main course, hors d'oeuvres can be a bit overwhelming. Average price: €26! Compared to €27 for a salad or €35 for meat or fish.

The most affordable tickets are at Cap 21, €17, l'Esquinade, €18, or Cybele and Moorea, €19. At Club 55, you'll need to pay at least €34, and a little less than €29 at Bar du Soleil.

For a salad, you should expect to pay at least €18 at Verde Beach or L'Esquinade and up to €35 at La Serena and €36 at Byblos Beach.

To treat yourself to a piece of meat or fish, you'll have to pay €26 at L'Esquinade, €28 at Coya (formerly Tropicana), 1.051, and Tahiti Beach. The most expensive items are €42 at Club des Palmiers and Jardins Tropezina, and €44 at La Réserve on the beach.

When rosé turns red

The profitability of drinks and alcohol in a restaurant is confirmed on the beaches by the price of bottles of rosé. From €28 at L'Esquinade, we go straight to €40 at Tiki Beach. Very inexpensive compared to the Tropezina Gardens at €79 for the first bottle or the Coya, €90.

The average price is €49, which is more than a meal and as much as a deckchair and parasol.

A day with family or friends, possible?

If we add up these indicators (deckchair, parasol, starter, main course and wine) while counting a day for four people, we have a general idea of the most and least expensive establishments. Starting from the most accessible, it is the Equinade which stands out with 360 euros per day for four, followed by the Tahiti beach at 396€ then the Cap 21 and the Moorea at 401€. At the top of the ranking, dominate the Byblos beach at 696€, the Club des Palmiers at 715€ and finally the Tropezina gardens at 739€.

Communication problems

This statistical series is based solely on the lowest prices of a selection of products and services that represent the consumption of a day at the beach. It is therefore a minimum that can be significantly exceeded depending on the customer's choices. The large price differences between establishments can be explained by a difference in quality or simply "prestige" but also by the target clientele.

Please note that to obtain this data, more than half of the establishments display their prices partially or not at all on their website and some menus are incomplete on the restaurant front.

Broken Promises

In 2019, when the establishments opened their doors, they had established clear prices, transmitted to the municipality, which were part of the criteria for awarding sub-concessions. But since then, some have revised their menus to cope with inflation or simply completely rethink the spirit of the place and the scope of the business. In this exponential price increase of 106% on average, some have resisted the trend, like Club 55, which has kept its deckchair and parasol prices exactly the same. Others have increased slightly: La Serena +9%, Tahiti Beach +11%, Moorea +13%.

And then there are those who rode the wave: Indie beach +200%, Tiki beach +233% and Byblos beach +350%!