If the best photo a tourism board can produce of a town is one where ugly electricity pylons and oil tankers blot the landscape, it is unlikely to be appear much better in person.
Fos-sur-Mer sits on the Mediterranean coast which naturally leads one to picture images of the French Riviera and golden beaches – but this small fishing village bucks the stereotype.
The village is more like Dartford than Cannes, as French refineries and steel plants prove to be an irritant to the eyes and the nose.
Home to a major port, it is the entry point to large imports of crude oil, dry and liquid bulk traffic, and container shipments, an important function for any country but not one that lends itself to aesthetic happiness.
One review by Destination Expert Anthony Peregrine for The Telegraph recently described the village as the ugliest in France and it is easy to see why.
That is not to say that the village is not worth visiting, just that you might be best off stopping elsewhere if you plan on buying a postcard.
The beach, Plage de Cavaou, is a tourist destination of sorts and has a 3.5/5 rating on Tripadvisor, although reviews hardly make it sound like St Tropez.
One review from October 2022 praises the “family beach with free showers” but notes the drawback of being in sight of oil tankers anchored a few hundred metres away, which give off worrying fumes and unbearable smells.
Other reviews highlight things such as free parking, free toilets and an abundance of nearby restaurants, suggesting that for all the village lacks in beauty it makes up for in convenience.
A Ffmily park and old Chateau’s mean that there is plenty to do in and around the village.
The tourism board website for the region says of the town: “Fos-sur-Mer is a popular seaside resort for the people of Marseilles, with its beaches and water sports.
“There are several nature reserves around Fos-sur-Mer, where you can go hiking or cycling.
“For example, you can visit the Réserve Naturelle des Coussouls de Crau or the Réserve Naturelle des Marais du Vigueirat.”
