I am heading to the south of France in August and was recommended either Juan les Pins or Saintes Maries de la Mer... I am on a tight(ish) budget and was looking for public beach recommendations in/around these places or somewhere else in the south. Would you recommend one over the other? Will have to either fly or take the train from Paris and was looking into staying at an Airbnb.
If the beach is what you're after, then les Saintes Maries de la Mer is much better. Nice, big sandy beach just east of the town - endless for miles (hire a bike!). And a fine beach in town too. Also, it's cheaper than Juan les Pins.
Further west, Argelès has a great beach too (arguably better), is quite affordable, close to Collioure for sightseeing. Worth a look, I'd say.
We enjoyed lovely sandy beaches in Sete and Ville Franche Sur Mer.
Pampelonne is a beautiful beach near St-Tropez.