Argelès-sur-Mer
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Served 68.8/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 91 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Argelès-sur-Mer (INSEE 66008) is in Pyrénées-Orientales (66), part of CC des Albères, de la Côte Vermeille et de l'Illibéris. Population 10,616 (2023). [1]
INSEE density class: Centres urbains intermédiaires (level 2). [2]
Data vintages: INSEE BPE 2025 · INSEE SIRENE 2026-09 · INSEE census (RP) 2023 · INSEE COG 2026 · INSEE density grid 2026.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/66008-argeles-sur-mer
Vitality score
Vitality score 68.8/100 — Served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 91 % of the 2,303 communes of a similar size.
Compare this with communes of a similar size. The score measures how well a place is served relative to its own size band, and larger communes score higher as a rule — so it reads meaningfully against another village, and misleadingly against a town.
Measured but not scored in this model: Market. See the methodology for why.
| Component | Value (0–1) | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily food | 0.76 | 25 | 19.08 |
| Social | 1 | 20 | 19.9 |
| Education | 0.31 | 10 | 3.13 |
| Health | 0.54 | 10 | 5.45 |
| Public & culture | 0.22 | 5 | 1.11 |
| Population trend | 0.98 | 10 | 9.77 |
| Housing mix | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
14 × Bakery (boulangerie) (EURL LE CROQUANT · ARGELES · EURL BONEU · BOULANGERIE MARIE BLACHERE). [3,4]
6 × Butcher (boucherie) (CHEZ CHARLY · ALIMENTATION EL HADRI · SAS JFE BOUCHERIE · CHARCUTERIE DES ASPRES · BOUCHERIE LE BOEUF D'OR). [3,4]
22 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (LIDL · ROUSSILLON EUROPE FRUITS ALIMENTATION · CAP SERVICES · VIVAL · EPICERIE VALMARIE). [3,4]
4 × Supermarket (INTERMARCHE · ALDI MARCHE · CARREFOUR CITY). [3,4]
1 × Cheese shop (fromagerie) (L'ATELIER DES FROMAGERES MERE ET FILLE). [4]
3 × Fishmonger (EURL LAURENA ROMANE · LE MAREYEUR · CHEZ BOBEL). [3,4]
164 × Restaurant (EXPL DU CAMPING EQUINOXE · SARL LA RESERVE · SMART PIZZA). [3,4]
37 × Café / bar (AUVIN/20 · BAR DU MIDI · LA RESERVE · WAAL ESTAMINET · LE LOUNGE). [4]
3 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOL MATE EDOUARD HERRIOT · ECOLE MATERNELLE LA GRANOTERA · ECOLE MATERNELLE LES TAMARIS). [3]
2 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE CURIE-PASTEUR · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE MOLIERE). [3]
1 × Collège (COLLEGE DES ALBERES). [3]
12 × GP (médecin généraliste) (GAELLE PEREZ, MÉDECIN · MARGAUX FOURNOLS, MÉDECIN · NATHALIE CONVERSO, MÉDECIN · ISABELLE PONSI, MÉDECIN · JEAN-PAUL SURJUS, MÉDECIN). [3]
3 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE CENTRALE · PHARMACIE DES PLAGES · SELARL GRANDE PHARMACIE DE L UNION). [3,4]
2 × Post office / agence postale (ARGELES PLAGE LPAC AP · LA POSTE). [3]
2 × Library (PÔLE DE LECTURE PUBLIQUE ALBERES COTE VERMEILLE ILLIBERIS · MÉDIATHÈQUE JEAN FERRAT). [3]
1 × Cinema (LE JAURES). [3]
2 × Gym / sports hall (SALLE POLYVALENTE JEAN CARRERE · GYMNASE FREDO TRESCASES). [3]
6 × Swimming pool (PLAGE CALANQUE DE L TRUELLE · PLAGE SUD · PLAGE DE LA MARENDA TAMARIGUIER · PLAGE CENTRE LES PINS · PLAGE DU MAS LARRIEU). [3]
7 × Bank (CAISSE EPARGNE PREVOYANCE LANGUEDOC ROUSSILLON · CIC SUD OUEST · SOCIETE GENERALE · BANQUE POPULAIRE DU SUD · BNP PARIBAS). [3]
27 × Hairdresser (SOFT COIFFURE). [3,4]
3 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3,4]
20 × Hotel (HOTEL LE MARITIME · AUBERGE DU ROUA · HOTEL PLAGE DES PINS · AUBERGE DU BON VIVANT · HOTEL BEAU RIVAGE). [3,4]
42 × Campsite (CAMPING LE ROUSSILLONNAIS · CAMPING REVE DES ILES · CAPFUN CAMPING LE DOMAINE DE MAEL · CAMPING EQUINOXE · CAMPING LE LITTORAL). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 3 × Bakery (boulangerie), 2 × Butcher (boucherie), 6 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette), 1 × Supermarket, 1 × Fishmonger, 61 × Restaurant, 1 × Pharmacy, 6 × Hairdresser, 1 × Hotel, 3 × Campsite.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 14 | EURL LE CROQUANT · ARGELES · EURL BONEU · BOULANGERIE MARIE BLACHERE | INSEE BPE 14 / INSEE SIRENE 23 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 6 | CHEZ CHARLY · ALIMENTATION EL HADRI · SAS JFE BOUCHERIE · CHARCUTERIE DES ASPRES · BOUCHERIE LE BOEUF D'OR | INSEE BPE 6 / INSEE SIRENE 8 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 22 | LIDL · ROUSSILLON EUROPE FRUITS ALIMENTATION · CAP SERVICES · VIVAL · EPICERIE VALMARIE | INSEE BPE 22 / INSEE SIRENE 30 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 4 | INTERMARCHE · ALDI MARCHE · CARREFOUR CITY | INSEE BPE 4 / INSEE SIRENE 5 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 1 | L'ATELIER DES FROMAGERES MERE ET FILLE | INSEE SIRENE 1 [4] |
| Fishmonger | 3 | EURL LAURENA ROMANE · LE MAREYEUR · CHEZ BOBEL | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 6 [3,4] |
| Restaurant | 164 | EXPL DU CAMPING EQUINOXE · SARL LA RESERVE · SMART PIZZA | INSEE BPE 164 / INSEE SIRENE 319 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 37 | AUVIN/20 · BAR DU MIDI · LA RESERVE · WAAL ESTAMINET · LE LOUNGE | INSEE SIRENE 37 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 3 | ECOL MATE EDOUARD HERRIOT · ECOLE MATERNELLE LA GRANOTERA · ECOLE MATERNELLE LES TAMARIS | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 2 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE CURIE-PASTEUR · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE MOLIERE | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Collège | 1 | COLLEGE DES ALBERES | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 12 | GAELLE PEREZ, MÉDECIN · MARGAUX FOURNOLS, MÉDECIN · NATHALIE CONVERSO, MÉDECIN · ISABELLE PONSI, MÉDECIN · JEAN-PAUL SURJUS, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 12 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 3 | PHARMACIE CENTRALE · PHARMACIE DES PLAGES · SELARL GRANDE PHARMACIE DE L UNION | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
| Nurse | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Dentist | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Post office / agence postale | 2 | ARGELES PLAGE LPAC AP · LA POSTE | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Library | 2 | PÔLE DE LECTURE PUBLIQUE ALBERES COTE VERMEILLE ILLIBERIS · MÉDIATHÈQUE JEAN FERRAT | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | LE JAURES | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 2 | SALLE POLYVALENTE JEAN CARRERE · GYMNASE FREDO TRESCASES | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 6 | PLAGE CALANQUE DE L TRUELLE · PLAGE SUD · PLAGE DE LA MARENDA TAMARIGUIER · PLAGE CENTRE LES PINS · PLAGE DU MAS LARRIEU | INSEE BPE 6 [3] |
| Bank | 7 | CAISSE EPARGNE PREVOYANCE LANGUEDOC ROUSSILLON · CIC SUD OUEST · SOCIETE GENERALE · BANQUE POPULAIRE DU SUD · BNP PARIBAS | INSEE BPE 7 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 27 | SOFT COIFFURE | INSEE BPE 27 / INSEE SIRENE 37 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 3 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Hotel | 20 | HOTEL LE MARITIME · AUBERGE DU ROUA · HOTEL PLAGE DES PINS · AUBERGE DU BON VIVANT · HOTEL BEAU RIVAGE | INSEE BPE 20 / INSEE SIRENE 28 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 42 | CAMPING LE ROUSSILLONNAIS · CAMPING REVE DES ILES · CAPFUN CAMPING LE DOMAINE DE MAEL · CAMPING EQUINOXE · CAMPING LE LITTORAL | INSEE BPE 42 / INSEE SIRENE 69 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Market day: unknown — nothing found in the datasets or on the commune website.
Trajectory
Population 9,901 (2012) → 10,616 (2023): 7.2 % over 10 years. [5,1]
Population 7,188 (1990) → 10,616 (2023): 47.7 % over 30 years. [6,1]
Dwellings (2023): 15,699, of which 61.2 % second homes and 1.8 % vacant. [7]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Argelès-sur-Mer): 0.1 km to the west (straight line). [8]
Food shop (Argelès-sur-Mer): 0.4 km to the south-east (straight line). [8]
GP (Argelès-sur-Mer): 0.4 km to the south-east (straight line). [8]
Pharmacy (Argelès-sur-Mer): 0.4 km to the south-east (straight line). [8]
Primary school (Argelès-sur-Mer): 0.3 km to the east (straight line). [8]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 46 days a year at or above 30 °C and 15 days at or below 0 °C, over 13 complete years in 1995–2024. [9]
Measured at the ARGELES-SUR-MER weather station, 1.6 km away at 28 m; the village itself is at 9 m. [9]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 24 days a summer. [9]
Humidity measured at CAP BEAR, 9.9 km away at 72 m, over 30 summers. [9]
That station sits 63 m above the village, so each day's humidity was shifted by 3.26 °C per km before the muggy days were counted. [9]
An average of 792 mm of rain a year, spread over 62 days — about 12.8 mm on a day it rains. [9]
Rainfall measured at ARGELES-SUR-MER, 1.6 km away at 28 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [9]
Uncertainties
No specific uncertainties flagged.
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 66008/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 66008/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 66008/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 66008/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 66008
- Météo-France daily climatology 1995-2024
Villages like this one
Matched on size, density, second homes and which everyday shops and services are present — not on the score, so a village of the same kind that is doing better or worse shows up rather than being hidden.
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandol | 83 | 232 km E | 8,267 | 67.6 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 62 % · winter 85 % · humidity 93 % |
| Dinard | 35 | 783 km NW | 10,772 | 59.9 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel drier.summer 0 % · winter 93 % · humidity 0 % |
| Sainte-Maxime | 83 | 307 km E | 14,118 | 66.6 | Served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 33 % · winter 80 % · humidity 57 % |
| Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer | 83 | 230 km E | 11,658 | 60.8 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 74 % · winter 78 % · humidity 0 % |
| La Baule-Escoublac | 44 | 677 km NW | 16,912 | 66.5 | Served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel drier.summer 0 % · winter 99 % · humidity 0 % |
| Roquebrune-Cap-Martin | 06 | 385 km E | 12,037 | 52.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 69 % · winter 80 % · humidity 0 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer | 83 | 230 km E | 11,658 | 60.8 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 74 % · winter 78 % · humidity 0 % |
| Bandol | 83 | 232 km E | 8,267 | 67.6 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 62 % · winter 85 % · humidity 93 % |
| Sainte-Maxime | 83 | 307 km E | 14,118 | 66.6 | Served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 33 % · winter 80 % · humidity 57 % |
| Roquebrune-Cap-Martin | 06 | 385 km E | 12,037 | 52.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 69 % · winter 80 % · humidity 0 % |
| La Baule-Escoublac | 44 | 677 km NW | 16,912 | 66.5 | Served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel drier.summer 0 % · winter 99 % · humidity 0 % |
| Dinard | 35 | 783 km NW | 10,772 | 59.9 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel drier.summer 0 % · winter 93 % · humidity 0 % |
Sort and compare these on the full list →
…and in much the same climate
The same match on size and services, narrowed to communes whose summers, winters and summer humidity are all close to Argelès-sur-Mer's. All three are required, so this section is absent for the 11.8 % of communes with no humidity station near enough to measure: two temperature axes alone cannot tell a muggy coast from a dry one.
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouans-Sartoux | 06 | 342 km E | 11,015 | 52.7 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 88 % · humidity 93 % |
| Elne | 66 | 7.0 km NW | 9,511 | 66.9 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 100 % · humidity 100 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/66008-argeles-sur-mer