Suggestions for a great hub in South of France. We don't want the busy busy Nice/Cannes area and prefer small beach towns with locals. In Italy we loved Positano and also the small fishing villages along the coast. Any great recommendations? We were thinking Cassis, Bandol....we will have a car. Leaving in 2 weeks!

Thank you!

Many of the locals prefer the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean coast. I myself like Mimizan which is one of the less fashionable seaside towns.

You should look at Villefranche sur Mer, Antibes, Beaulieu, Cassis, all pretty towns, and not as crowded as Positano which we avoid. We enjoy Nice and it’s waterfront too.
Have you visited Nice?

Provence-Cote d'Azur
avoid cities like Fos, Martigues, Marseille, La Ciotat, Toulon, St-Raph, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monte Carlo and Menton and you will be fine.
Languedoc:
NIce places between the Spanish border and Argeles, then things get very flat
Corsica:
by far the best European beaches of France
Atlantic Ocean:
more surf and colder seawater

As you mentioned in your other post that you are anchoring this trip on Paris and London, why not look at Brittany? The beach at Saint Cast, near Saint Malo, is generous, and there are coastal walks and other interesting towns inland.

On the southern coast, anywhere between Gruissan and Argèles sur Mer would put you in reach of the Cathar castles for a change from beach time.