The best thing about beaches in Cannes is that they are all sandy! What a pleasure. Unlike the galets on Nice beaches, you don't need special equipment like rubber shoes and padded towels to be comfortable. The fine sand is replenished at the beginning of each summer season and kept scrupulously clean throughout the year. As Cannes is at the foot of a wide bay, the drop-off is shallow and the waters are usually calm.
The downside of Cannes beaches is that the prime beach locations along La Croisette have been commandeered by the fancy hotels lining the boulevard and you have to pay to use them. For a lounge chair and parasol for the day, prices start at €50 and can climb quite a bit higher. Lunch is also pricey but prepared by top chefs. And paying for lunch is obligatory. No brown bags allowed. The trendiest beaches are the Hotel Martinez beach (Z Plage), the Hotel Carlton Beach and 314 Beach but there are many more!
Check out the private beach-restaurants on La Croisette
But there are some very nice public beaches in Cannes as well. The public beach west of the Majestic Hotel, Mace, is wide, sandy and completely free. The rest of the public beaches are a 15 or 20-minute walk from the train station.
Further west, past the private beaches on the blvd Jean Hibert, is a long stretch of public beach, Plage du Midi.
Walk east and you come to the free portion of Bijou Plage, which is a non-smoking beach, and Zamenhof, a managed municipal beach where a chair, umbrella, lockers and showers are leased by the city for a greatly reduced rate
Keep walking to come to Palm Beach which has a public portion next to the beach restaurant.
Keep walking further east and you come to the long stretch of public beach on blvd Gazagnaire. It's where the locals go. More.
See more about Cannes beaches, including complete descriptions of all public and private beaches.
For more alternatives, don't hesitate to hop a boat and head out to the Iles Lerins. The two offshore islands of Ile St-Honorat and Ile Ste-Marguerite have marvellous hidden coves and gravel beaches.
Related PagesBest Beaches on the French Riviera Top Sights on the French Riviera
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Hi! I'm Jeanne Oliver--tour guide and author and I've been living on the Riviera for years. With my local insights your trip will be easy and fun. And, do check out my book Nice Uncovered: Walks Through the Secret Heart of a Historic City.
