The best beaches in Cannes

If you want to hit the beach between a game of blackjack and a guided tour of the historic quarter, the Croisette has three magnificent, easy-to-reach beaches. Each beach has a lifeguard post with a flag indicating the quality of the bathing day by day.

The Palais des Festivals beach

The beach is located just opposite the Palais des Festivals, where the Cannes Film Festival takes place. It's a beach with fine sand that's popular with tourists. It is easily accessible from the city centre. There are toilets, showers and disabled access.

For lunch, you'll find the Majestic Barrière, a restaurant on the Palais des Festivals beach that also hires out pedalos and paddles.

⏰ Opening times: 10am to 8pm, every day.

The Croisette beach

The Croisette beach is the largest beach in Cannes. It is very popular during the tourist season, thanks to its ideal location in the centre of Cannes. The beach is full of restaurants and bars offering beach chair and parasol hire. You'll find all the amenities you need, including showers, toilets and disabled access. As well as a volleyball court, the beach has several water sports centres where you can hire boats, paddles, kayaks and pedalos, or take a wakeboard tour, for example. This is the beach in Cannes best suited to families with children.

From the Croisette beach, the view over Le Suquet takes in the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance and the Cannes Museum of World Explorations.

You can visit Cannes water world, a centre offering a wide range of water-based activities. From towed buoys to water-skiing lessons and parachute descents, you'll find exactly the right activity for you, supervised by professionals.

You can find out more about the range of activities on offer, as well as prices and terms and conditions, on the Cannes Water World website.

Opening times: 8am to 8pm, every day during the summer season.

Bijou Plage

Bijou Plage is on the other side of the town, on the tip of the Croisette. This beach has been officially awarded the handiplage label. It is smaller and has secure access and a lifeguard post. Behind the beach is a small green area where you can relax in theshade of the trees on sunny afternoons.

Where to eat near Bijou plage?

🍴 Restaurant le Bijou Plage

Seafood restaurant that revisits classic French cuisine by the sea. Opening times: 9am to 3pm and 7.30pm to 10.30pm, every day.

The Midi beach

Plage du Midi is on the other side of Cannes harbour. Although it attracts slightly fewer people than the Plage de la Croisette, it's still a tourist beach, and is very large, with a gentle slope for easy entry into the water, toilets, showers and several restaurants.

Where to eat near Plage du Midi?

🍴 Le bénitier

Le Bénitier is a restaurant that concocts fresh summer dishes by the water. The establishment also offers deckchairs and parasols on its private beach.

Opening times: 9am to 8.30pm, every day.

The beaches of the Lérins Islands

In the Bay of Cannes, the beaches of the Lérins Islands are breathtaking. A boat trip from Cannes harbour will take you to the island of Sainte-Marguerite, famous for its royal fort, its underwater eco-museum and its heavenly little coves.

Maurin beach

A small cove to the east of Cannes. The beach can be reached in just 20 minutes by car, along the La Bocca beach. The beach is small and quiet, with red sand and rocks. To get down to the beach, you'll need to take the stairs down to the sea.

La Mirandole naturist beach

Just 5km from Cannes, the Mirandole naturist cove is the perfect place for swimming and sunbathing in the simplest of garb. The beach is small and quiet. It is wilder than the beaches in the centre and has no toilets or showers.