The beaches of Antibes and Juan-les-Pins, ranked

Antibes has some 25 kilometres of coastline and a beach for almost every mood along it. The tourist office's own summary is honest: the beaches are rarely very wide, they vary in length, some are hidden, some shaded, and they are either sand or shingle. Around the old town and on the road to Cap d'Antibes the sand is fine and the water shallow; at Juan-les-Pins a long public strand runs from the town centre towards Golf-Juan; north of Port Vauban the shore turns to shingle and the sea deepens quickly; and around the Cap itself small coves open between the rocks. The public beaches have showers and toilets and, in summer, lifeguards; the private beaches between them hire out loungers and parasols and serve lunch. We have ranked six for setting, water and what a visitor actually needs from a day by the sea – from the bay that made the Riviera summer fashionable to the town beach under the ramparts.

Plage de la Garoupe

On the eastern side of Cap d'Antibes, the Garoupe bay is the beach that started it all. In 1922 the American painter Gerald Murphy cleared the seaweed from this stretch of shore to make a sandy beach, as Lonely Planet tells the story, and it has been the Cap's favourite ever since. Today the golden sand is shared between a small public beach and private concessions, among them Plage Keller with its loungers on a jetty. In season it is supervised, with toilets, showers, mattress hire and restaurants; there is parking nearby, and the nearest bus stop is 10 to 20 minutes on foot.

Plage de la Salis

Leave Old Antibes for the Cap and the first long sweep of sand is La Salis, looking back at the ramparts and the little fishing port of La Salis. The water is shallow, which makes it a beach for young children, and the practical side is well covered: a large car park, a sailing school, a lifeguard and first-aid post, showers and toilets. La Salis is also the town's Handiplage, with the Tourisme & Handicap label: from 13 June to 31 August 2026, between 8.30am and 6.15pm, a wheelchair is available and staff are trained to welcome visitors with disabilities. The Chemin du Calvaire up to the Garoupe plateau starts from its car park.

Plage de la Gravette

This is the beach inside the town. La Gravette is reached from the harbour on Quai Henri Rambaud: a stretch of sand sheltered from wind and swell, with the ramparts of Old Antibes behind it, which throw their shade across the beach as the sun drops behind the roofs. There is a lifeguard and first-aid post, showers and public toilets, and the view runs out to the tip of Cap d'Antibes. It is the place for a swim between the market and the museums. Dogs are not allowed.

Plage du Ponteil

Next to La Salis on Boulevard James Wyllie, Le Ponteil is the other long sandy beach on the road to the Cap, and the one best suited to small children: a large shallow area, a play area, a lifeguard station, showers, toilets and a car park, plus a sailing school. It is accessible for wheelchairs with assistance. Swim out a little and look back: the view of Old Antibes from here is one of the best in town.

The public beaches of Juan-les-Pins

On the other side of the Cap, the public beaches of Juan-les-Pins run from the town centre towards Golf-Juan: sand, a promenade behind and a lively crowd in summer. They alternate with private beach clubs that hire out loungers and parasols, serve lunch and, in some cases, offer water sports. The public stretches have a lifeguard and first-aid post, food, showers and toilets. It is the beach for a swim between an afternoon in town and an evening at Jazz à Juan.

The shingle beaches, Fort Carré to La Brague

North of Port Vauban the coast changes character. From the Fort Carré to La Brague the beaches are shingle, carried down and deposited by the river Var, and the sea is deep a few metres out – cooler water, for swimmers rather than paddlers. The tourist office advises keeping a close eye on young children and wearing water shoes if your feet are sensitive. The beaches are supervised in summer, with showers and a few snack bars.

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