Nice has twenty-three public beaches and fourteen private ones. All of them are pebble, and that is not a detail — it changes what you pack.
Pebbles, not sand
Best said straight away: the Nice shoreline is pebble, along its entire length. Visitors expecting sand are sometimes disappointed, though they shouldn't be — the water is clearer precisely because there is no sand suspended in it.
Two items change everything: a pair of water shoes, because the pebbles burn in summer and roll underfoot, and a thin mattress or thick mat. A towel alone will not do.
The closest to the port
Plage des Bains Militaires, at 50 boulevard Franck Pilatte, sits immediately beside the port, between it and Cap de Nice. This is the local beach: you reach it by steps and a concrete platform, it is supervised in season, and it has reduced-mobility access.
One warning, though: large ships passing can raise significant waves. Stay watchful with young children.
Just beyond, Plage de la Réserve, a few hundred metres south-east of the port, is made up of several small successive coves. The feel is wilder, and it is our favourite late in the day.
On the Old Town side
Across Castle Hill, Plage des Ponchettes faces the old quarter. It is the most central, supervised in summer, with beach volleyball courts. It fills quickly in July and August.
Castel Plage, just to the west at the foot of the hill, is a slightly more sheltered setting.
Public or private
Public beaches are free and open to all. The fourteen private beaches rent sunloungers and parasols, with a restaurant and showers. Depending on the establishment and the season, expect several tens of euros a day for two loungers.
The choice comes down to how long you are staying: for an hour's swim, public is more than enough. For a full day, the comfort of a lounger has its arguments.
Further along the coast
The neighbouring villages — Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat — offer more sheltered and often quieter coves, fifteen to twenty minutes by train from Nice-Ville station. Plage des Marinières, at Villefranche, is the largest in that commune.
Information verified in September 2026 against official sources. Prices and opening times may change.