Plage du Cros de Cagnes Beach, Cagnes sur Mer

a small harbour with a few small boats moored up

Plage du Cros de Cagnes Beach, Cagnes sur Mer

Pebble beach at the centre of Cagnes sur Mer with lifeguards

featured in Beaches Updated 12 June 2023

Plage du Cros de Cagnes is the main stretch of beach in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, running the length of the lively row of restaurants and bars that line the seafront.

The beach is split into sections called épis (meaning sword in French), which refers to the rocky spurs that point out into the sea. As well as breaking up the waves they also make good sunbathing decks, good scrambling territory for kids and good perches for fishermen. It also makes it easier for parents to keep an eye on the kids if they use the épis as swimming boundaries.

Beach Bars & Beachclubs in Antibes

There are a number of beach clubs available where you can either rent a sun lounger and parasol for the day, or just call in for lunch. Many of them are open in the late afternoon/early evening for sundowners, if you want to admire the view with a glass of something chilled.

Water Safety & Clarity

There are lifeguards at this beach in peak season. The water is clear here but the pebble beach remains throughout.

Beach Quality

The beach is pebbly, like most in the region and rubber shoes are a welcome accessory for a more elegant approach to entering the waves (rather than the mincing stumble that otherwise occurs).

Watersports Nearby

At the western end of the beach (nearest to Nice) there is a yacht club where you can learn how to sail, windsurf, or take a boat trip around the bay. There are a couple of islands nearby, the Iles de Lérin, that are well worth a visit if you fancy a day trip.

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Directions

Parking is not easy, there is a pay-and-display car park behind the church or you can take a chance on finding roadside parking.

It’s much easier to take the 200 bus that runs regularly between Nice and Cannes. Or, if you don’t have much to carry you can hop on a bike and pedal all the way from Nice along the flat cycle path that starts at the Promenade des Anglais.