Beaches in Juan-les-Pins — 5 of Our Favourites

Discover your perfect Juan-les-Pins beach

If there’s one thing that the commune of Antibes-Juan les Pins does particularly well is its beaches.

Find loads of top tips and local insights in our Antibes Beach Guide.

1. Plage Epi Hollywood Beach, Juan les Pins

Location: Juan-les-Pins

Stretching from the Café de la Plage on Boulevard Edouard Baudoin to the Square Franck Jay Gould, this public beach offers one of the widest sections of beach in Juan les Pins.

You will find some popular beach clubs towards the Square Franck Jay Gould end of the beach, including Plage Les Pirates beach club. However, there is also a fair amount of public space on this beach so that you can lay your towel down on the sand without the price tag.

There are public toilets and showers at this beach. There are also public pay toilets and a toilet block in the nearby Parc de la Pinede.

2. Plage de la Gallice Beach, Juan les Pins

Location: Juan-les-Pins

This little local’s hangout is found just next to Port Gallice, at the very start of the Cap d’Antibes. It’s a pretty peaceful place as is a long way from the road, with a more secluded feel than the open Juan les Pins beaches.

It’s also a lot more casual than those popular beaches with their buzzing watersports and posh beach clubs, making it a great place to relax with a picnic and a good book. This charming, low-key beach is completely public, without a glamorous beach club to be seen.

It’s a relaxed and pleasant place to spend a day, far from the noise and pretention you find at some nearby beaches. Soft sand, calm waters, lovely view, what’s not to like?

Like almost all Riviera beaches, dogs are ostensibly forbidden between mid-April and the end of September because of the crowds. However, I’ve been there on a sunny day in early September and there were several happy hounds running about and no-one made a fuss. However, keep your eye out for inspectors and be aware that you could cop a fine. Pick up after your dogs, don’t let them be a pest to others and don’t take them when it’s really crowded and there’s a good chance you’ll be fine.

3. Blue Flag beaches in Antibes

The FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) is a non-profit organisation that awards the sought-after Blue Flag label. And if you're planning a visit to Antibes and its beaches you'll be pleased to know that it has some Blue Flag beaches.

Well-known for their crystalline turquoise waters, golden sand and wide range of facilities, the beaches in Antibes are among the most famous in the world so it's not surprising that some of them have been awarded the coveted Blue Flag: Les Groules, Marineland, Fontonne (East and West), Fort Carré and Antibes-les -Pins (West).

The beaches are evaluated each year based on 32 separate criteria, each beach or marina is judged on the quality of the water, safety and services (including lifeguards and first aid), information for beach users, environmental education and protection of the coastal environment. A beach without an eco-flag is not automatically less clean, some municipalities simply cannot afford or do not want to meet the strict requirements of the FEE.

Tips for making the most of Antibes' beaches:

The closest beach to town is the Plage de la Gravette, it's sheltered and perfect for swimming. Also nice for a sunset aperitif on the beach.
For more sandy stretches of beach visit Plage de Ponteil, next to the yacht club, and Plage de la Sais. Both have shallow water and lifeguards in summer.
Plage de la Garoupe is where you'll find luxury beach clubs.

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4. Ponton Courbet Beach, Juan les Pins

Location: Juan-les-Pins

This is a relatively narrow sand beach, backed by the Promenade du Soleil. It’s got a nice view across the bay and is very central to town.

This town beach has a central location with a good number of private beach clubs and pontoons, as well as some areas of public beach along towards the Plage Promenade du Soleil.

There are no public toilets or showers at this beach, and it’s not wheelchair-accessible. There are public pay toilets and a toilet block in the nearby Parc de la Pinede, and you’ll find more paid portable toilets nearby.

Dogs are forbidden on this Riviera beach between mid-April and early October, and because there are so many overlooking buildings, this might not be your best bet for a sneaky dog walk in summer.

5. Grande Plage Beach, Juan les Pins

Location: Juan-les-Pins

This is the main beach of Juan-les-Pins, and it’s also one of the widest. This is a great beach with lots of sand, a great view and a buzzing energy in the summer months.

Grande plage beach is entirely public with good facilities and only a short walk to town, therefore it’s no surprise that this beach is absolutely heaving in high summer.

If you don’t like crowds, try your luck at Plage de la Gallice or Plage du Crouton instead, or head to one of the hidden beaches of Cap d’Antibes.

Dogs are forbidden on this Riviera beach between mid-April and October, although you might get away with it on a slightly cooler or rainy day. Because this beach is so open and there are many overlooking buildings, this might not be your best bet for a sneaky dog walk in summer, keep your eye out for the locals and see what they do.

About the Beaches in Antibes

If there’s one thing that the commune of Antibes-Juan les Pins does particularly well is its beaches. Antibes sits at the end of the long sweep of the Bay of Angels, which marks the end of the pebbled beaches and the beginning of the soft white sandy stretches. As such, Antibes-Juan les Pins is a very popular beach destination, marrying the old world charm of narrow streets and medieval towers with sandy shores, clear waters, beach clubs, restaurants and watersports.

Best 15 beaches in & around Antibes
Antibes	Plage de la Gravette, Plage Ponteil, Plage de la Salis, Plage du Fort Carre
Cap d'Antibes	Plage de la Garoupe, Plage de l'Olivette, Plage des Ondes, Plage du Crouton, Cap d'Antibes coves
Juan les Pins	Plage de la Gallice, Plage Epi Hollywood, Casino Beach, Grande Plage, Plage du Pont du Lys, Ponton Courbet Beach

When considering Antibes as your destination, always bear in mind that the Commune of Antibes-Juan-les-Pins actually covers a huge area that includes Antibes Old Town, the Antibes ‘open’ beaches, Cap d’Antibes and, on the other side of the headland, the sunny beach resort of Juan-les-Pins. All these four areas have beautiful, sandy beaches, as well as some secluded pebbled coves and rocky platforms for sunning yourselves on the famed Cap d’Antibes. Antibes beaches are almost entirely public, while Juan-les-Pins has some public beaches and quite a lot of fancy private beach clubs.