Cannes beaches: choose the right strip of sand
Yes, Cannes has actual sand. No, you do not need a palace beach club to touch it. The useful question is which part of the bay fits your day.
Mametas CheckedBeach access, services and 2026 prices checked 23 September 2026 · official sources
Croisette for convenience. Midi for a more relaxed public-beach day. Bijou for children or accessibility. Mouré Rouge when you want the local end of Cannes rather than the postcard centre.
The beaches, one by one
Brigitte Bardot beach
The central public option.
The former Macé beach was renamed Brigitte Bardot beach in May 2026. It is the large public beach on the western Croisette, close to the Palais des Festivals and surrounded by private hotel beaches. This is the easiest sand if you are already in central Cannes and do not want the day to turn into a logistics exercise.
Zamenhof
A sunbed without palace-beach pricing.
Cannes runs Zamenhof itself beside the Martinez. In summer it offers supervised swimming, showers, changing cabins, accessibility equipment, loungers and parasols at municipal prices.
Bijou Plage
The family and accessibility choice.
At the eastern end of the Croisette, between Port Canto and Palm Beach, Bijou has shallow access that Cannes Tourism specifically recommends for families. The municipal Handiplage is here too.
Mouré Rouge
When you want Cannes without sitting under a palace.
Past Palm Beach, the Gazagnaire and Mouré Rouge stretch feels more residential and local. Cannes Tourism describes these as family beaches close to the small Mouré Rouge port and water-sports base.
Boulevard du Midi
More space, less of the Croisette show.
The public sandy beaches continue west from the old port towards La Bocca. They are more family-oriented, generally less crowded than the Croisette and face the Estérel and the Lérins Islands. If your aim is an actual beach day rather than the Cannes postcard, start here.
And the private beaches?
The Croisette has many hotel and concession beaches. Choose one because you want the restaurant, service or atmosphere. If the beach club itself is the plan in July or August, reserve. Otherwise the public beaches above are perfectly good options.