Côte d’Azur: Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez: beach reality check
Short answer: 22 beaches checked. In mid-July the sun leaves first at Pointe Notre-Dame (19:00), Plage du Buse (19:00), Plage Larvotto (19:15); the latest sun is at Fréjus plage, Plage de la Croisette, Plage de Pampelonne.
| Beach | Surface | Sun in July | Climb from parking | Water | Sea in Aug | Clubs mapped |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plage Castel Nice | Pebbles | 07:40–20:30 | — | deep fast | 25 °C | — |
| Opera Plage Nice | Pebbles | 06:55–20:20 | — | deep fast | 25 °C | — |
| Beau Rivage Nice | Pebbles | 06:40–20:50 | — | deep fast | 25 °C | — |
| Plage de la Paloma Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat | Gravel | 06:15–20:50 | — | deep fast | 25 °C | — |
| Plage de Passable Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat | Sand | 07:25–20:40 | 190 m | deep fast | 25 °C | — |
| Plage de la Mala Cap-d'Ail | Pebbles | 08:50–19:55 | — | deep fast | 25 °C | — |
| Plage de Pampelonne Ramatuelle | Sand | 06:15–20:55 | 450 m, ↑13 m | gradual | 24 °C | — |
| Plage de l'Escalet Ramatuelle | Sand | 06:25–19:35 | — | gradual | 24 °C | — |
| Plage de Gigaro La Croix-Valmer | Sand | 06:55–20:50 | — | gradual | 24 °C | — |
| Plage de la Croisette Cannes | Sand | 06:55–20:55 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Plages du Midi Vallauris | Sand | 06:20–20:40 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Plage de la Garoupe Antibes | Sand | 06:15–20:40 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Plage de la Salis Antibes | Sand | 06:15–20:45 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Plage Larvotto Monaco | Gravel | 06:25–19:15 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Plage des Marinières Villefranche-sur-Mer | Sand | 08:15–20:00 | — | deep fast | 25 °C | — |
| Plage du Rayol Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer | Sand | 07:20–19:40 | — | gradual | 24 °C | — |
| Pointe Notre-Dame Saint-Raphaël | ? | 06:25–19:00 | 310 m, ↑60 m | shallow | 24 °C | — |
| Plage de Sylvabelle La Croix-Valmer | Sand | 08:25–19:35 | — | gradual | 24 °C | — |
| Plage du Buse Roquebrune-Cap-Martin | ? | 07:45–19:00 | — | gradual | 25 °C | — |
| Fréjus plage | Sand | 06:25–21:00 | — | deep fast | 24 °C | — |
| Plage du Débarquement La Croix-Valmer | Sand | 06:45–20:30 | — | gradual | 24 °C | — |
| Plage Petite Afrique Beaulieu-sur-Mer | ? | 07:15–19:15 | — | shallow | 25 °C | — |
Plan it
Questions
Which beaches in Côte d’Azur: Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez lose the sun first?
22 beaches checked. In mid-July the sun leaves first at Pointe Notre-Dame (19:00), Plage du Buse (19:00), Plage Larvotto (19:15); the latest sun is at Fréjus plage, Plage de la Croisette, Plage de Pampelonne.
Which beaches in Côte d’Azur: Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez are sand?
Plage de Passable, Plage de Pampelonne, Plage de l'Escalet, Plage de Gigaro, Plage de la Croisette, Plages du Midi, Plage de la Garoupe, Plage de la Salis, Plage des Marinières, Plage du Rayol, Plage de Sylvabelle, Fréjus plage, Plage du Débarquement.
Sun and shade come from the sun's position and the skyline around each beach, measured every 4° of compass direction from a 30 m elevation model out to 6 km. The climb back up is the height difference between the beach and the nearest mapped car park or bus stop (about 0.17 m per step). Water depth comes from the EMODnet seabed model; surface, beach clubs, toilets and showers from OpenStreetMap; sea temperature is the 1991–2020 average from NOAA OISST and waves the 2015–2024 average from ERA5. Prices are not shown: they change every season and differ between clubs. Map data checked 7 Nov 2026; next check 1 Dec 2026 (monthly). Sea averages are refreshed every January. Sun and shade are calculated for any date you pick.