Luxury beach clubs along the Côte d'Azur range from the iconic sands of Pampelonne in Saint-Tropez to the cliff-enclosed coves near Monaco. What defines the finest is not the venue alone - it is positioning, timing, and access.
Reservations are essential. Access is selective. Reservations in July and August are essential, often weeks in advance.
Île Sainte-Marguerite, Cannes
Since 1935. No road in arrival by superyacht, tender or water taxi only. Chef Yiannis Kioroglou delivers Greek-Mediterranean plates: octopus carpaccio, grilled langoustines, Provençal vegetables. DJ sets from afternoon. The island changes as the day moves on.
Best for: All-day experience, afternoon into evening
Atmosphere: Festive, boat-access only, legendary
When to go: Lunch into golden hour
Monte-Carlo Beach Club
Paloma Beach
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Since 1948. Named after Picasso's daughter and family-run for three generations. The same wooden shack still serves grilled fish, salade niçoise, and magnums of Minuty to a clientele that anchors offshore. Coco Chanel, Elton John, Tom Cruise. Pebbled cove, no music, no spectacle. The Riviera before it became a brand.
Best for: Long lunch arriving by tender.
Atmosphere: Discreet, generational, understated
When to go: Lunch into early afternoonI am
Address: 1 Route de Saint-Hospice, 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Z Plage by Hôtel Martinez
Cannes
The most sought-after beach address on the Croisette. Wide private beach, vast teak-decked pontoon, deep loungers shaded by white parasols. Adjoining restaurant, smoothie and cocktail bar, and a Givenchy spa cabana operating in July and August. Festival regulars, fashion crowd, and quiet hotel guests share the same impeccable service.
Best for: Luxury beach day, hotel-level service
Atmosphere: Polished, designer, Croisette-front
When to go: Late morning into afternoon
Address: Z Plage by Hôtel Martinez 73 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes
Loulou Ramatuelle
Plage de Pampelonne · Ramatuelle
The Paris Loulou translated to the sand. Bohemian-chic palette of raw wood, linen, and natural rope. Mediterranean kitchen led by Benoît Dargère wood-fired branzino, truffle pizzette, hand-cut tagliatelle. Quieter than its Pampelonne neighbours, with a more grown-up dining-first crowd. The address Parisian regulars defect to.
Best for: Long lunch, dining over party
Atmosphere: Bohemian, refined, Parisian-leaning
When to go: Lunch into late afternoon
Address: Route de l'Épi, Plage de Pampelonne, 83350 Ramatuelle
Verde Beach CLUB
Plage de Pampelonne · Ramatuelle
Pampelonne's polished party address. Smaller, more intimate beach section than its rivals, premium loungers in a matched palette, DJ from afternoon onward. Kitchen turns out seabass carpaccio with bottarga, raw red Sicilian gambero with Ossetra caviar, A5 Wagyu over smoking charcoal. Second service is when the room turns.
Best for: Weekend afternoons, groups
Atmosphere: Lively, fashion-led
When to go: Late afternoon into evening
Address: Route de l'Épi, Plage de Pampelonne, 83350 Ramatuelle
Nikki Beach Saint-Tropez
Plage de Pampelonne · Ramatuelle
Since 2002. The original Nikki Beach and still its flagship. White-on-white cabanas, sushi towers, Champagne sabrage, the signature Sunday Amazing Brunch. The international party crowd's first stop on Pampelonne A-list regulars, model-led service, the choreographed lunch that became a Riviera template.
Best for: Sunday brunch, party-led lunch
Atmosphere: All-white, theatrical, international
When to go: Sunday brunch, peak summer
Address: Route de l'Épi, Plage de Pampelonne, 83350 Ramatuelle
Shellona Saint-Tropez
Kaplankaya, Bodrum
Imported from Saint-Barthélemy in 2017. Greek kitchen by Chef Yiannis Kioroglou the same hand behind La Guérite — turning out mezze, grilled octopus, whole sea bream from the open kitchen. Teak terraces and canvas cabanas, live music shifting to DJ as the sun drops. The Mykonos-inflected late-lunch room that runs longer than any other on Pampelonne, the natural answer to dinner-after-Nikki.
Best for: Late lunch into sunset
Atmosphere: Boho-Greek, Mykonos-leaning, music-led
When to go: Lunch service running into golden hour
Address: 1010 Chemin des Tamaris, 83350 Ramatuelle · Pampelonne
Insider Notes on Côte d'Azur
Beach Clubs & Reservations
The Côte d'Azur beach club season runs from May through late September, with peak demand from mid-July through August. Reservations are essential for front-row cabanas, tender-access tables, and high-demand venues often weeks ahead in peak weeks, longer for Cannes Film Festival, the Monaco Grand Prix, and the Cannes Lions week.
Pampelonne leans social and high-visibility - Club 55 and Loulou run quiet, Nikki and Shellona run loud. Cannes splits between Croisette hotel beaches (Z Plage, Carlton, Martinez) and the festive island address of La Guérite. Cap d'Antibes and Cap Ferrat remain the discreet end of the coast, where placement matters more than booking.
Monaco operates by hotel, club membership, and standing reservation.
Minimum spend varies significantly depending on positioning, table placement, and timing.
Access is rarely the issue. Placement is.
Veluma Beach Club
Selection on the Côte d'Azur
A privately curated selection of the Riviera's most sought-after beach clubs - including Le Club 55, La Guérite, Hôtel du Cap Eden Roc, Monte-Carlo Beach Club, and Paloma Beach.
Explore More Places
We secure private villas across the Côte d'Azur, then arrange everything around your stay - from beach club reservations and yacht tenders to dining and last-minute requests.