La Plage du Martinez

La Plage du Martinez is the private beach of the Hotel Martinez, sitting directly opposite the hotel at 73 Boulevard de la Croisette on one of the most photographed stretches of the Cannes seafront. The look is deliberately nautical, all terracotta and navy, closer to a yacht deck than a nightclub. The kitchen cooks Riviera Mediterranean food built around local producers and whatever is in season, and while lunch runs every day through the summer, dinner service only starts from the beginning of July. The beach itself has its own defined summer window, opening daily from nine in the morning to six in the evening from late June to the end of August, with lounger hire charged per day. A separate water sports centre operates from the same beach on longer hours, weather in the Bay of Cannes permitting. Dogs are welcome, and both cards and cash are taken. Worth checking dates before you plan around it: the beach closes for a stretch in late June and again for ten days in late September. Because it belongs to a large Croisette hotel, service is polished and the crowd skews towards hotel guests, festival visitors and people who want a full day rather than a quick swim.