Our Day at Paloma Beach Club – Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France

July 2024

Our Day at Paloma Beach Club – Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France

The French Riviera is the perfect spot to enjoy a beach vacation. Every coastal town along the French Riviera offers gorgeous beaches to enjoy throughout the summer months.

In every town, there are both public sections of the beach though most of the sand is taken by private beach clubs. Beach Clubs vary in amenities but all have an entry fee that includes an umbrella and two beach chairs, and typically have options available to pay for food and drinks. Some are more luxurious and have cabanas, beach service, towels, and other amenities. Due to the demand for this beach, I would definitely recommend booking a spot at one of the beach clubs over the public spaces. Note that many beach clubs do not accept reservations in advance and require queuing at least thirty minutes before the opening time. Pay attention as many beach clubs accept reservations for their dining area so be careful when looking on the websites.

When evaluating which beach club you want to visit, look at:

• Reviews
• Price for amenities
• Amenities offered
• Food and drink options
• Number of chairs
• Location
• Hours of operation

One of the most famous locations along the French Riviera for a beach day is Paloma Beach at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The beach is tucked away in a hidden bay that has the most beautiful views so it makes for a desirable beach destination. That being said, the beach itself is not very big and there is only one beach club available. The beach club, Paloma Beach Club, is definitely one of the more exclusive beach clubs along the French Riviera. And while the beach area is not that big, there is still plenty of free public beach area for anyone to arrive and enjoy. During the summer, it is important to arrive early to grab a spot.

Paloma Beach Club was the only one I found in my research to accept a reservation in advance so I knew that meant it was essential. I called at the end of May for our trip in early July and had no problem securing our spot. Getting here from Nice was easy – it involved taking the bus #15 from its start all the way to the last stop nearby the beach. 

Since our first beach club day had a line prior to opening, we wanted to time our arrival to Paloma Beach Club for before the 9AM opening even though we had a reservation. So we were shocked to arrive and there was not a soul around. You have to descend quite a staircase to reach the beach so just a note on the accessibility piece. But the view is spectacular all around – the water is calm and clear, the beach is quiet and clean, and the mood is very relaxed.

Paloma Beach Club was full of amenities to take advantage of:

• Sun bed with umbrella (55 euro)
• Full bar and restaurant with beach service or terrace service 
• Towels (8 euro)
• Private cabin (20 euro)
• Bathrooms  
• Private beach

We went down just before 9AM and once the staff were set up to confirm our reservation. It was all the chairs were reserved for the day and we were happily escorted to our beach bed for the day. For the next hour, we were the only ones here! I am amazed at how much money people spend on the day rental fee here to not take advantage of the entire day. And this one was way more expensive than the ones at Nice. 

The beach is so beautiful here – the beaches are rock/pebble so make sure to have water shoes as the rocks in the water are quite large and the ocean is clear, bright blue. We did not notice any jellyfish but keep an eye in the summer months in the European waters as they enjoy the warm waters. The sunbeds here are spaced out with a bit more comfort between parties which is nice since this beach club does have a premium. The beach attendants are available to arrange the umbrellas in a way that suits everyone as much as possible so do not be afraid to speak up if you want them adjusted.

After a full morning of relaxing, we ordered food directly from our sunbeds and enjoyed fried seafood, a vegan salad, and a bottle of wine. While not surprising, the prices were high for everything but the portions were pretty small so that was disappointing. Everything was good but the plate of fried seafood was not at all what it should have been for the price. The salad was certainly fresh and delicious but on the smaller size. They also bring our a tray like breakfast in bed which definitely gets added points. The restaurant was jam packed for both lunch and dinner services so if you plan on coming for a meal and the view, make sure to make a reservation in advance.

We arrived at Paloma Beach Club at 9AM opening – we wanted to make sure we got every minute of our time there and we stayed here until closing at 6PM. We were able to shower and change for dinner in the facilities which was very convenient to have available for our visit. We had such a relaxing and wonderful day – it went by way too fast and it simply loved the pace of relaxation along the French Riviera.

If visiting Paloma Beach is high on your French Riviera bucketlist, doing so by reserving at the Paloma Beach Club is a great way to accomplish this. I will say, you will get a better value for the experience both in the cost of the beach club and the cost of the food and beverages elsewhere, but you are paying for the destination. Compared to our beach day at Le Galet Beach Club, Paloma Beach was more expensive and we preferred the food at Le Galet but Paloma Beach is more private and exclusive with beach beds further apart and more attentive service. I am so glad we came here to experience it and it was a fabulous day.

Continue reading about our trip in Nice here!

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See our complete itinerary here!

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