Beaches

Nice's beaches extend all along the Baie des Anges, backed full-length by the Promenade des Anglais and a thriving and sophisticated downtown. This leads to the peculiar phenomenon of seeing power-suited executives and secretaries stripping down to a band of Lycra, tanning over the lunch hour, then suiting back up for the afternoon's work a block or two away. The absence of sand (there's nothing but those famous Riviera pebbles) helps maintain that dress-for-success look. The downside of the location: the otherwise stylish streets downtown tend to fill up with underdressed, sunburned tourists caked with salt during beach season.

Posh private beaches have full restaurants and bar service, color-coordinated mattresses and beach umbrellas, and ranks of tanners with phones glued to their ears. Several of the beaches lure clients with waterskiing, parasailing, windsurfing, and Jet-Skiing; if you're looking for a particular sport, check the signs posted at the entrance with the restaurant menus. In summer, lifeguards are posted near the Ruhl beach; check the flags to see if it's safe to swim on a windy day.

Fees for private beaches average €17–€22 for a dressing room and mattress and some charge up to €4 for a parasol. Private beaches alternate with open stretches of public frontage served by free toilets and open "showers" (a cold elevated faucet for rinsing off salt). Enterprising vendors cruise the waterfront, hawking ice cream, slabs of melon, coffee, ice-cold sodas, and beer. An excellent beachside read is They Eat Horses Don't They: The Truth about the French, by Piu Marie Eatwell. This in-depth look at French myths gives you the skinny on French women, sex and infidelity, music, and month-long August holidays, among other captivating subjects.

Beau Rivage Beach. Across from the Cours Saleya, Beau Rivage Plage claims to be the Riviera's largest private beach and has a split personality. On the Zen side, topless sunseekers can rent a cushy lounge chair with umbrella from €25, while at the more sceney Trend zone, bathers enjoy cocktails and tapas, and spending €150 buys the VIP treatment: a double bed, fruit bowl, bottle of wine, and demi-bouteille of Tattinger Champagne. The beach is stone, which means water shoes are advisable. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming. 107 quai des États-Unis, Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 06300. 04–92–00–46–80; www.plagenicebeaurivage.com.

Castel Plage. At the east end of the promenade, near Hotel Suisse, there is both a large public beach and a private one, where the water is calm and clear (you can rent a lounger at the latter for about €24, with umbrella). The public beach is composed of large stones, which are more comfortable to walk on than pebbles. Jellyfish are also less of a problem in this corner than they are a little farther west, and lifeguards at the neighboring beach are on duty mid-June–mid-September. Amenities: showers. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; sunset; swimming. 8 quai des États-Unis, Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 06300. .

Coco Beach. East of the port and past La Réserve, just a few steps down from street level, lies one of the quieter beaches in Nice with very clear water, few tourists, and hardly any jellyfish. The catch? The beach is more slabs of rock than sand—this is where locals spread their towels for the day—forming a small crest along the coastline that is exposed to wind. Combine this with the fact that there are no lifeguards and you have the directive to be extra careful. Many fish move about below, making this an excellent place for snorkeling. Amenities: food and drink; parking (street); showers. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming. Av. Jean Lorrain, Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 06300. .

Hi Beach. This is the funkiest of the Nice private beaches and pro-green, with designs by Philippe Starck protégé Matali Crasset. A stone beach with packed rows of loungers (one with an umbrella will set you back €22 for the day), Hi Beach appeals to a young and family clientele here—but expect to see breasts all the same. Three Zones target any beachgoer: Hi Energy, Hi Relax, and, for the kids, Hi Play (€69 for a four-person Family House). Offerings include drinks, a full menu (with burgers and sushi, too), Hi Body for those in need of a massage, and beach yoga in English on summer mornings. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; sunset; swimming. 47 promenade des Anglais, Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 06000. 04–97–14–00–83; www.hi-beach.net.

Lenval and Magnan beaches. Locals come early and with umbrellas, chairs, and coolers in tow to these two sizeable public beaches around the halfway point of the Promenade. Both beaches are stone and there's the occasional méduse, so water shoes are best for getting in and out of the sea. Lenval is a nonsmoking beach; there are pay underground hot showers, toilets, and lockers, as well as portable toilets in the summer; there are no lifeguards nor a first aid station (but these are provided next door at Magnan, which is wider and lower than street level). This area is less tourist-dense, so expect to see many (too many) bare torsos. When the winds pick up, this area can be dangerous, so watch for the wind-warning flags (and always avoid swimming for 24 hours after storms).Amenities: lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; swimming. Promenade des Anglais, Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 06000. .

Ponchettes Beach. Almost at the end of the Promenade and in front of the Old Town, this basic stony stretch is a popular spot in the summer with a melange of tourists and locals (they’re the topless ones) of all ages all day. In the summer there are sand-beach volleyball courts. Keep an eye out for jellyfish. Amenities: lifeguards; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; sunset; swimming. Quai des États-Unis, Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 06000. .