Paloma

Paloma Beach sits in a small cove on the eastern side of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, near the wooded Saint Hospice point, and it is the polished, grown up side of the cape. It is pebble and shingle rather than sand, but the water is clear, sheltered and usually calm, and the setting, with pines above and the cove curving below, is genuinely lovely. This is a refined beach day rather than a wild one, in keeping with the wealthy little peninsula it belongs to.

The cove is shared between the well known Paloma Beach club and a free public section. The club rents loungers and serves lunch right over the water and has a long standing reputation on this coast, which means it is upscale and books up ahead in season. On the other side you can lay a towel and swim for nothing if you bring your own kit. Lounger rates and any minimum spend at the club are to be confirmed directly, but the free section keeps Paloma open to anyone who wants the water.

One of the best things about Paloma is what is just behind it. The coastal path around Saint Jean Cap Ferrat passes close by, a beautiful walk that rings the cape past villas, pines and rocky shore with views across to the mainland. You can swim in the cove, walk a stretch of the path and come back, which turns a beach day into something more. Bring shoes for the path, and water shoes for the pebble cove itself.

Who should skip it: anyone set on broad soft sand or a budget day, as this is a pebble cove with an upscale club. Who should go: couples, swimmers and anyone who likes a refined cove paired with a great coastal walk. Pair Paloma with the calm and the sunsets of Passable on the other side of the cape, the dramatic cove at Mala nearby, or the full circuit of the Saint Jean Cap Ferrat coast path.

Paloma Beach lies on the eastern side of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat near the Saint Hospice point, reached by car from Nice in around twenty five minutes with limited parking near the cove, or by local bus and a walk down to the shore. The nearest rail stations are Beaulieu sur Mer and Villefranche on the coastal line, with a taxi or bus completing the trip onto the cape.

Because parking is limited and the club is popular, arrive early for a space and book a club lounger ahead in season if you want the lunch and the comfort. For a free swim, bring your own kit to the public side. The coastal path around the cape is right behind the beach, so pack shoes if you want to walk it. June and September give warm settled water and the club open without the deepest August crowds.