Watersports Beaches
on the Riviera

The French Riviera has a long love affair with watersports, and Juan les Pins even claims to be where waterskiing was born. Today the coast splits its water fun in two. The big sandy resort beaches of Antibes, Cannes and Saint Tropez run the towed and motorised sports, waterskiing, wakeboarding, ringo rides and jet ski hire, with rental huts and instructors on the sand. The clear coves of the cap peninsulas, meanwhile, are where paddleboarding, snorkelling and diving come into their own.

We have ranked these for what you can actually do on and under the water and how easy it is to get going, the towed sports and rental on the resort beaches, the clarity and shelter for paddling and diving in the coves, and where you will find a school or a dive centre. The standouts pair good conditions with real services, so whether you want to be pulled across the bay on a board or drift over a reef with a mask, you can turn up and be on the water quickly.

If you want towed and motorised sports, the big resort beaches are the place. Juan les Pins, with its waterski heritage and sheltered bay, is the standout for waterskiing, wakeboarding and lessons, and the Cannes beaches at Plage du Midi and the Croisette run jet ski hire and towed rides through the season. For paddleboarding, snorkelling and diving, the clear coves win, Larvotto in Monaco has a dive centre and easy hire, and Mala at Cap d'Ail rewards a climb with the best shore snorkelling near Monaco.

Who should skip what? If you only want a quiet snorkel, avoid the busy resort beaches when the jet skis are running and head for a sheltered cove instead. If you want the adrenaline sports, the wild coves like Escalet have no rental, so do not expect to hire a board there. And remember that the calmest water for paddling is the early morning, before the afternoon breeze gets up on the open beaches. Most Riviera beaches are not lifeguarded outside the supervised town stretches, so check conditions and keep clear of the motorised zones when you swim.

A watersports day is easiest with a base booked on the sand, somewhere to leave your things, hire a board or arrange a tow and grab lunch between sessions. The serviced beaches at Juan les Pins, the Croisette in Cannes and Larvotto in Monaco are the easiest places to reserve a front row and line up rental or a lesson, and several work with the schools and dive centres nearby. Tell us the beach and your dates and we will pass the enquiry to the club so they can confirm space and any minimum spend.