© PWilliamson
© SeeAntibes.com
© Prefecture 06
Plage de la Salis Beach
Long stretch of white sandy beach, close to Antibes town
Running from Antibes Sailing Club down to the beginning of Cap d’Antibes, this laid-back beach has lovely soft white sand and stunning views back over the Old Town and the Alps. Like the neighbouring Plage du Ponteil, this beach gets packed in the summer and is busy well into the long twilight hours with volleyball games, music and picnics.
This entire stretch of beach is public, making it a rarity out of Riviera beaches. Anywhere you see free is yours to occupy and you’ll find everyone brings their umbrellas and beach chairs along, making it a free-for-all.
It's a lovely white sand beach with great views and basic facilities but lacks a little of the atmosphere of its neighbour, Plage du Ponteil. However, the sand quality seems softer and whiter on this beach, there are fewer rocks in the water, and it seems a little easier to find a spot to lay your towel in high summer. There are free public toilets on the far side of the Sailing Club building, and open-air showers on the edge of the water.
Off-season this beach does get lovely winter sun, but isn’t quite as well protected as the neighbouring sun-trap on Plage du Ponteil. Through the winter months, the council rarely removes the seaweed and debris that rolls in with the winter storms so while you’ll still be able to find stretches of lovely soft sand, you’ll find this beach does get quite full of sticks, logs and seaweed. On the bright side, it’s a lovely spot for a dog-walk on a cool winter’s day.
Dogs: From mid-April until October, dogs are ostensibly forbidden on these beaches between 06:00 and midnight due to the crowds. However, you’ll find that on wet or windy days or early in the morning the locals still walk their dogs there anyway. Whatever you do, pick your dog mess up: it’s illegal not to, and anyway, no-one wants to step in dog surprises at the beach. You will still find many French people bucking the law to pick up (and other French people chasing them and yelling at them, which is very amusing) so keep your eyes peeled.
Beach Bars & Beachclubs in Antibes
There are several food kiosks at the back of the beach selling baguettes, ice cream, French fries and crepes. There’s a small Casino supermarket behind Plage du Ponteil; for those wanting an ice-cream parlour, you’ll have to walk a bit further back past Royal Hotel.
Setting & Location
Plage de la Salis, or ‘Salis Beach’ runs along to the small marina at the base of the Cap d’Antibes, and offers the best views of that glorious forested headland of villas, rocky outcrops and pines. It also has sensational views back across the jumbled terracotta roofs and towers of the Old Town towards the Alps. There’s also a lovely little park at the town end of the beach, with park benches and a fountain under large pine trees, a nice place to escape the heat. The only downside is that the actual beach doesn’t have the lovely promenade with park benches that makes Ponteil so special.
Water Safety & Clarity
There are some sections of the water with a sandy bottom, but there are also some rocks and patches of seaweed. The water in the off-season is crystal clear, but in mid-summer it can get a bit murky with all the people swimming in it and the yachts anchored off shore. Such is life on the French Riviera, if you want sparkling, clear water in high summer either head to the little coves on Cap d’Antibes or take the short ferry trip over from Golfe Juan to the stunning Cannes Islands.
There are lifeguards posted here in the summer, but this beach is a very calm beach, protected by the Cap d’Antibes on one side and the old town on the other. The slope of the sand into the water is gentle and it stays shallow for some time, meaning it’s a great spot for the kiddies to swim.
Beach Quality
The sand here is white and soft, as Antibes happily marks the end of the smooth pebbled beaches that run all the way to Nice and beyond.
Watersports Nearby
The Antibes Sailing Club at the start of the beach offers sailing lessons as well as hire of paddleboards, windsurfers and kayaks. Plage Salis doesn’t have any watersports operators, but a five minute walk away at Plage du Ponteil you’ll find a pontoon offering towed watersports in the summer months.
Directions
The little local Envibuses connect the town of Antibes to the beaches. If walking, just head around the ramparts from the Old Town or down Albert Premier from Place de Gaulle until you hit the beach. There’s a big car park just to the left of the beach, which is free from mid-September through to mid-June, and has a relatively minimal fee.
