Best Beach Clubs from the Italian Riviera to Cannes
From the pastel harbours of the Italian Riviera to the palm-shaded stretch of La Croisette in Cannes, the coast around Villa Monaco is home to some of the Mediterranean's most celebrated beach clubs. Some are pure daylight parties — champagne lunches, DJ sets, tables you dance on by four in the afternoon. Others are the opposite: quiet, family-friendly coves, seafront restaurants where the loudest sound is the ice in a glass. This is our full 2026 guide to both.
Split into two clear categories — Party and Chill — with distances measured from the gate of Villa Monaco in Cap-d'Ail. Every venue below is within an evening's drive; the closest, Eden Plage Mala, is a five-minute walk. And, when the summer heat makes leaving the villa feel like too much work, we have written a note at the end on why our own pool terrace has, more than once, been described by guests as the best beach club they visited all week.
Party Beach Clubs
Twiga Baia Benjamin
20 min · Ventimiglia · ITFlavio Briatore's Italian party institution, extended from Forte dei Marmi to a spectacular seafront setting at Baia Benjamin, minutes across the Italian border. Long, decadent lunches drift into afternoon champagne, and by evening the terrace becomes a full club with international DJs. The Twiga name carries its own kind of gravity on the Riviera party circuit — this is where the fashion crowd goes when it wants to escape Monaco but not go far.
Anjuna
10 min · Èze Bord de MerA short drive west along the Basse Corniche and Anjuna appears at the foot of Èze's dramatic cliffs — bamboo cabanas on wooden decking, a Mediterranean-Asian menu, and one of the most consistently good party atmospheres on the coast. Come for a late lunch, stay for the sunset, then keep going. The Anjuna daytime crowd is chic and international; the transition into the evening happens without anyone quite realising.
Nikki Beach Monte-Carlo
10 min · MonacoThe global Nikki Beach brand at its Monaco home — the seventh-floor terrace of the Fairmont, above the Fairmont hairpin of the F1 circuit, with an infinity pool and one of the best sunset views in the Principality. Weekend brunches turn into full afternoon parties with the signature white-and-blue Nikki styling, live sax, and the crowd that Nikki draws globally. Book ahead, especially in July and August.
La Guérite
1h 15min + boat · Île Sainte-MargueritePerhaps the most theatrical lunch on the Riviera. La Guérite occupies a rocky corner of the Île Sainte-Marguerite off the coast of Cannes — accessible only by boat, which is exactly the point. Greek-Mediterranean sharing dishes arrive at long tables, then somewhere around the second bottle of rosé the DJ takes over and the whole place stands up to dance. Iconic for a reason. Book a private boat transfer through the villa concierge for the full experience.
Maona Monte-Carlo
10 min · MonacoMonaco Société des Bains de Mer relaunched the legendary Maona in 2023, resurrecting one of Monaco's original 1960s and 70s hotspots — the room where Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas held court. Today it operates as a daytime Mediterranean-Greek restaurant that shifts, in the afternoon, into a full Sea Satin by day club with DJ sets. The historical weight is part of the atmosphere.
Loulou Pirate
15 min · RoquebruneA genuinely spectacular setting — perched on the rocks under the medieval Château de Roquebrune, over the aqua-hued Mediterranean. Originally a 1960s fisherman's hut turned jet-set hideaway where Frank Sinatra, Brigitte Bardot and Roger Moore drank until sunrise, the venue was reopened in 2023 by the Loulou group with the same festive spirit but a properly modern kitchen and pebbly beach access. Arrive by tender if you can; car with valet is the alternative.
Chill Beach Clubs & Quieter Coves
Monte Carlo Beach Club
10 min · Monaco / RoquebruneA Riviera institution since 1929, photographed by Helmut Newton in the 1980s, and today one of the most consistently elegant addresses on the coast. Olympic seawater pool, private beach access, sun-loungers arranged with almost mathematical care, and — for 2026 — the second consecutive summer of the Jacquemus takeover (see our separate designer beach club post for detail). The bones of the place are timeless; the fashion layer changes each summer.
Eden Plage Mala
5 min · Cap-d'AilThe closest beach club to Villa Monaco, tucked into the cove of Plage Mala — one of the most sheltered and beautiful bays on the entire coast, reached by a set of stone steps from the Cap-d'Ail sentier littoral. Eden's white-and-blue sun-loungers, the Mediterranean plates, and the sound of the sea against the pebbles are what Cap-d'Ail summers feel like. Wear good shoes for the walk down; a car is easier for the return.
La Môme Riviera
15 min · Roquebrune-Cap-MartinThe Riviera outpost of the Cannes original — softer, more residential, less press-managed than its parent. Long lunches on the seafront, an intelligently written Mediterranean menu, and a crowd that tips toward the local rather than the visiting-jet-set. A favourite when you want the "restaurant on the sea" experience without the show.
Plage de Passable
25 min · Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratThe signature beach of Cap Ferrat, with the most photographed view of the Villefranche bay across the water. Passable is a mid-morning-until-late kind of place: leisurely lunches, an afternoon of reading, a swim before dinner. Excellent seafood, slightly grown-up crowd. One of the great "why doesn't every beach feel like this?" experiences on the coast.
Casa Soleia
20 min · Villefranche-sur-MerOn the Villefranche seafront, at the water's edge, with a slightly bohemian feel and an Italian-Mediterranean menu that manages to be simultaneously stylish and unpretentious. Casa Soleia captures something specific about Villefranche — the deep bay, the pastel houses climbing up behind, the impression that the town is somehow still in the 1960s. Especially good for long, unrushed lunches.
La Note Bleue
10 min · MonacoDirectly on the Larvotto sand, La Note Bleue has been Monaco's musical beach for two decades — jazz on the terrace at lunch and evenings, an Italian-Mediterranean kitchen, and the kind of gentle, adult atmosphere that guests return to across multiple summers. The music is real and live, not background — occasional bigger names appear through the season.
Lucia Beach
1h · CannesA newer entry on the Croisette, with the same private-beach-on-Cannes formula the classic addresses use, but with a more contemporary Italian kitchen and — importantly — a genuinely quiet atmosphere in the daytime. Good for combining with a morning at the Marché Forville and a walk through the old town before lunch on the sand.
Baia Bella
15 min · Beaulieu-sur-MerA small, family-run seafront restaurant at the Baie des Fourmis in Beaulieu, with tables essentially at the water's edge and a menu that quietly overdelivers on Mediterranean fish. Not a beach club in the sun-lounger sense — this is a proper Riviera seafront restaurant with an atmosphere you leave reluctantly. Combine with a morning at Villa Kérylos ten minutes' walk away.
On the hottest days, guests have described our own pool terrace as the best beach club they visited all week — a compliment, if a slightly ironic one, we'll take.
The Alternative
When the Best Beach Club Is Your Own Villa
In July and August, on the hottest days of a European summer, the choice between driving into a beach club — parking, valet, table wait, packed loungers, service that slows with the temperature — and staying at home with a private pool, a chef, and a chilled cocktail is not always a difficult one. This is where a serious villa earns its place. Villa Monaco's gated grounds, heated infinity pool, deep shaded terraces and full concierge mean that a beach club day is entirely optional rather than obligatory.
For guests who want the beach club atmosphere without leaving the property, the villa can be dressed accordingly — striped beach towels, branded jute bags, coconut cocktails, DJ sets on the terrace at sunset. For guests who want to combine both, the concierge team books tables at every venue above (and remembers your preferences for the return visits). The point of the villa was never to compete with the beach clubs, but to give you the option not to leave when the heat, the crowds or simply the mood suggests staying in.
Frequently Asked
Beach Clubs Near Villa Monaco — FAQ
What is the closest beach club to Villa Monaco?
Eden Plage Mala, in Cap-d'Ail itself, is a five-minute drive (or a walk down the sentier littoral for those with good shoes). It sits in the cove of Plage Mala, one of the most sheltered and beautiful bays on the entire coast.
Which beach clubs are best for a lively party lunch?
Twiga Baia Benjamin (Ventimiglia), Nikki Beach Monte-Carlo, La Guérite (Île Sainte-Marguerite, Cannes), Anjuna (Èze), Maona (Monaco) and Loulou Pirate (Roquebrune) all deliver a proper daytime-into-evening party atmosphere with DJs, champagne service and the crowd to match.
Which are quieter and more family-friendly?
Monte Carlo Beach Club, Eden Plage Mala, Plage de Passable (Cap Ferrat), Casa Soleia (Villefranche), La Note Bleue (Monaco), Baia Bella (Beaulieu) and Lucia Beach (Cannes) all offer a quieter, more residential atmosphere — well-suited to families, longer lunches, and guests who prefer the restaurant-on-the-sea experience without the club energy.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, especially in July and August. The party addresses (Twiga, Nikki, La Guérite, Loulou Pirate) book out weeks ahead for the peak summer weekends. The quieter addresses typically confirm within 24–48 hours. The Villa Monaco concierge handles reservations at every venue above.
Can I reach La Guérite in Cannes by land?
No — La Guérite is on the Île Sainte-Marguerite, accessible only by boat. Public shuttles run from Cannes port, and the venue itself can arrange private tender transfers from the mainland. For Villa Monaco guests, the concierge can organise a private boat charter from Monaco directly to the island, which is one of the most beautiful ways to arrive.
What if I don't feel like leaving the villa?
Then don't. The villa's heated infinity pool, shaded terraces and private chef can be styled for a full beach club day at home — striped loungers, cocktails, chef-prepared Mediterranean lunches, DJ sets on the terrace. On the hottest days of European summer, this is often the best of both worlds — the atmosphere of a beach club without the transfer, the crowds, or the wait for a table.