A private building, a district that is not
La Croisette does not stop at the Martinez. It carries on east, passes Port Canto, then ends on a headland: the Pointe Croisette. At the tip, on place Franklin-Roosevelt, stands the Palm Beach, the former summer casino of Cannes, inaugurated on 5 April 1929. Behind it, boulevard Eugène-Gazagnaire heads back north along public beaches that face the Lérins Islands.
The district takes its name from the building, and the two need to be kept apart. The renovated Palm Beach is a private complex of restaurants, parties and gaming, at palace-hotel prices. The Pointe Croisette around it is one of the quietest and most free-of-charge corners of the Cannes seafront. Our view: you come here for the second, and keep the first for one specific evening, knowing what you are getting.
Allow about thirty minutes on foot from the Palais des Festivals, straight along the boulevard. Here is what you find at the end.
The point, item by item
N° 01
Getting there
The simplest way is to walk: from the Palais des Festivals to the point, the seafront pavement is continuous and flat, and the half hour goes quickly. The Palm Bus network also serves La Croisette as far as the Palm Beach stop; line 8 is the one guides quote, number to be confirmed on the network map. By car, parking is easier than in the centre: the complex has an underground car park of about 250 spaces, and boulevard Gazagnaire offers free parking near the beaches, which fills quickly in summer. The rest of the walk is described in our guide to La Croisette.
N° 02
The building
The Palm Beach, reopened in 2024 after five years of works
The Palm Beach was built in 1928-1929 by the Nice architect Roger Séassal. Henri Verneuil shot Mélodie en sous-sol here in 1963, with Jean Gabin and Alain Delon. After a long period of decline, the building reopened in May 2024, in time for the Festival, at the end of a project of around five years entrusted to the Cannes firm Caprini & Pellerin. The reported cost ranges from 120 to 250 million euros depending on the source. The Art Deco façades were restored, and the seawater pool was rebuilt on the west terrace.
N° 03
What it houses
Four restaurants, a beach, a casino, a private club
According to the venue's official website, checked in 2026: the Japanese restaurant Zuma, the brand's first address in France; La Petite Maison, Mediterranean cooking facing the islands; the Italian Il Grande, under the dome; and Medusa, halfway between cabaret and restaurant. Add to that the private Nammos beach, bars, a boutique, a large events hall, and the Casino Royal Palm, reopened in 2025 with the Partouche group. Some of the spaces belong to a members-only club. It is not a hotel: you cannot sleep there. We have tested none of these tables; book, and ask about access conditions and dress code, on the Palm Beach website.
N° 04
Swimming
This is the real reason to come. Before the point, behind Port Canto, Bijou Plage is a municipal beach equipped in summer for sea access for people with disabilities. After the Palm Beach, along boulevard Eugène-Gazagnaire, the Gazagnaire and then Mouré Rouge beaches are free, family-oriented, and look out on Sainte-Marguerite island. The municipal watersports centre is based in this area. Dogs are allowed from 1 November to 1 May. The full comparison is in our guide to the free public beaches of Cannes.
N° 05
Strolling
Port Canto and the square de Verdun
Port Pierre-Canto dates from the 1960s and has about 600 berths according to nautical guides, a figure to be confirmed with the harbour office. It is the port for large yachts, and you can walk along its breakwater. Right next to it, the square de Verdun garden was laid out between 1965 and 1968, when the port was created; entry is free. It is one of the few places on La Croisette where you can sit in the shade without ordering anything.
N° 06
Eating and food shopping
The point is residential. Between the Palm Beach tables and the seasonal beach kiosks there is little in the middle, and almost no food shops. For a beach day, buy lunch in the centre before you set off. For a sit-down meal on the sand without going all the way to the end, the beach restaurants at the eastern end of La Croisette are on the way, for example La Plage du Martinez, at number 73. Prices there are boulevard prices.
N° 07
Staying
Those who come for the sea and the quiet, and who accept some walking. The district is made up of residential blocks and rentals, it is silent in the evening, and the free beaches are at the foot of the buildings. It suits a short first stay less well: Le Suquet, the Forville market and the station are at the other end of the bay, forty minutes on foot or a bus ride away. The other options are in our guide to where to stay in Cannes.
What we'd skip
What we would skip: assuming "Palm Beach" means a public beach. The name covers a private building and a district. The complex's beach is a paying beach; the free beaches are next door, on boulevard Gazagnaire and at Bijou Plage.
What we would also skip: turning up at the Palm Beach without a booking in high season or during the Festival, hoping to look around. It is neither a museum nor a hotel lobby. You go in for a table, an evening or the casino, and the casino requires ID, like every French casino.
Finally, do not walk there and back at noon in July. The sea-side pavement of La Croisette has no shade, and the point is the end of the line. Leave early, or take the bus for one of the two legs.
When to go
Morning and late afternoon. In the morning, the beaches on boulevard Gazagnaire are away from the crowds of the centre, and the light comes from the east, onto the islands. Late in the day it is the reverse: from the point, you look back at the whole bay, Le Suquet and the Estérel against the light. That is also when the Palm Beach comes alive.
Out of season. The public beaches and the garden stay accessible all year, and the walk to the point is one of the most pleasant in Cannes in winter. Each Palm Beach venue has its own calendar: some are seasonal, others open all year. Check venue by venue before you go.
Palm Beach, frequently asked questions
Has the Palm Beach in Cannes reopened?
Yes. The 1929 building reopened in May 2024 after about five years of works. In 2026 it houses the restaurants Zuma, La Petite Maison, Il Grande and Medusa, the Nammos beach, bars, an events hall, a private club and the Casino Royal Palm, which reopened in 2025.
Where is the Palm Beach in Cannes?
On place Franklin-Roosevelt, at the eastern end of La Croisette, on the Pointe Croisette. Allow about thirty minutes on foot from the Palais des Festivals. The Palm Bus network serves the Palm Beach stop.
Is there a free beach near the Palm Beach?
Yes, several. Bijou Plage, before the point, is a municipal beach. After the Palm Beach, boulevard Eugène-Gazagnaire runs along the Gazagnaire and Mouré Rouge beaches, which are free and face Sainte-Marguerite island.
Can you stay overnight at the Palm Beach?
No. The Palm Beach is not a hotel: it is a complex of restaurants, beach, events and gaming. To stay in the district, look among the rentals and hotels of the Pointe Croisette and the eastern end of the boulevard.
Is the Palm Beach casino open?
The Casino Royal Palm reopened in the building in 2025, in association with the Partouche group. As in any French casino, entry is for adults only on presentation of ID. Opening hours and dress code to be confirmed with the venue.
IT Digital entrepreneur · Cannes local
2026-10-10 · 7 min read
Prices, opening hours and addresses change. Spotted an error or something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
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