The pebbles
Nice's beach is galets — large, smooth grey pebbles, the whole length of the bay. There is no sand anywhere along the city front, and every year a great many people arrive expecting otherwise.
Practical consequences: bring something to lie on, and consider swim shoes. Walking into the water over wet pebbles is the part people underestimate.
Public and private
The bay alternates between free public beaches and private concessions that rent out loungers and parasols. Both are on the same shore and the water is the same; the difference is whether you are paying for the furniture.
Which stretch is which changes along the front, and the concessions are seasonal. The signs at the top of each set of steps are the authority, not this page.
The water
The shore shelves steeply — it goes deep quickly, which is why the water is so clear and why there is real surf when the wind is up. Watch the flags.
The sea is warmest well after the air is, so early autumn swimming is often better than early summer.
