Plage De La Mala(Mala Beach, Plage Mala, Eden Plage Mala)

Located near the southeastern French commune of Cap d’Ail, Plage Mala – also called Mala Beach, Plage de la Mala, and Plage Mala Beach – is a popular 200-meters-long curve-shaped pebbled beach with some light brown sand, large rocks, a sloping incline, and nearby cliffs.  This beautiful beach is in the French Riviera, near the border between France and the Principality of Monaco.  Conde Nast Traveller magazine listed this beach as one of the “The 15 best beaches in France to visit this summer” in 2024.  In addition, Forbes also listed this beach as one of the “6 Exceptional Beaches on the French Riviera” in 2019 – and it is a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach.

Plage Mala has lifeguards between mid-June and mid-September. In addition to lifeguards, the beach has many other amenities, including restrooms, showers, and seasonal rental facilities for water sports equipment. There are also two private beach clubs here that offer beach chairs and umbrellas for rent.

Plage Mala offers many fun activities, including sunbathing, beachcombing, swimming, paddleboarding, jet-skiing, snorkeling, picnicking, scuba diving, water skiing, parasailing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, surf skiing, and wildlife watching. 

Plage de la Mala Cap d’Ail is ideal for beginner swimmers because the clear water is usually calm. Near this beach, there is an aquatic area reserved only for swimmers, marked by floating buoys.  Some concrete structures are on the left side of the beach—some brave visitors occasionally jump from these structures and dive into the water nearby. 

If you are planning to swim, kayak, or canoe here, we recommend being careful because the water here can have unpredictable rip currents – in addition, speedboats are also sometimes known to travel near the beach, and collision with one of these speedboats can cause serious injuries. 

Plage Mala does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Plage Mala can be slightly difficult because of its steep stairway – this steep stairway – which has around 100 steps – and is located near the end of a road named Allee Mala.  There are a few free street parking areas near the beach.  There are street signs near the beach which offer directions to Plage Mala.  As an alternate parking option, you can also park your car at the free street parking spaces near Cap-d'Ail’s local railway station and then walk to the beach.

As an alternate access option, you can also visit this beach by hiking along a local walking path named Le Sentier du Littoral – Cap d’Ail – you can easily access this path from various major local landmarks including Port Cap d’Ail and a few local beaches including Plage Marquet and Plage Pointe des Douaniers.  

We recommend visiting Plage Mala early during summers because it can sometimes get crowded. 

The beach clubs here offer a variety of fun live music and DJ performances, usually during summer weekends.  In addition, if you like taking pictures with amazing views, Plage Mala offers excellent Instagram-worthy views of the Baie de Saint-Laurent and the southeastern France shoreline, especially at sunset.

There are many attractions near Plage Mala within a 20-minute drive.  Le Sentier du Littoral – Cap d’Ail is a coastal walking path that offers a fun way to explore the beautiful shoreline of the Cap d’Ail – this path also has nearby benches and picnic areas and it offers amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea.  Dog’s Head is an observation area that offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of southeastern coastal France, the surrounding, white-colored cliffs, the Mediterranean Sea, and the nearby Principality of Monaco.  Please note that hiking to this observation area can be strenuous.  Le Jardin Exotique d’Eze is a garden which is set in a former medieval monastery with many plants from the Mediterranean shoreline and other parts of the world – it also offers amazing views of the French Riviera region.  In addition to these attractions, you can also explore two more famous attractions in the nearby Principality of Monaco.  Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate is a beautiful cathedral built in the Neo-Romanesque architectural style in 1903.  This beautiful and famous cathedral has the tomb of many members of the ruling Grimanldi family.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, the Prince’s Palace of Monaco was built in 1191 and it has served as the residence of the ruling Grimaldi family since 1297 – this historic palace has beautiful interior decorations and visitors can partially explore it through seasonal guided tours.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Plage Mala.  Eden Plage Mala Beach Club is a beach club at Plage Mala which offers interesting local Southern French-inspired dishes and it also offers amazing cocktails.  La Reserve de la Mala is an upscale waterfront beach club at Plage Mala – this club has a private beach restaurant that offers a variety of excellent dishes including seafood, pizzas, chicken dishes, beef filet, and desserts.  La Pinede Restaurant is a nearby upscale Plage de La Mala restaurant with a vibrant decor – it also serves a variety of Mediterranean-inspired gourmet dishes and refreshing cocktails.  Le Cabanon is another great nearby restaurant that has a rustic ambiance and it offers amazing Mediterranean dishes with influences from Greek, Arabic, and Eastern influences.  Uvita Cap d’Ail is a waterfront restaurant that offers a variety of excellent dishes including veal piccata, beef tartare, seafood, veal piccata, and desserts – it also serves refreshing cocktails and hosts live music performances.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Les Oliviers offers excellent regional snacks, along with refreshing coffee and ice cream.

If you are looking for a hotel near Plage Mala, there are many great nearby options within a 22-minute-drive.  The 5-Star Hotel Chateau de La Chevre d’Or offers many amenities including a garden, a spa, a fitness center, multiple pools, a bar, a hot tub, and multiple restaurants.  The 4-Star Les Terrasses d'Eze is another upscale hotel that offers many amenities including a pool, a spa, a fitness center, a tennis court, a restaurant, a garden, tennis courts, a petanque field, a lounge, and a bar.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Riviera Marriott Hotel La Porte de Monaco that offers many amenities including a pool, a gym, a restaurant, and a bar.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Columbus Hotel Monte-Carlo, Curio Collection by Hilton that offers many amenities including a seasonal pool, a fitness center, and a restaurant.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near the beach, the 3-Star Hotel de Monaco offers many amenities including a bar and a lounge terrace.  Another great hotel near the beach is the 3-Star Hotel Miramar.