DESTINATIONS
THE BEST BEACHES IN EUROPE FOR 2020
Seduced by far-flung heat and the exotic tropics, it is easy to forget that some of the best beaches in the world are a couple of hours from home.
Europe is blessed with some of the world’s most sensational coastlines. Great long stretches of golden sand, secret coves, the calm blue-green waters of the Mediterranean; and the feisty Atlantic waves to play in. Driftwood walkways through the sand-dunes, pretty seaside villages and harbours clinking with sailing boats and wine glasses.
And beyond the beaches themselves – it’s everything else that should come with a beach holiday. Few tropical paradises can compete with the magnetic culture of Europe’s seaside enclaves: the barefoot-chic island attitude, the boho lifestyles, wild and free. Surf hangouts, hippie scenes, family-friendly hotspots. So much fun for pleasure seekers, drinkers and eaters. Sand and sea and sunshine; but also food and wine, music and dancing, swimming and playing.
To make you fall in love with it all over again, we’ve rounded up the best beaches in Europe.
THE BEST BEACHES IN FRANCE
Atlantic Coast
On the west coast of France the weather is wilder and so are the beaches. Great, rambling stretches of sand, backed by dunes and pine forests. Just off La Rochelle, the Ile de Ré is the French holiday island par excellence, complete with cute antique shops, oyster shacks and horseriding on the beach; this is where chic Parisians go for the weekend. Wilder and quieter still are the beaches further south in Cap Ferret, where the highest sand dunes in Europe tumble down to a dark blue Atlantic Ocean speckled with white sailboats. And down where France meets Spain is Biarritz, where the beautiful beaches of the Basque coast are a hit with surfers and a quieter kind of A-lister.
The French Riviera
The Côte d’Azur stretches languorously from Menton to Marseille, basking in year-round sunshine and brimming with aristocratic charm. The beach spots along its coastline are among the most picturesque in France: old-school Nice, artsy Antibes, A-list Cannes and sexy St Tropez where Pampelonne beach has legendary Le Club 55. Quieter stretches of sand can be found in Cavalaire-sur-Mer and Juan-les-Pins. For a real respite from the crowds you’ll have to head offshore; a short ferry ride from the Giens peninsula will bring you to Les Iles d’Or, three idyllic islands shaded by eucalyptus trees and scented by lavender. Their white-sand beaches and sleepy little villages feel a world away from the hubbub of the mainland.
Corsica
Neighbouring with Sardinia in the Mediterranean, Corsica combines French sophistication with Italian swagger. Its Champagne-coloured sand beaches are spectacular and remain practically untouched by the 21st century. A typically Corsican wariness has kept mass tourism at bay and, as a result, there are few motorways and high-rises to obstruct the dazzling views. Porto Vecchio is an enchanting warren of cobbled streets and pink houses but the best beaches in Corsica are hidden on the quieter north coast: Palombaggia with its pink-tinted sand, serene Portigliolo and Saleccia, the most rugged and remote of them all.
For more inspiration, see our guide to the best beaches in the South of France
THE BEST BEACHES IN SPAIN
For an old-school beach break, it’s hard to beat Spain. On the mainland, its stretches of sand go on forever; its many islands, each with a unique vibe, are blessed with thrilling beautiful coves and clear blue waters for swimming.
Mainland Spain
In the south-west is the white-hot Costa de la Luz, Spain’s stunning Atlantic coast with sun-bleached towns and wide, wild beaches between ancient Cádiz and surf-boho Tarifa (we love Bolonia and Valdevaqueros beaches especially).
Where the Mediterranean begins is Marbella, the gateway to the busy Costa del Sol. The glittering Andalucían town is packed with sunny beach clubs and the party atmosphere extends to nearby Málaga, where rooftop bars rub shoulders with hip new galleries. Further up the coast are two more of Spain’s big hitters: Costa Blanca and laid-back Costa Brava. The former has some brilliant beaches but becomes congested in high season, particularly between the resorts of Gandía and Benidorm. The prettiest town on this coastline is Alicante, which outshines its boisterous neighbours with chic boutique hotels and quieter coves. Meanwhile, Costa Brava combines buzzy beaches near Barcelona with rocky, romantic shores close to the French border.
Ibiza
Ibiza endlessly fascinates with its party scene, its glamour and its hippie vibe; but less shouted-about are its beaches. The beaches are beautiful, varied, and many. Secluded coves to strip off on, hard-to-reach legendary beaches, sensational bays where the beach clubs host hedonists and rich hippies all around the clock. Even some of the town beaches are heavenly. The best beaches in Ibiza include Aguas Blancas, Las Salinas, Cala Llenya, Calla Bassa, Cala Moli.
BEACHES
The best beaches in Ibiza
Formentera
The best beaches in Ibiza, the local joke goes, are in Formentera. Hop on a boat to the sister island’s chilled-out shores. Once just a slew of sleepy fishing villages where Pink Floyd hung out, Ibiza’s hippy little sister is now a beach holiday hotspot in her own right. The island has the best of both worlds with a few boho beach clubs – like 10 Punto 7 on Migjorn – yet still-deserted stretches of fine white sand and the most heavenly turquoise waters imaginable on Platja de ses Illetes.
Menorca
Cala Macarelleta (pictured) has to be seen to be believed: an arc of icy white sand lapped by gentle waves of unearthly blue. Incredible beaches like this are just one reason Ibiza graduates are increasingly flocking to Menorca, the most nonchalant of Spain’s dazzling Balearics. On this low-key island there are more Neolithic monuments than trendy beach clubs and some of the loveliest hotels are rustic stone villas strewn with purple bougainvillaea. Even at the height of summer, you could stumble across one of Menorca’s best beaches and find it completely empty except for a few dozing cows. This is the Mediterranean in its purest form.
BALEARIC ISLANDS
The 18 best beaches in Menorca
Mallorca
The largest Balearic island packs a powerful punch with soaring mountains, startlingly clear waters and some of the most stylish hotels in Spain. Many of these are clustered around Palma, the elegant capital where well-heeled socialites moor their yachts to swim, sunbathe and dine on Michelin-starred seafood. The shores nearby are ruggedly charming but softer sand can be found on Mallorca’s quiet north-east coast. This go-slow region packs in pretty olive groves, ancient citadels and the most astonishing beaches on the island. Cala Torta, which has silky sand and a mirror-flat sea, is a case in point.
Canary Islands
Despite being synonymous with package-holidaymakers, there is a cerebral side to the Canary Islands if you know where to look. Start on Tenerife, swapping garish resorts on Playa de las Américas for a pastel-coloured hacienda in La Laguna. The best natural beaches on this island are only a short drive away in El Médano, on the windswept south-east. Equally serene is the north coast of Lanzarote with its warm waters and golden beaches. Famara beach is the most picturesque, combining velvety sand with big swells popular with surfers. On subtropical Gran Canaria, the sun shines even brighter and wild sand dunes dominate the south. An unforgettable beach holiday could simply be spent wandering through Maspalomas – the undulating dunes of this beach resemble the Sahara Desert while the distant turquoise of the sea twinkles like a hopeful mirage.
For more inspiration see our guide to the best beaches in Spain.
DESTINATIONS
12 of the best beaches in Spain
THE BEST BEACHES IN ITALY
Sardinia
This Italian island can lay claim to having the best beaches in Europe. On the Costa Smeralda (pictured) – the Emerald Coast – the sand is so white and fine, the iridescent waters calm and impossibly clear that the Aga Khan made it a jetset playground in the 1960s. The antidote to the glamour is the La Maddalena archipelago, off the coast. It’s a place stuck in time, where the beaches are sensationally beautiful with a real Robinson Crusoe romance, barely a footprint on them, protected as part of a nature reserve, with dreamlike lagoons where you can pootle around in boats and marvel at the clarity and colour. Cala Soraya on the uninhabited island of Spargi and Cala Coticcio on pristine Caprera are two of the best beaches in Italy. On the island of Budelli, there’s even a real-life Robinson Crusoe in the form of Mauro, a septuagenarian who guards the powdery-pink shores of Spiaggia Rosa.
Sicily
Laid-back Sicily has great sandy beaches which are family-friendly and go on for miles. In the north there are some wonderful stretches of sand outside charming Cefalu; quiet coves for families around Syracuse, down to the stunning white sands petering into azure shallows of the south-east tip; long, buzzy beaches around Catania under the smoking peak of Etna. In the south-west, empty nature (and naturist) reserves around Menfi and Selinunte, an ancient Greek city dotted with Doric temples. Walk from Marinella Beach down to the Foce del Belice nature reserve for a view of the last undeveloped stretch of Sicilian coastline, where the sunset turns the sand red.
Mainland Italy
Italy continually tops our favourites list for ‘best country in the world‘. But its dramatic coasts don’t all lend themselves to beach holidays – too many steep steps down to rocky swimming platforms, too many sunbeds packed into lidos. So where to find the best beaches in Italy, with room to play and swim?
In the south of the country, steep coastlines give way to a gentler, flatter landscape. On the remote heel of Italy’s boot, Puglia (pictured) is a sunny haven of sophisticated hotels and sunbed-free sandy beaches, particularly near the Salento peninsula. And on the rugged shores of Calabria, on the very tiptoe of Italy, cotton-coloured sand meets serene, crystal-blue waters.
Tuscany isn’t all rolling hills – the region’s 400 miles of coastline hide some beautiful beaches. Its Maremma coastal region includes the family-friendly seaside town of Viareggio, with its Belle Époque villas and candy-coloured beach umbrellas. Elba attracts wayward romantics in search of emptier shores. Some of the most pristine beaches are near Monti dell’Uccellina nature reserve, including stunning Marina di Alberese.
And off the Amalfi Coast, the dreamy island of Ischia has soft, sandy beaches (Spiaggia dei Pescatori is a highlight) and thermal springs – it’s where Italians go for beach holidays.
For more inspiration see our guide to the best beaches in Italy.
DESTINATIONS
The 10 best beaches in Italy
THE BEST BEACH HOLIDAYS IN GREECE
The Cylades
The most dramatic beaches in Greece are undoubtedly in the hard-edged, wind-whipped Cyclades. The variety of the coastline is astonishing-miles and miles of tot-friendly dunes rippling along the south-west coast of Naxos, the splendid isolation of Vagia and Lia on Serifos, itsy-bitsy coves with milky water frothing against the rocky shores of Koufonissi. Some beaches – like party-loving Psarrou, Paraga and Ftelia on Mykonos – are so well-trodden by the bare feet of supermodels that you can barely see the sand. But for sheer diversity you can’t beat the island of Milos, which has more than 70 beaches from chalk-white rock pools to blue lagoons.
The Ionian Islands
Gentler, greener, and generally calmer than their Aegean rivals, the cliff-backed bays and wooded coves of the Ionian islands are the stuff of holiday dreams. The largest of these lush islands, Corfu has a beach for every mood: Agios Georgios for windsurfers, Avlaki for toddlers, Halikounas for skinny dipping, Peroulades for full frontal sunsets. Lefkada, an island for sailors and surfers, has a whole string of knock-out beaches along its western shores: Egremni, Porto Katsiki, and Kathisma are our favourites. Nesting loggerhead turtles have exclusive access to the best beaches on Zakythnos, (pictured, top), but there are some sublime swimming spots on the Vassilikos peninsula. A phalanx of yachts jealously guards the luminous pebble beaches of Paxos and its mellow little sister, Antipaxos, which have some of the brightest, bluest water anywhere in Greece.
Crete
Though parts of the coastline are clogged with ungainly resorts, Crete(pictured) is huge enough to harbour a bounty of beautiful beaches. The wildest lie on the Libyan Sea between Agia Fotini and Agia Galini; nudists and yogis favour the expansive sands of Ligres, Triopetra and Agios Pavlos. You have to hike or hop on a boat to the string of sparkling coves west of Sfakia: Glyka Nera, Finikas, and Marmara, each with a simple but sensational seaside taverna. The best beaches in Crete are the pale pink sands and azure waters of Balos lagoon and Elafonisi, a floating nature reserve which you can wade to from Crete’s southwestern tip – but go early or off season, as the crowds can be intense.
The Sporades
This cluster of low-key islands has the evergreen allure of the Ionian with a more rugged, rustic character. Skiathos – the only Sporades island with an airport – is the local star. Its pine-fringed beaches are as much about posing as dozing: flamboyant Koukounaries and Vromolimnos throb with pumped up water-skiers and high-octane beach bars. If water-sports aren’t your thing, kick back with a pomegranate iced tea at Mystique beach bar on Ambelakia or take a boat to Lalaria, whose singing white pebbles give the water its iridescent hue. Skopelos and Alonissos have excellent scuba diving in the National Marine Park, the largest marine reserve in the Mediterranean. Unsung Skyros is ringed with unspoiled beaches: Pefkos, where the bracing water is viridian, and Kalamitsa, a wide embrace of shallow bay with a sprinkling of gold dust on the shoreline, are two of the best.
These are the best Greek islands to visit.
BEACHES
The best Greek islands to visit in 2020
THE BEST BEACH HOLIDAYS IN CROATIA
Yacht-loads of revellers descend on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast every summer in search of all-day-all-night beach parties (specifically on the islands of Pag and Hvar, in case you were wondering). But to uncover the best beaches in Europe, you might need to go further afield. The ancient coastal cities of Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik have buzzy beaches but are also the gateways to Croatia’s secret islands. An hour on the ferry from Dubrovnik will bring you to sandy, secluded Sunj beach on Lopud island. Also worth a visit is Vis, Croatia’s most distant island, which is just under three hours from Split. Its spectacular Stiniva beach was recently named the best in Europe. Island-hopping in Croatia should include a pilgrimage to Zlatni Rat in Brač (pictured) – an iconic sliver of sand curling into the Adriatic Sea.
Find more beautiful stretches of sand with our edit of the best beaches in Croatia.
DESTINATIONS
The 15 best beaches in Croatia
THE BEST BEACH HOLIDAYS IN MONTENEGRO
Montenegro is the new frontier for European beach holidays. This fascinating slice of the Adriatic has a fairytale quality to it, with soul-stirring mountains, shimmering lakes and Romanesque churches hidden between winding Medieval lanes. Aman Sveti Stefan, a fortified island village cast adrift on the Adriatic – and now a hotel – is the star of the glittering Budva Riviera. In the 1960s, Marilyn Monroe came to sunbathe on the beach and Elizabeth Taylor checked in.
The Bay of Kotor is dreamily beautiful, but for the best beaches in Montenegro head to those around Budva: expansive Bečići, pristine Plavi Horizonti and stunning Jaz Beach, with its broad sands and unbelievably clear, turquoise waters. The Russian yachts in Budva’s harbour and Kotor’s beach clubs may be flashy, but the price-tag remains distinctly affordable.
Explore the Montenegro coast.