5 Beautiful Beaches To Visit In Europe

Europe has more than 100,000 miles of coastline, and much of it is truly stunning. So narrowing down that part of Planet Earth to a list of the nine most beautiful beaches in Europe is no simple task. Beaches are Europe’s most popular travel destinations, and nearly half of the continent’s population lives within 30 miles of the sea. If you’re traveling across the pond for some sun and sand, here’s a list of the best beaches in Europe to consider.

# Costa Rei, Italy

Italy’s island of Sardinia boasts some of the most stunning beach destinations in Europe, not to mention the Mediterranean’s best scuba diving, thanks to its multitude of fascinating shipwrecks and protected marine parks. Claudia Tavani, a travel blogger at My Adventures Across The World, grew up on the island. She recommends Costa Rei near Muravera, about an hour’s drive east of the Sardinian capital of Cagliari. Though it doesn’t always appear on lists that round up the best beaches in Europe, Costa Rei is a local favorite for good reason—lucid waters, fine sand, bountiful sunshine, excellent resorts, and easy access to watersports like kayaking and windsurfing.

Another gorgeous beach in Sardinia is Cala Goloritze, further north on the Tyrrhenian coast, while other beautiful beaches in Italy include San Fruttuoso in Liguria (check out the nearby 10th-century San Fruttuoso Benedictine abbey), volcanic Regina Isabella in Ischia (for hot springs, gardens, and castles), romantic Maiori Beach on the Amalfi Coast, nature-rich Cala Mariolu in Baunei, and almost anyplace on the shorelines of Capri.

# Balos Lagoon, Greece

Balos Lagoon in Kissamos, on the island of Crete, is a secluded, wildlife-filled paradise that’s not exactly a breeze to get to (you’ll need to take a boat or drive and then hike)—but so worth it. Satwinder Singh, the CEO of Citrus Holidays, describes it thus: “Balos is home to turquoise waters and exotic white sand, which in some places turns a light-pinkish hue. The lagoon boasts wild natural beauty, mountainous scenery, and pools of azure water that are shallow and warm, ideal for swimming and snorkeling.”

In addition to its vivid colors and unrivaled scenery, Balos is also a protected shelter for monk seals and loggerhead sea turtles; show up early in the morning if you want to glimpse them. The surrounding area is full of delicious food and inviting beach resorts.

# Porto Santo Beach, Portugal

In a nation packed with many of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, those on Porto Santo manage to stand out. The tiny Portuguese island in the Atlantic, west of Morocco and northeast of its larger sister island Madeira, has a main shore that’s six miles long, laid out with soft golden sand many believe that it has healing properties and transparent water.

There are no high-rises here, and not much of a crowd, but there is plenty of opportunity for snorkeling, diving, dolphin spotting, or just relaxing. Bits of china wash up on shore from long-ago shipwrecks, and the dry climate, warm water, lack of undertow, and near-constant sun all add to the appeal. The scenery includes dunes, beach grass, and cactus flowers.

# La Concha, Spain

If it’s tough to narrow down the most beautiful beaches in Europe, then it’s even tougher to narrow them down in Spain. That’s because it’s home to spectacular places like Malaga’s Nerja, Ibiza’s Formentera, Menorca’s Cala Macarella, Catalonia’s Sitges, Cadiz’s La Caleta, and dozens of other memorable places where land touches sea.

But San Sebastian’s La Concha in Donostia tops many lists of the best beaches in Europe for good reason: It’s got clean water, soft sand, warm weather, a great boardwalk (with people-watching to match), as well as some of the world’s best swimming, strolling, and sunbathing opportunities. This is northern Spain, so there’s also distinctive food and a panoply of rich cultural offerings in the surrounding city of San Sebastian.

# Sandwood Bay, United Kingdom

In Northwest Scotland’s Sutherland, Sandwood Bay is a magnificent expanse of sand and water in the highlands. “Sandwood Bay has escaped the attention of the crowds on the NC500 tourist route because reaching it involves a two-hour hike from the nearest road,” says Mike Peddie, who owns a tour company called Secret Scotland. “Don’t let the hike put you off this gem of unspoilt wilderness, however, as the path to the beach is well-made, the gradients are gentle, and the effort of getting here ensures that only true nature lovers and adventurers make the trip.”

Not many people visit, so the beach is clean and clear, save for the occasional whale bone and, some say, a ghost that’s dressed as a sailor. Presiding over Sandwood Bay’s mile-long stretch of sand is 213-foot-high vertical rock formation called Am Buachaille, which translates from Gaelic as “the herdsman.”