Europe's Top 50+ Beaches
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Ilica Plaji // Turkey
Bir_Ege_Hikayesi Ilica Plaji is another beautiful beach on the Turkey's Cesme peninsula. With crystalline turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea and powder white sand you can truly relax and enjoy the beauty all around. As an added bonus the beach here isn't as crowded as most areas in the Southern Aegean and Mediterranean.
The Cesme Peninsula has been a popular destination for… read more »
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Bunes Beach // Norway
© Michal Knitl / 123RF From the photographs of Bunes Beach it is hard to imagine the scale of things here. But in reality everything is bigger than you expected; the white sand of the beach stretches further in every direction and the mountains are huge.
The beach sits in a wide, glacier-carved valley with Storskiva to one side and the looming Helvetestind to the… read more »
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Foten // Norway
Thomas M. Hansen Foten beach is located a few kilometres west of Fredrikstad, just across the border from Sweden. It is probably the best beach in the area and comprises of a little bay of smooth rocks enclosing a lovely little sandy beach. To the rear is woodland and the view out over the calm waters and islands of the Skagerrak.
This is… read more »
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Huk Beach // Norway
Grzegorz Wysocki The small, but pretty beach of Huk sits towards the end of the Bygdøy peninsula, just to the west of Norway's capital, Oslo. Backed by parkland this is one of the best, and most popular beaches within easy striking distance (5 km) of the city; therefore don't be surprised that it gets a little busy during the summer.
Huk is divided… read more »
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Tofta strand // Sweden
Berit Watkin The Baltic island of Gotland lies approximately halfway between Sweden and Latvia (around 100km / 60 miles from either). As well as being Sweden's largest island it is also home to many of the Scandinavian country's finest beaches. Possibly at the top of this list is the 2km (1.5 mile) long sandy Tofta beach.
Stretching from Tofta in the south… read more »
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Xlendi // Malta
© Karelj The small resort village of Xlendi lies in a sheltered inlet on the southwest coast of the island of Gozo. Once a fishing village Xlendi is now a popular holiday spot centered around its natural harbour and little sandy beach.
Xlendi is both unique and attractive with high rocky cliffs along each side leading to the beachfront apartments and cafes. Despite… read more »
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Castelldefels Beach // Spain
© Eva11975 This five-kilometre stretch of golden sand is one of Catalonia's most beautiful beaches.
Families flock here in the summer months, thanks to the family-friendly activities on offer, with everything from a toy library to kids' play areas. The clean and shallow waters also make it a safe space for the little ones.
It's a big hit on the facilities front too -… read more »
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Playa de Caños de Meca // Spain
Pom' The south facing beach of Caños de Meca (named after its nearest settlement) is a relatively narrow but exceptionally long stretch of golden sand running for close to three kilometres.
Around 16 kilometres southwest of Vejer, it is located in a stunning area of natural beauty, situated between cliffs that climb to a height of 100 metres and the Trafalgar… read more »
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Cala Macarella // Spain
Markus Trienke Cala Macarella has much in common with many of Menorca's other most stunning coves. It is set in a deep rocky inlet of limestone cliffs covered in pine trees. The sand here is near white and contrasts brilliantly with the crystalline turquoise sea.
What gives Cala Macarella the edge over some of the equally lovely beaches along this coast (at least… read more »
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Cala Escorxada // Spain
MontanNito You would expect a beach this beautiful to get pretty busy in the summer, but this is not the case with the exquisite little cove of Cala Escorxada. It is just that bit too far off the beaten track for its pristine white sands and clear blue waters to ever get crowded.
If you don't have a boat getting to Cala… read more »
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Cala Mesquida // Spain
dronepicr Located on a remote stretch of the rugged north-eastern coast of Mallorca is an oasis of beautiful soft, white sand lapped by crystal-clear turquoise waters. The beach of Cala Mesquida is a true gem with the perfect balance of a stunning setting and all the facilities you'll need for a family day at the beach.
The beach of Cala Mesquida is… read more »
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Solastranden // Norway
Eirik Solheim Solastranden, or Solar Beach, is a lovely crescent of fine golden sand on the edge of Stavanger. It is the best beach in the area and a few years back it was even listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by the Sunday Times. Whilst we maybe wouldn't go that far there is no doubt… read more »
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Plage de Gwendrez // France
© Havang(nl) One of the larger beaches on this stretch of the Brittany coastline, Plage de Gwendrez consists of a strip of fine pale sand descending gently into lagoon-like shallows.
Surrounded by an unspoilt landscape of gently rolling fields, access is via the attractive town of Plouhinec. Divided into a smaller northern and larger southern section by a low outcrop of rocks that… read more »
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Es Trenc Beach // Spain
Greg_Men Set in the far south of Mallorca, Es Trenc is a large stretch of unspoilt white sand with clear turquoise waters reminiscent of the Caribbean. Despite its remote, wild character this is still one of the best-known beaches on Mallorca and is popular with locals and visitors alike.
Es Trenc is a great family beach as the water is shallow and… read more »
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La Cinta // Italy
© sailorr The spectacular and expansive white sand beach of La Cinta is the closest to the town of San Teodoro in the northeast of Sardinia. Whilst it may not have earned the nickname of "Little Tahiti" that neighbouring Cala Brandinchi has, the two beaches share many of the same features except La Cinta is many times bigger, stretching on for… read more »
