Europe's Top 50+ Beaches
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Playa de los Clicos // Spain
Victor R. Ruiz Surely one of Europe's most unusual natural spectacles, Playa de los Clicos consists of black volcanic sands backed by a lagoon of vivid green. This is in turn edged to one side by the caldera of a volcano now partially lost to the sea.
Thankfully the green of the lagoon isn't the result of some terrible nuclear accident, but the natural… read more »
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Playa de Las Alcaravaneras // Spain
Pepelopex Less than five minutes' drive away from Playa de las Canteras is the slightly lesser-trodden sands of Playa de las Alcaraveneras.
Whereas surfers and snorkellers head to the waves and reefs at its near-neighbour, this particular spot is more popular for sailing and canoeing.
The sands are what you'd expect from a Gran Canaria beach, with a soft texture and a… read more »
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Playa de Las Canteras // Spain
Bengt Nyman This golden sandy beach on Gran Canaria's northeastern tip is just a few miles from the island's capital, Las Palmas.
This place is a real hotspot for snorkellers, who flock from far and wide to check out the natural reef and the sea creatures that swim in the calm waters here. And if you fancy giving snorkelling a go but don't… read more »
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Playa de Costa Calma // Spain
Klapi Playa de Costa Calma, or Costa Calma Beach, can be found just off the main road in Fuerteventura's south. Roughly two kilometres in length at low tide when several sections of coast are joined together, the beach is a good all-round option, with sunbathing, swimming and a variety of water sports on offer.
Made up of white sand and waters that… read more »
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Playa de los Charcos // Spain
Frank Vincentz A short drive north of Arrecife, Playa de los Charcos is jujst one of a string of semi-circular bays on this part of the Lanzarote coastline together known as the Costa Teguise. Protected in part by artificial sea walls, it is close to several accommodation options and a good choice of bars and restaurants.
At low tide swapping the sand for… read more »
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Playa del Jabililo // Spain
Frank Vincentz A popular beach on the Costa Teguise, Playa del Jablillo occupies the western side of a cove protected by sea walls. These ensure few heavy waves make it to shore, and the resulting calm waters are ideal for both swimming and snorkelling.
Predominantly made up of sand with some low, smooth rocks protruding through it in places, Playa del Jablillo has… read more »
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Playa de Matagorda // Spain
Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez Perhaps the first beach anyone sees when arriving into Lanzarote because of its proximity to the island's airport, Playa de Matagorda flies a Blue Flag as it winds along the southeast coast in a tempting string of dark sand.
Paralleled by the Avenida de las Playas promenade for its entire length of approximately 850 metres, Playa de Matagorda is at the… read more »
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Playa de Alojera // Spain
Canarina If it's peace and quiet you're after, then this place hits the nail on the head.
This unique, cosy beach is nestled along La Gomera's north west coastline, just a five-minute drive away from the tiny town of Alojera.
The beach is only around 200 metres long, and it's made up of fine, black volcanic sand, which blends in perfectly with the… read more »
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Playa Santa Catalina // Spain
Rebexho This rocky black beach has bagged itself a scenic stretch of La Gomera's north east coastline.
On a practical scale, this spot's at the lower end, with no facilities to speak of, and no bars or restaurants nearby. However, it's the views that people come here for - the black gravel that makes up the beach will look pretty special on… read more »
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Playa de La Puntilla // Spain
dronepicr This predominantly sandy spot on La Gomera's west coast is one of the island's better connected stretches of beach.
Right next to the beach here, you'll find a hotel, plenty of places to park, and a decent sprinkling of restaurants. It's also just a 10-minute stroll to one of La Gomera's busier towns - Valle Gran Rey.
As for the beach itself,… read more »
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Playa del Inglés // Spain
© Jörg Bergmann This volcanic, black sand beach is nestled along La Gomera's western coastline, just a couple of miles north of Valle Gran Rey.
Like most of the island's beaches, there's a shortage of facilities and amenities on the sands, which helps to keep them unspoilt. Like you'd expect though, the scenery is stunning and the sand is scattered with volcanic rocks.
As for… read more »
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Playa Francesa // Spain
© Lapping Set on the little island of – La Graciosa, Playa Francesa, or Playa de la Francesa, has a fine expanse of sand offering excellent views towards the northern coastal cliffs of Lanzarote. Split into two parts by a rock breakwater, the beach's white sand runs for a total of around 450 metres alongside turquoise waters.
Free of facilities and amenities, visitors… read more »
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Playa de Amadores // Spain
© Julio Cruz This 800-metre stretch of golden sand sits on Gran Canaria's south west coastline, between Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogan.
Its English translation is ‘Lovers' Beach', so it's no surprise to know that this place is particularly popular with couples.
While the beach does get busy in the summer months, there's a blanket ban on ball sports, watersports and loud… read more »
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Playa de las Cucharas // Spain
© Lapping If you're after a lively swathe of shoreline with something for everyone, then Playa de las Cucharas will tick all of the boxes.
This 650-metre stretch of golden sandy beach is the largest and busiest in Costa Teguise, on Lanzarote's east coast.
The beach is effectively split into three smaller beaches, with vast differences between the two opposite ends. The northern end… read more »
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Playa los Cancajos // Spain
Frank Vincentz Within two kilometres of both Santa Cruz de La Parma and the international airport on the east coast of the island, Paya los Cancajos has black volcanic sands and calm warm waters thanks to protection from manmade breakwaters.
Surrounded by a good selection of bars and cafés, the beach is popular with both locals and visitors to La Palma, generating an… read more »
