Europe's Top 50+ Beaches

Stretching from the icy waters of the Nordic nations to the myriad of islands in the Mediterranean, Europe has a vast and convoluted coastline. There is no shortage of beaches either and these come in every shape and size imaginable. From wide, powder sand family-friendly resort beaches to breathtaking, secluded bays with fantastical rock formations, Europe has them all.

Of course we have included all the favourites from Spain, France, Greece and Italy as well as the up and coming gems of Eastern Europe such as Croatia and Albania. But Europe has more to offer and there are stunning beaches in every corner of this continent.

So whether you want to escape the summer crowds, find epic surf or just top up your tan you are sure to find it amongst our selection of the very finest European beaches.

Baie de Trépassés // France

charlotteinaustralia

The beautiful unspoilt beach of Baie de Trépassés is tucked away behind the rugged Pointe du Raz, France's most westerly point. These jagged 70 metre cliffs not only provide a stunning backdrop but help protect the beach from the south-westerly winds. However, there is no getting away from the fact this is an exposed beach which often faces the full wrath… read more »
Saint George Beach // Greece

© saiko3p

Agios Georgios, better known to pretty much everyone as Saint George Beach, is perhaps the most visited beach anywhere on Naxos. Taking its name from an attractive little chapel at its northern end, it lies just south of Naxos town, only 300 metres from Plateia Protodikiou, the town's main square.
Easily reached on foot, Saint George Beach sits firmly within the… read more »
Kaputas Beach // Turkey

© Umit Ozkan

This tiny, but perfect stretch of sand sparkles against the beautiful,clear turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It is surrounded by steep golden cliffs, and the views out over the beach are something to behold. You do need to climb down a long set of steps to reach the beach, but it is worth the effort.
Once you reach the… read more »
Vai Beach // Greece

© Karapas

Vai beach sits at the foot of the Vai palm forest, the largest of its sort in Europe. There are various stories of how the palm trees came to be here ranging from Arab pirates spitting date stones ashore to Phoenician traders planting them. The truth is though, they were always here and as a protected site will hopefully remain.… read more »
Holkham Beach // UK

Holkham beach is widely regarded as the finest beach in Norfolk, and by some the UK. In fact a recent survey amongst travel editors and writers put Holkham beach right at the top of the list. Whilst I don't agree with this result, it is still a very fine beach.

The beach at Holkham is a great expanse of fine… read more »
Breidavik Beach // Iceland

© Danilo Forcellini

The pretty little settlement of Breiðavík is located just around the corner from Iceland's (and Europe's) most westerly point, Látrabjarg. Besides the weatherboard church and a clutch of houses there is one thing that draws people to Breidavik - the enormous stretch of white sand beach.

Breidavik Beach is said by many to be the finest beach in Iceland and… read more »
Sunny Beach // Bulgaria

© Boby Dimitrov / CC BY

There is little doubt which of Bulgaria's beaches is best known (and liveliest). Sunny Beach (Slanchev Bryag to the locals) is legendary for its golden sands and entertainment, both on and off the beach. The resort is extremely popular with Europeans and tourists from further afield looking to sun themselves in the day and dance the nights away at one of… read more »
Agiofarago Beach // Greece

© B.psycha / CC BY

Agiofarago Beach sits at the foot of the Agiofarago Gorge, which you will need to traverse in order to reach the beach. This is an experience in itself as you hike through the vertical walls of rock. You will also pass by a number of caves where hermits from the Odigitria monastery still live today. There is also a small… read more »
Bratten Strand // Denmark

Jørgen Larsen

Located about 10 km north of the east coast town of Frederikshavn the beach at Bratten Strand feels a million miles from anywhere. This long sweeping stretch of fine white sand and sapphire sea seemingly stretches on of ever. But it doesn't as this is the far north of Denmark and before long you will run out of land where… read more »
Nymindegab Strand // Denmark

© Aleksandr Zykov

Nestled on the west coast of Denmark, 500 m from the town of the same name, sits Nymindegab Strand, one of the most popular holiday getaways in the entire country. That's due in no small part to the fact that the area is home to some of the most stretches of North Sea coast.
The beach is located at the southernmost… read more »
Preveli Beach // Greece

© jarekgrafik

Preveli Beach is possibly the most famous of Crete's beaches. Situated at the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge, this is where the Grand River flows into the Mediterranean. It has a tropical landscape with a number of Theophrastus palm trees which line the river for around 500 meters before it empties into the sea.
The beach itself is a small… read more »
Henne Strand // Denmark

Situated on the west coast of Denmark's Jutland peninsula is the infeasibly long sandy beach of Henne Strand.

Despite being one of the most popular beaches on this stretch of North Sea coast it never gets crowded here. In fact, outside of sunny days in the summer holidays it is generally quiet allowing you to appreciate the vast open… read more »
Guincho Beach // Portugal

Guincho beach, near Cascais, is not what many people imagine when thinking of the archetypal Portuguese beach. Despite being within an hour of the capital, Lisbon, Guincho has a wild desolate feel. Well, except for the summer months when it doesn't!

This wide stretch of fine, golden sand sits in the shadow of the forested hills of Sintra, one of… read more »
Sinemorets // Bulgaria

© Marcin Szala / CC BY

Set close to the Turkish border Veleka Beach is one of two beaches in Sinemorets, and by far the nicest. In fact it is one of the most striking and iconic beaches in Bulgaria consisting of a narrow strip of soft white sand which juts out across the mouth of the Veleka River as it empties into… read more »
Navagio Beach // Greece

The island of Zakynthos is home to one of Greece's finest and most easily recognisable beaches. It is not just the beach of Navagio itself that is unique but the fact that it is home to a shipwreck.
The ship in question was the Panagiotis and it is believed that it was a smugglers ship that ran aground in stormy weather… read more »