Europe's Top 50+ Beaches

  • Agiofarago Beach // Greece

    Agiofarago Beach
    © 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 »

  • Playa de Vueltas // Spain

    Playa de Vueltas
    Falco Ermert

    This soft sand beach is tucked into a picturesque corner of La Gomera's south west coastline. 

    As with most of the island's beaches, the sands here are volcanic black, but unlike many of the others, this one's sheltered by a breakwater, so the waves rarely get too choppy. As a result, this spot's a popular choice with families, although that's partly… read more »

  • Bratten Strand // Denmark

    Bratten Strand
    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

    Nymindegab Strand
    © 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 »

  • Uttakleiv Beach // Norway

    Uttakleiv Beach
    Eivind Barstad Waaler

    Uttakleiv Beach is probably the most visited and photographed in all the Lofoten Islands. I suspect this is more to do with its location than it being any more stunning and beautiful than Lofoten's other amazing beaches. That is not to say Uttakleiv doesn't have the same near-white sands, turquoise sea and dramatic mountain backdrop.

    As a beach, Uttakleiv is one… read more »

  • Preveli Beach // Greece

    Preveli Beach
    © 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 »

  • Ribersborg Beach // Sweden

    Ribersborg Beach
    Maria Eklind

    In contrast to Skåne's generally rural beaches, Ribersborg in Malmö is very much the city beach. Situated only three kilometres from the city center it is easy for residents to reach, and in the summer months they flock here.

    The beach at Ribersborg very much has the feel of a park - which is no coincidence as this is how Ribersborgsstranden… read more »

  • Son Bou // Spain

    Son Bou
    © lunamarina

    The largest beach on the island, Son Bou can be found on Menorca's southern coastline. Though backed onto by a large and well-equipped holiday resort and multi-storey hotels at its eastern end, they are separated from the beach by dunes and reeds that provide an important habitat for birds and butterflies, and provide a sense of isolation. At its western… read more »

  • Praia da Salema // Portugal

    Praia da Salema
    Jose Goncalves

    Praia da Salema, or Salema Beach, is a Blue Flag beach by the village of the same name known for its dinosaur footprints. Facing south, it is a stretch of sand approximately a kilometre in length. Relatively undeveloped because of its location within Vincente Coast Natural Park, Praia da Salema manages to maintain its traditional atmosphere, with fishermen continuing to… read more »

  • Spiaggia di Riaci // Italy

    Spiaggia di Riaci
    Luca Volpi

    This picture-perfect sand-and-pebble beach has grabbed a prime position on Calabria's west coast, around 10 minutes' drive from more touristy Tropea.

    If you prefer chilled and laidback to loud and lively, then this is the spot. The sands are sprinkled with sun loungers and parasols, and there's a family-first feel here.

    The water's calm and colourful, and the rocky surroundings here… read more »

  • Henne Strand // Denmark

    Henne Strand

    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

    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 »

  • Myrtos Beach // Greece

    Myrtos Beach
    © Karl Egger

    Set on the north-west of the island of Kefalonia is the spectacular Myrtos Beach. The landscape here is one of lush, verdant hills rising steeply from the azure waters of the Aegean Sea. 

    The mile long Myrtos beach sits in a natural amphitheatre at the foot of two mountains with a steep, winding road leading down to it. Often cited as… read more »

  • Sinemorets // Bulgaria

    Sinemorets
    © 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

    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 »