Europe's Top 50+ Beaches
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Ribersborg Beach // Sweden
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 »
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Playa de Castilla // Spain
Antartidae Laying claim to the record as one of the longest continuous beaches to be found anywhere in Spain, Playa de Castilla runs for an impressive 20 kilometres of near-untouched seafront. Backed by attractive cliffs and the sand dunes of Doñana National Park, it is only accessible by vehicle from a couple of specific points. These are via the… read more »
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Son Bou // Spain
© 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 »
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Praia da Salema // Portugal
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 »
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Spiaggia di Riaci // Italy
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 »
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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 »
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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 »
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Myrtos Beach // Greece
© 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 »
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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 »
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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 »
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Plaka beach // Greece
Random_fotos Generally regarded as the best beach on Naxos, Plaka is a huge stretch of fine white sand backed by low sand dunes. The waters of the bay at Plaka are calm and clear with a definite green tint.
Whilst there are areas of the beach with the familiar straw umbrellas and sun-beds, much of the beach still retains a relatively wild… read more »
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El Cofete Beach // Spain
© eyewave Cofete Beach is located just around the headland from the southern tip of Fuertaventura. The bright lights and resorts to the north of the island will do nothing to prepare you for the awe-inspiring scale and wildness of this beach. The beach is a wide expanse of golden sand that continues for as far as the eye can see. Directly… read more »
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Calanque d'En-vau // France
© Michmuch06 / CC BY Set on the 10 mile stretch of coastline between Marseille and Cassis in southeast France are various stunning beaches, inlets and hidden coves. The calanques are fjord-like inlets carved into the white limestone by ancient rivers that have long since disappeared underground. Of all these deep inlets none is more beautiful than Calanque d'En-vau.
Set at the end of a… read more »
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Koukounaries Beach // Greece
TomasEE Koukounaries Beach is probably the best-known beaches on Skiathos. With its golden sand and crystal clear waters it isn't hard to see why. The beach is surrounded by dense pine forest and possesses a natural beauty that makes it stand out.
Koukounaries' soft sand and shallow waters make it ideal for swimming and relaxing, while there are no shortage of… read more »
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Aguas Blancas Beach // Spain
© lunamarina / CanStockPhoto The often quiet, secluded Aguas Blancas beach is a far cry from the resort towns on the south of the island. This long beach of fine sand gets its name (meaning "white water") from the white horse's that frequently crest the waves on choppy days. However, these prevailing winds that blow throughout the year become a welcome breeze in the… read more »
