It isn’t hard to find 20 of the best beaches in Europe when there are so many to choose from, but rather harder to choose which beaches to leave out! Here are our top picks for 20 of the best beaches in Europe, from Sardinia in Italy through to off the beaten path islands in Greece, here is where you will find them…
Navagio Beach in Zakynthos, Greece
Also known as Shipwreck Beach, this is one of the most iconic beaches to visit in Greece and the picture certainly shows you why! This exposed cove is surrounded by crystal blue waters and trails around to catch the best view.
Grand Plage Biarritz, France
Biarritz (a seaside city in France) is renowned for its’ iconic waterfront, making this one of the best seaside cities to escape to. The city is located in the southwest of France on the coastline, right before the border into Spain – making this a great last stopover in France before crossing into Spain for further explorations.
Calanque d’En Vau in Cassis, France
For something a little more wild and remote in France, head for Calanque d’En Vau in Cassis.
Nissi Beach, Cyprus
As one of the most well known beaches in Cyprus, Nissi Beach is a traveller’s favourite and for obvious reasons: the crystal clear waters, plentiful wildlife, and incredible summers in the Cyprus sun.
Egremni Beach, Lefkada Island, Greece
Another Greek favourite (and believe me when I say there are many) is Egremni Beach on Lefkada Island. As it is not on the popular and well-known Greek islands, this is a beach where you can actually relax and blend in to local life.
Praia da Marinha in Algarve, Portugal
When the Portuguese go on holiday, they go South to the Algarve. If its good enough for the locals, its good enough for us! Last year the WOW Team travelled to the Algarve to experience the stunning coastline and our favourite beach was Praia da Marinha, located just a short drive from Lagos city centre. Take yourself a picnic and a swimsuit – you’ll want to stay a while!
Cala Macarelleta Beach, Spain
Minorca is an absolute mecca for beautiful beaches and Cala Macarelleta tops the list.
Kampen Beach, Denmark
It might come as a surprise to see a Danish beach on the list given the Nordic countries are so renowned for their winter climates, however Kampen Beach is one such beach worth mentioning!
Oludeniz Beach in Oludeniz, Turkey
Also known as the blue lagoon, Oludeniz beach is one of the most popular in Turkey. The nearby village is equally gorgeous and a great coastline getaway from the busy Turkish cities!
Rabbit Beach in Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy
Located off the mainland of Italy a ferry ride away is Rabbit Beach in Lampedusa, one of the best options for a hidden paradise away from crowds and city life.
Sveti Stefan Beach, Montenegro
Montenegro might not be your first choice for a beachy getaway, but the Balkans can be quite unassuming in that manner (think about that huge influx of tourism in Croatia over recent years!) Sveti Stefan is one of the most renowned beaches and certainly an icon for coastal Montenegro.
Playa de las Catedrales in Galicia, Spain
Also known as the ‘beach of cathedrals’, this particular beach is especially unique given its’ archways that line the way along the coastline. If you’re looking for something completely out of the ordinary and memorable for years to come, this would be it!
Myrtos Beach in Kefalonia, Greece
Blue waters at their best is all that comes to mind when considering Myrtos beach! This gorgeous beach has a worldwide reputation and is frequently cited as one of the best beaches in Greece.
Elba, Italy
A small Italian island, a charming coastal town, clear blue waters… there really is no reason not to visit Elba!
Elafonissi Beach, Greece
Its hard to write a list of Europe’s best beaches and not include at least a handful from Greece as there is an abundance of beaches here worth mentioning! Elafonissi Beach in Crete is another such Greek beach worth mentioning.
Cala Mariolu in Sardinia, Italy
If rock jumping isn’t your thing the beach itself is small but large enough to position yourself for the day and watch the waves come and go with the hours!
Iztuzu Beach, Turkey
Another great beach in Turkey’s southwest that is popular with locals and visitors alike is Iztuzu – home to as many beach chairs in perfectly formed rows as the eye can see.
Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Balearic Islands
Argued to be the most ‘fashionable’ beach in the Balearic Islands, this is a see and be seen moment to last a life time – bring your best bathing suit!
Woolacombe Beach, United Kingdom
You probably weren’t expecting to see a beach in the United Kingdom make the list as it is so renowned for its’ winter climate as opposed to the summer beach destinations, but you’ve got it wrong if you haven’t considered Woolacombe Beach! Located in North Devon (England) this is a great beach to sit back and watch life pass you by – either from the beach itself or the hills above.
Cala Rossa, Sicily, Italy
So many great Italian beaches, so little time. If you find yourself in Sicily, you really can’t go wrong with a visit to Cala Rossa – another of Italy’s iconic beaches.
Well…. to say that you didn’t expect a beach in the UK is a bit daft as the United Kingdom is a island! So it’s bound to have some beaches. They are ok, if you can’t go anywhere warmer you can get a nice break at one of these beaches; Bournemouth beach, Weymouth, Blackpool, the Sandbanks… only, the weather is very unpredictable so take a jacket (even in the Summer) and expect some serious traffic and parking problems if it’s sunny and warm 😉 But you really can’t beat the beaches in Portugal! They are endless and with their clean… Read more »
More or them beaches are located in Greece , yes Greece have a lot of beautiful beaches and more of them are located on the Ionian sea . Elafonisi in Crete don’t have so deep water .
There are many great beaches in Brazil that you need to know: Jurerê Internacional – Florianópolis, Ipanema – Rio de Janeiro, jericoacora – Fortaleza, Porto de Galinhas – Pernambuco
Kampen beach is on an island called Sylt and is in the north of Germany, not at all Denmark. One of the favourite beaches of the Germans – 33 km of white sand!
I have been to Kefalonia nad Myrtos Beach. I didn’t swim though. But the view is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Greece has a beautiful beaches- golden sand, clear, blue and warm water.
There is one more- Blue Lagoon, Malta. But only off season because it is terribly crowded from May till Septemmber. But water and surroundings are amazing.
I hope to go to Cyprus or Canary Islands this year :-).
There are some really beautiful Croatian beaches as well.
I’ve been to Navagio Beach in Zakynthos and I must say that despite the breathtaking view, my overall impression wasn’t that good because of the big crowds of tourists. Even when we arrived one day around 8 am just to look at it from the top, a lot of boats were already there. I think that I would really enjoy it if I rented a boat and went there very early in the morning, because the organised trips were quite disappointing. But the blue waters and white sands were obviously stunning 🙂
ah, what a grand tour these would be!
Oh my goodness, I have not been to any of these but they sound like a dream!
xx Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
Just wanted to comment the same 😉
Either way, Praia da Marinha near Lagoa as well as the Beaches near Lagos (Praia do Pinhão, Praia do Camilo, Praia do Barranco do Martinho, etc.) –> they are all amazing!
I’ll have to add some of these beaches to my itinerary this summer!
That’s not Praia da Marinha in the picture. It’s Ponta da Piedade in LAGOS. And Praia da Marinha is not a short way from Lagos, this beach belongs to the province of LAGOA. Just so you know..
It’s good to see Europe being appreciated for its beautiful beaches! There are so many to choose from.
Great list, although there are some many other great beaches in Europe, which are not in the list!
Sadly, Egremni Beach in Lefkada is no more – the beach got destroyed in the earthquake in Greece on November 17th, 2015,
Great list! The Algarve in Portugal is at the top of my list of beach destinations. Your photos from that trip were so stunning! 🙂
I am saving this to reference for my next trip!
Kari
I love, love, love the amount of times you’ve been mentioning Portugal on your posts! It’s got a lot of touristic potential, yet it’s such an underrated destination… thanks for spreading the word 🙂
As for the beaches: Scala dei Turchi in Sicily is also absolutely unlike anything else in the world. Worth checking out!
Hey, I guess it’s now time to island hop around Greece and end up in Italy! This look amazing, I can’t wait for summer!
Portugal, of course! <3
Adding all of these to my bucket list! There’s so many amazing beaches in Italy, looks like I’d need to spend a whole summer exploring them all!
Tessa at
Meh. I am from Sardinia. Cala Mariolu is great but you didn’t even post a picture of it 🙁
It’s no wonder Greece is all over this list. The water there is amazing:)
Nissi Beach is on Cyprus, not in Greece.
Beautiful beaches <3 The Shipwreck Beach is the most gorgous place I've ever seen in my life. No picture will ever do it justice!
I completely agree with this list, especially Sveti Stefan and Shipwreck Beach! The latter is so cool, it’s absolutely amazing to be able to walk up to the shipwreck! 🙂
**Surprised
I’m suprised no beaches from the Costa del Sol region in Spain made it! But, like you said, there are just so many to choose from!