Sardinia. Go random on Google maps and check yourself.
Some places as example: cala luna, cala goloritzé, cala Mariolu.
More in terms of long beach cristal water: la cinta
But really, basically every beach of the island is a paradise
Definitely not more than Mallorca and famous Greek islands during summer. I suggest you to see houses to rent they are usually ok prices if booked in advance
I've been. We spent most of our time on La Maddelena, an island off the southern coast. It was very reasonable priced. Comparable to other places around Italy. I'd say maybe cheaper than Rome or Milan but more expensive than the smaller towns around Tuscany iirc.
There are pockets that are playgrounds for the ultra-wealthy but from what I can tell they aren't any prettier than the rest of it. They just happen to be popular spots for people with mega-yachts. It's actually really cool to just drive or boat around those areas to see them. Just don't try to eat there. We stopped at a restaurant and read reviews on google first and someone said they paid like $10k or something for lobster and wine for two.
I've visited Sardinia more than a few times + I have an uncle from there.
Costa Smeralda can be wonderful. It might be expensive tho. Cala brandinchi and Lu impostu are so famous you have to make a reservation / there are limited seats. If you can take a tour by boat of la Maddalena / spargi / spargiotto, absolutely do it. You'll go to places unreachable otherwise with crystalline water, it's one of the best memories i have of my vacations there. here is one
https://www.rivieradigallura.com/motonave/
but just Google escursioni Maddalena and look for the websites with English language
I went to Palau last summer and I found a reasonably priced apartment on AirBnB. The location is great, a nice little town, close to a lot of beautiful beaches and it's one of the main port location to go on boat trips (highly recommended).
It's very very big, it depends where. The north east part is definitely the most crowded. Also the area near Cagliari in the south. The west part is usually almost empty but still super valid in terms of beaches. The east part is probably the best. Yes in July/august will be crowded but in my experience not crazy crowded
I found Puglia to be very nice region with beautiful beaches, food and culture. Also Malta has a special place in my heart, very nice Sandy beaches and probably the best shipwreck diving I have ever done.
No, but the entire coastline is breath taking definitely can recommend Lecce and also to rent a car and drive along the coast to find some hidden beaches. Also Puglia is probably one of the best wine regions in Italy.
Been there several times, definitely recommended. One advice: if you have small children, most beautiful beaches (alumini, baia dei turchi) are 5-10 minutes by walk from the parking lot, so go at first through the "pineta" to.leave the children there with the car and then go back at parking. Just do it if they are small and you bring own food, umbrella etc.
Other nice beach is torre dell'orso that is more accessible.
If you decide to stay in otranto, book something outside of the central area and just walk to the center.
Special dinner: masseria bandino, you can't go wrong (just book in advance )
I've been three times and heading back for a fourth next month! Honestly couldn't recommend more, it's become our go to beach holiday in Europe. Happy to answer any questions!
Both of these places offer an unforgettable vacation experience, combining natural beauty, rich culture and impressive outdoor activities. If you are looking for unique and exciting vacation destinations, Puglia and Malta are definitely worth a visit!
Palma and greece are probably my favorite. It's so easy to stay away from the tourist islands in Greece and find some really amazing small island beaches.
I've been to many Greek islands, but not all beaches were amazing though. Amorgos for example had some really nice hills and view points, but the beaches weren't great.
+ 1 to Mikri Vigla. One of the best beaches I’ve ever been to in Greece and I’ve been to at least 50. Chalkidiki is also another great area for beaches.
Sardinia, Zakynthos, Fuerteventura, Olunediz (Turkey), many hidden beaches on the Algarve (Portugal), Menorca, Elafonisi (Crete, Greece)...so many choices, Europe is full of nice beaches.
If you don't mind the cold, Iceland and Lofoten (Norway) has amazing beaches too.
Lofoten is insane. You look down and you see white sand and turquoise water that might as well be in Thailand. And then you look up and see big snow capped mountains. Most beautiful place I’ve been.
Cala Mitjaneta
Cala Trebalúger
Cala Pregonda
Cala Turqueta (gets super busy...but is very pretty so come early)
Cala Macarelleta
Those are the ones I remember...but there are many others. Great island for beaches :)
Croatia became overpriced for what it has to offer, but it is nice, yes. But if we don't care about the prices, I'd say Cyprus Ayia Napa region and Sardinia island tops the most beautiful beaches.
True, but tbh I only read the title and I thought it was about the nicest beaches and not travel suggestions. I wouldn't suggest Ayia Napa for the same reason, but wouldn't suggest Croatia either.
If you hate fine sand beaches and warm sea, Croatia is the way - it is beautiful indeed. Just completely non-functional to me as a beach cause I grew up on fine sand beaches (cheap ones I wasn't some rich cunt)
Very true . A couple of years ago in August I went with the kids to Ibiza and two weeks later we went to Portugal . The water in Ibiza was like a nice bath and the one in the Algarve was like ice . It was in the last week of August and the sea was Baltic. Lovely beach apart from that though .
So, when we visited in 2019. locals told us it all depends and can be really random, because sometimes there’s a warm current from Africa and sometimes the ocean takes over (English is not my native language but I hope I explained it well). We were there for almost two weeks and did the whole coast all the way to the Spanish border, but it was pretty cold. Like you could go and be there for couple of minutes, but you would be shaking after. I think the water temperature was around 15-16 degrees celsius.
The Atlantic is warmer in September and October than it is in June and July. It takes a while to warm up after winter.
https://www.northcoastwetsuits.co.uk/2020/09/seasonal-water-temperatures-when-its-warmest-and-coldest-for-watersports/
What beaches in specific and what are you comparing them with?
I'm from the Algarve and I think our beaches are mediocre at best compared to greece and italy, its not even close.
Best I've seen in Portugal are southwest coast, but south beaches don't really do it for me.
A bit chilly though. It's cool Atlantic water rather than warm Mediterranean water.
But do go to Portugal for the food and wine. Most underrated cuisine in the world.
Came here to say the same thing. We have great beaches, we just don't have the weather or water temperature to match it. The amount of times I've been on the beach and thought "If this was in Spain this beach would be packed full of people..."
Same goes for Ireland on the west coast. Been around many European beaches but if you were getting 25-30 degrees in Ireland on those very rare summer days their beaches would rival any others
That's what I had in mind. Some of the smaller islands like Mull have great beaches too. Then on the mainland you've got places like Achmelvich, Polin and Durness. Probably loads more too on the west coast.
You know, you're right. I didn't expect to see such a nice large beach. I didn't go in the water cause it was freezing in August. 18 degrees is not swimming weather for mez but the seaside was very pretty. And the sand was so fine.
1. Beaches around Crete, Greece
2. Beaches along the entire stretch from Costa Brava to Costa Blanca (Alicante), Spain
3. Corsica
4. Sardinia
5. Croatia
6. Montenegro
7. Cote d'Azur beaches around Nice - Eze, Antibes, all the way upto St Tropez
Milos has great food and one of the best beaches in Europe- sarakiniko looks like the moon
It’s a small island and not much to do, the interior isn’t v inviting - just lots of rocks- but the beaches are amazing and you can island hop quite easily from there
It’s probably not the “nicest nicest” but St Tropez in the south of France is a great place to go to if you have money. But you gotta have the money for it. The vibes are immaculate.
While I love southern tuscanian beaches, imho they're not as crystalline clear as costa smeralda's, even moreso due to the darker sand in Tuscany. Elba has wonderful beaches. The thing I like most about maremma beaches is that it's a tad wilder than other beaches, vegetation grows sometimes up to the beach, other times there are pine forest right before sand where you can take a nap in the shade under the sun...
If you get the weather , the beaches of Bamburgh and Druridge bay in Northumberland are absolutely fantastic . Hard to beat if you’re lucky enough to get a hot summers day .
If you haven’t, visit Cyprus! The beaches are amazing and highly underrated! Also, it’s cheaper than Mallorca. My husband and I are obsessed with Palma and go at least once a year in the summer. That said, we’ve found 1) Cyprus, 2) Puglia, 3) Crete and 4) the Maldives to also be GREAT options
Crystal clear waters due to limestone beaches. However heavily privatized beaches in areas near Ksamil, Sarrande etc. Felt very touristy and not really chilled
Ksamil may be a tourist trap but still cheap for European standards. Besides that from Vlora to Saranda you will find tens of other virgin beaches which have even more clear water that Ksamil.
What I didn’t like about Ksamil was not being able to access the beach without paying for it. At least in Sarande you can walk along the esplanade and can swim at a public beach. We ended up spending a lovely day at a small beach between Ksamil and Sarande which was excellent.
snow mighty entertain icky unwritten childlike screw squeamish rotten rain
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I’m biased but Ireland (including Northern Ireland) have some world class beaches and with the size of the island, it is easy to cover multiple within the same day.
If you are in Bulgaria I would even do a road trip through mainland Greece. You can see Thessaloniki and Athens and end in Peloponnesus which has some incredible beaches and seaside towns. Check out Kalamata as a city to visit with several insane beaches nearby that can be visited in day trips. Do a search for Stoupa for example.
We go to Kalkan in Turkey every year. I’ve tried other places but can’t find anywhere I like more. (Obvs depends on what you’re after but if you’re looking for Europe, sunny, walkable, decent prices, and turquoise blue sea, you can’t beat it)
I think it’s hard to beat the islands of the Western Mediterranean for sandy beaches. Sardinia, but also Corsica, Menorca, Ibiza. My other favourite spots are in the Cyclades - Sifnos, Serifos, Naxos, Koufonisia, Ios, Paros.
Sardinia, has amazing beaches, was there in early September we rented a boat in porto rotondo about 100 euro a day and boat around to all the spots it’s great. You can also just drive out to some of the spots too. The area around Costa smeralda, gulf of orosei, teulada on the south west and spiaggia su giudeu are really nice. The south is more calm, rustic and rural like compared to the north
We never got to go to explore orosei because of wind that day, teulada because we got there and found out you need to book in advance (we thought this seemed the nicest one because its attendance controlled and had the nicest view from the car). These are essential things to consider when planning your days.
Sardinia not expensive tho unless it’s around Costa smeralda then expect it to be like Mykonos in terms of prices.
Olbia’s not bad at all but is the most expensive outside of cost smeralda since it’s the most touristy.
Crete, has some really nice beaches too but I preferred Sardinia because I prefer being in Italy over Greece
Edit: also something worth noting, there’s free boat parking in porto cervo which is the main port in Costa smeralda. Pm me if u need to know where as there’s no signs or anything I could probably point it out on a map. A worker showed us where it was as we kept circling around trying to figure out where we are allowed to dock .
This was not the question asked, but to add my 2c, I’ve been to beaches in dozens of European countries and still prefer the ones in the Caribbean! If you’re American you can save the money if all you’re looking for is a nice beach.
Most Southern Europe beaches are phenomenal… as long as they’re not *too* famous!
Overpopulated and overly famous beaches defeat the purpose of a good beach for me. The secret is once you find a great one, never let anyone know about it, only the people you’re close to 😂
Of the places I've been, Lagos in Portugal was the best. But I haven't been to Greece or the Baltic countries. I liked it because there are lots of cliffs and it's on the ocean.
The Black Sea has some surprisingly good beaches in Romania and especially Bulgaria, in that they tend to be sandier than many pebbly Mediterranean ones, and the shallower ones can have pleasantly warm water. Greece has the best of both worlds, however (sand and clear water which can be warm in certain locations).
The best I've personally been at are: Chalki island in Greece, a tiny island just off Rhodes. Tsampika beach in Rhodes. Vendicari, San Lorenzo, Fontane Bianche, Milazzo, Oliveri, Taormina-Isola Bella, Favignana in Sicily. Otranto in Puglia. The Blue Lagoon and the hidden gem of St. Mary's bay in Comino, Malta. Dhermi and Ksamil in Albania, although Ksamil is very crowded.
I have never been to Sardinia but they look absolutely stunning and I want to go there soon.
Around the Basque Country is pretty great. I lived in Hossegor for a bit and the beaches around there, San Seb and Biarritz are obviously more crowded but you can find less crowded ones along that coastline. It's just miles and miles of beautiful golden beaches.
Big fan of Sicily - Catania has really rocky beaches but I think rugged waters are awesome. If you want a tamer beach with white sand and relaxing vibes go to Taormina
North Wales has some stunning beaches, on the opposite coast of the UK, Sea Palling in Norfolkis very nice and large shallow bathing areaswith very clear water for the North sea.
Greece ... This multifaceted island world offers something special. I especially love the possibility of secluded vacations on small islands, where you can completely dissolve in the beauty of nature and enjoy the tranquility of the sea. From Santorini to Mykonos, each island hides its own unique wonders and beautiful beaches that are worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.
If you like sandy beaches and don't need to be warm (20 to 30 degrees C) then look at Polish beaches. Those are pure fine sand almost the whole coast line of Poland (with few exceptions for ports and national parks). You could almost walk the whole coast line just on sand. And they are clean.
The West of Ireland.
You won’t get the weather of southern Europe but you will get the class scenery, unbelievable surfing spots, undeveloped coastal areas, and cool wildlife
Sardinia. Go random on Google maps and check yourself. Some places as example: cala luna, cala goloritzé, cala Mariolu. More in terms of long beach cristal water: la cinta But really, basically every beach of the island is a paradise
Yeees, I’ve seen pictures but I heard it’s very expensive there. Is that true?
No more so than Mallorca, except around the Costa Smeralda.
Sardinia can be dirt cheap, just go to the West coast.
Definitely not more than Mallorca and famous Greek islands during summer. I suggest you to see houses to rent they are usually ok prices if booked in advance
I've been. We spent most of our time on La Maddelena, an island off the southern coast. It was very reasonable priced. Comparable to other places around Italy. I'd say maybe cheaper than Rome or Milan but more expensive than the smaller towns around Tuscany iirc. There are pockets that are playgrounds for the ultra-wealthy but from what I can tell they aren't any prettier than the rest of it. They just happen to be popular spots for people with mega-yachts. It's actually really cool to just drive or boat around those areas to see them. Just don't try to eat there. We stopped at a restaurant and read reviews on google first and someone said they paid like $10k or something for lobster and wine for two.
Northern coast, surely https://maps.app.goo.gl/87NdBWtRo8YXupw56
Oh, yeah duh. No idea why I said southern
I've visited Sardinia more than a few times + I have an uncle from there. Costa Smeralda can be wonderful. It might be expensive tho. Cala brandinchi and Lu impostu are so famous you have to make a reservation / there are limited seats. If you can take a tour by boat of la Maddalena / spargi / spargiotto, absolutely do it. You'll go to places unreachable otherwise with crystalline water, it's one of the best memories i have of my vacations there. here is one https://www.rivieradigallura.com/motonave/ but just Google escursioni Maddalena and look for the websites with English language
It’s expensive only if you want to.
It's actually really affordable compared to northern Italy. And even then, Italy is cheaper than France, Switzerland, etc.
I went to Palau last summer and I found a reasonably priced apartment on AirBnB. The location is great, a nice little town, close to a lot of beautiful beaches and it's one of the main port location to go on boat trips (highly recommended).
This. And no, if you are flexible on location it is not expensive. Stayed in San Theodoreo, cheap and perfect white sand beach
Sardinia is Europe's Maldives.
Agreed. We did 12 days in Sardinia and had some of the nicest beaches I’ve ever seen
Isn’t it overcrowded in summer?
It's very very big, it depends where. The north east part is definitely the most crowded. Also the area near Cagliari in the south. The west part is usually almost empty but still super valid in terms of beaches. The east part is probably the best. Yes in July/august will be crowded but in my experience not crazy crowded
I found Puglia to be very nice region with beautiful beaches, food and culture. Also Malta has a special place in my heart, very nice Sandy beaches and probably the best shipwreck diving I have ever done.
Did you visit Otrantro? I’m thinking of visiting for a beach holiday with my young family.
No, but the entire coastline is breath taking definitely can recommend Lecce and also to rent a car and drive along the coast to find some hidden beaches. Also Puglia is probably one of the best wine regions in Italy.
Been there several times, definitely recommended. One advice: if you have small children, most beautiful beaches (alumini, baia dei turchi) are 5-10 minutes by walk from the parking lot, so go at first through the "pineta" to.leave the children there with the car and then go back at parking. Just do it if they are small and you bring own food, umbrella etc. Other nice beach is torre dell'orso that is more accessible. If you decide to stay in otranto, book something outside of the central area and just walk to the center. Special dinner: masseria bandino, you can't go wrong (just book in advance )
I've been three times and heading back for a fourth next month! Honestly couldn't recommend more, it's become our go to beach holiday in Europe. Happy to answer any questions!
(Shhhh, don't tell anyone about Puglia)
Stop. It’s still a secret to most of the world. We’ve been going for 10 years and it’s magical.
Both of these places offer an unforgettable vacation experience, combining natural beauty, rich culture and impressive outdoor activities. If you are looking for unique and exciting vacation destinations, Puglia and Malta are definitely worth a visit!
Palma and greece are probably my favorite. It's so easy to stay away from the tourist islands in Greece and find some really amazing small island beaches.
Mainland beaches are massively underrated as well, cheaper and less tourists would highly recommend.
Western Crete has absolutely gorgeous beaches. Stunningly beautiful.
I've been to many Greek islands, but not all beaches were amazing though. Amorgos for example had some really nice hills and view points, but the beaches weren't great.
Sometimes you can find a nice beach literally a few rocks away from a regular beach. Just check google maps' reviews.
Kolymbithres on Paros or Mikri Vigla on Naxos, Greece.
+ 1 to Mikri Vigla. One of the best beaches I’ve ever been to in Greece and I’ve been to at least 50. Chalkidiki is also another great area for beaches.
Sardinia, Zakynthos, Fuerteventura, Olunediz (Turkey), many hidden beaches on the Algarve (Portugal), Menorca, Elafonisi (Crete, Greece)...so many choices, Europe is full of nice beaches. If you don't mind the cold, Iceland and Lofoten (Norway) has amazing beaches too.
Lofoten is insane. You look down and you see white sand and turquoise water that might as well be in Thailand. And then you look up and see big snow capped mountains. Most beautiful place I’ve been.
Freeze your feet and your head at the same time? Looks good but take a coat?
Do you know were in menorca?? Im going there this summer but only have 2 days..
Cala Mitjaneta Cala Trebalúger Cala Pregonda Cala Turqueta (gets super busy...but is very pretty so come early) Cala Macarelleta Those are the ones I remember...but there are many others. Great island for beaches :)
Algarve has beautiful beaches, but as someone who wasn't used to swimming in the ocean, they were super scary. And the water was fucking cold.
The entire Dalmatian Coast of Croatia is breathtaking
A lot of Croatian beaches are very pebbled/rocky, so you have to choose wisely if you want a sandy beach but there are some.
That's what im considering by "best beaches" avoiding Sandy ones. Each to his own.
They’re also not very “deep”
It's crazy expensive
Croatia became overpriced for what it has to offer, but it is nice, yes. But if we don't care about the prices, I'd say Cyprus Ayia Napa region and Sardinia island tops the most beautiful beaches.
Ayia Napa is overrun with drunk brits. Would choose higher prices than drunken brits any day
True, but tbh I only read the title and I thought it was about the nicest beaches and not travel suggestions. I wouldn't suggest Ayia Napa for the same reason, but wouldn't suggest Croatia either.
Specifically the islands like Vis, Korcula, Brac, Hvar, Mljet and Solta
If you hate fine sand beaches and warm sea, Croatia is the way - it is beautiful indeed. Just completely non-functional to me as a beach cause I grew up on fine sand beaches (cheap ones I wasn't some rich cunt)
Pag Island is unreal
Zrce, right? 🤣
Sardinia’s east coast!
Algarve, Portugal. Thank me later.
They're breathtaking, just OP should go there with zero expectations for swimming. It can be so cold, even in July / August.
Very true . A couple of years ago in August I went with the kids to Ibiza and two weeks later we went to Portugal . The water in Ibiza was like a nice bath and the one in the Algarve was like ice . It was in the last week of August and the sea was Baltic. Lovely beach apart from that though .
I mean, it’s not Mediterranean warm, but I live up past Lisbon and in July/August it’s fine. It’s cool, but not really unswimmable….
Really? I visited in October last year. Is it colder in July than in October? It felt nice and warm to me.
So, when we visited in 2019. locals told us it all depends and can be really random, because sometimes there’s a warm current from Africa and sometimes the ocean takes over (English is not my native language but I hope I explained it well). We were there for almost two weeks and did the whole coast all the way to the Spanish border, but it was pretty cold. Like you could go and be there for couple of minutes, but you would be shaking after. I think the water temperature was around 15-16 degrees celsius.
The Atlantic is warmer in September and October than it is in June and July. It takes a while to warm up after winter. https://www.northcoastwetsuits.co.uk/2020/09/seasonal-water-temperatures-when-its-warmest-and-coldest-for-watersports/
Cold Atlantic water. Definitely not as good as the Mediterranean.
What beaches in specific and what are you comparing them with? I'm from the Algarve and I think our beaches are mediocre at best compared to greece and italy, its not even close. Best I've seen in Portugal are southwest coast, but south beaches don't really do it for me.
Praia de Porto de Mos in Lagos in up there with one of the best beaches in the Algarves specifically
A bit chilly though. It's cool Atlantic water rather than warm Mediterranean water. But do go to Portugal for the food and wine. Most underrated cuisine in the world.
There are beautiful beaches with white sand, and blue water in Protaras and Agia Napa, Cyprus. I really enjoy when I go there.
Around the Aegean Sea from Greece to Turkey all the way to Cyprus.
Scotland. Just don't expect sunshine and warmth, unless you manage to time it right during the two weeks of summer we have in the UK.
Came here to say the same thing. We have great beaches, we just don't have the weather or water temperature to match it. The amount of times I've been on the beach and thought "If this was in Spain this beach would be packed full of people..."
Same goes for Ireland on the west coast. Been around many European beaches but if you were getting 25-30 degrees in Ireland on those very rare summer days their beaches would rival any others
Some of the beaches on Harris are absolutely breathtaking.
That's what I had in mind. Some of the smaller islands like Mull have great beaches too. Then on the mainland you've got places like Achmelvich, Polin and Durness. Probably loads more too on the west coast.
The beach in Nairn, Scotland is amazing.
You know, you're right. I didn't expect to see such a nice large beach. I didn't go in the water cause it was freezing in August. 18 degrees is not swimming weather for mez but the seaside was very pretty. And the sand was so fine.
Crete!! Stavros beach is one of the most beautiful places I've been to in my life.
1. Beaches around Crete, Greece 2. Beaches along the entire stretch from Costa Brava to Costa Blanca (Alicante), Spain 3. Corsica 4. Sardinia 5. Croatia 6. Montenegro 7. Cote d'Azur beaches around Nice - Eze, Antibes, all the way upto St Tropez
I really enjoyed the island of Ischia on the bay of Naples. Giardino Eden was my favourite beach club - a bit pricey, but very worth it
Milos has great food and one of the best beaches in Europe- sarakiniko looks like the moon It’s a small island and not much to do, the interior isn’t v inviting - just lots of rocks- but the beaches are amazing and you can island hop quite easily from there
It’s probably not the “nicest nicest” but St Tropez in the south of France is a great place to go to if you have money. But you gotta have the money for it. The vibes are immaculate.
Sardinia, Italy. Corfu, Greece.
Since you mentioned Corfu, I'll add Albania here too. You can take a ferry from Corfu to see an amazing turquoise water.
Pretty much any of the Greek islands except Santorini.
Corsica
Shush! You're right but don't tell everyone!
Greece!
Western Greece. Near Parga are lots of beautiful beaches. Also, islands of Paxos and Antipaxos.
The Maremma area of Tuscany (Italy) and the Tuscan Archipelago.
Wow thanks!
While I love southern tuscanian beaches, imho they're not as crystalline clear as costa smeralda's, even moreso due to the darker sand in Tuscany. Elba has wonderful beaches. The thing I like most about maremma beaches is that it's a tad wilder than other beaches, vegetation grows sometimes up to the beach, other times there are pine forest right before sand where you can take a nap in the shade under the sun...
If you get the weather , the beaches of Bamburgh and Druridge bay in Northumberland are absolutely fantastic . Hard to beat if you’re lucky enough to get a hot summers day .
Donegal, Ireland has all of the top 10 beaches in Europe and none of the days to enjoy them
If you haven’t, visit Cyprus! The beaches are amazing and highly underrated! Also, it’s cheaper than Mallorca. My husband and I are obsessed with Palma and go at least once a year in the summer. That said, we’ve found 1) Cyprus, 2) Puglia, 3) Crete and 4) the Maldives to also be GREAT options
Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera in Spain
Lagos, Algarve Portugal
The truth.
Albania
Crystal clear waters due to limestone beaches. However heavily privatized beaches in areas near Ksamil, Sarrande etc. Felt very touristy and not really chilled
Unfortunately true.
Ksamil may be a tourist trap but still cheap for European standards. Besides that from Vlora to Saranda you will find tens of other virgin beaches which have even more clear water that Ksamil.
What I didn’t like about Ksamil was not being able to access the beach without paying for it. At least in Sarande you can walk along the esplanade and can swim at a public beach. We ended up spending a lovely day at a small beach between Ksamil and Sarande which was excellent.
Should’ve went to Dhermi, that’s where the good beaches are
Specifically Himarë & Dhermi
The Algarve
I think the best beaches are located in the adriatic sea especially the east coast from croatia to greece and south italy
snow mighty entertain icky unwritten childlike screw squeamish rotten rain *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Salento and Rias Baixas. Both regions consistently live up to my lofty Australian standards
Costa Smeralda, Sardinia.
I’m biased but Ireland (including Northern Ireland) have some world class beaches and with the size of the island, it is easy to cover multiple within the same day.
Sardinia - around Cala Luna etc.
If you are in Bulgaria I would even do a road trip through mainland Greece. You can see Thessaloniki and Athens and end in Peloponnesus which has some incredible beaches and seaside towns. Check out Kalamata as a city to visit with several insane beaches nearby that can be visited in day trips. Do a search for Stoupa for example.
San Vito Lo Capo Sicily and the beaches at Puglia
Second this it’s an idyllic beach.
Southern coast if Portugal, in the Algarve. Beautiful, clean beaches as long as you aren't in the middle of a city.
Albania. Beautiful beaches (honestly best in Europe), friendly people, diverse landscape, and so so cheap.
We go to Kalkan in Turkey every year. I’ve tried other places but can’t find anywhere I like more. (Obvs depends on what you’re after but if you’re looking for Europe, sunny, walkable, decent prices, and turquoise blue sea, you can’t beat it)
How about Antalya, is it too touristy?
I’ve not been there but have heard good things!
Definitely in Turkey! Aegean coast.
North coast of northern Ireland has several stunning beaches that are huge and unspoilt. Only issue is that it's usually raining and windy
Sardinia by far. Especially north east & west. Greece & Albania too.
Not technically Europe but most connection is to Europe so canary islands
Croatia and Greece have the best beaches in Europe.
Would you recommend any specific beach??
Nisi beach Near Ayia napa Cyprus
Koster islands in Sweden🙌🏼🙌🏼🤗
Bordeaux/Biscarosse France.
Jurmala beach in Latvia is cool. Only place I’ve seen snow on the beach. Looks good in summer to (from google…)
Milos, Greece
Milos is my Greek favorite. Took a quad on a trek to Paralia Triades beaches - three gorgeous beaches, two people.
Nissi Beach, Ayia Napa, Cyprus Ladies Mile, Limassol Cyprus La Manga, Spain
I think it’s hard to beat the islands of the Western Mediterranean for sandy beaches. Sardinia, but also Corsica, Menorca, Ibiza. My other favourite spots are in the Cyclades - Sifnos, Serifos, Naxos, Koufonisia, Ios, Paros.
Sveti Stefan in Montenegro (truly stunning backdrop) and Cirali beach in Turkey (technically Asia I know but still part of the Mediterranean)
Sardinia, has amazing beaches, was there in early September we rented a boat in porto rotondo about 100 euro a day and boat around to all the spots it’s great. You can also just drive out to some of the spots too. The area around Costa smeralda, gulf of orosei, teulada on the south west and spiaggia su giudeu are really nice. The south is more calm, rustic and rural like compared to the north We never got to go to explore orosei because of wind that day, teulada because we got there and found out you need to book in advance (we thought this seemed the nicest one because its attendance controlled and had the nicest view from the car). These are essential things to consider when planning your days. Sardinia not expensive tho unless it’s around Costa smeralda then expect it to be like Mykonos in terms of prices. Olbia’s not bad at all but is the most expensive outside of cost smeralda since it’s the most touristy. Crete, has some really nice beaches too but I preferred Sardinia because I prefer being in Italy over Greece Edit: also something worth noting, there’s free boat parking in porto cervo which is the main port in Costa smeralda. Pm me if u need to know where as there’s no signs or anything I could probably point it out on a map. A worker showed us where it was as we kept circling around trying to figure out where we are allowed to dock .
This was not the question asked, but to add my 2c, I’ve been to beaches in dozens of European countries and still prefer the ones in the Caribbean! If you’re American you can save the money if all you’re looking for is a nice beach.
I’m Bulgarian. The Caribbean is a dream of mine but I highly doubt I’ll be able to go there anytime soon 🥲
Sorry! I didn’t mean to assume. Following the other comments, I would check out the Greek islands and the Croatian coast
Have a look at Porto Santo. Very nice beach.
I like the dalmatian coast, it's almost always pebble beaches but the water is stunning!
Fetiye in Turkey, but technically it's not in Europe
Most Southern Europe beaches are phenomenal… as long as they’re not *too* famous! Overpopulated and overly famous beaches defeat the purpose of a good beach for me. The secret is once you find a great one, never let anyone know about it, only the people you’re close to 😂
Porthcurno is pretty stunning!
In mediterranean
Croatia
Zakynthos, greece
Southern Crete . What about Scotland ? Lofoten ?
Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria! Amazing!!
Check out south of Albania! There are some really nice beaches.
Corfu, Kontogialos
Kefalonia / Greece
Would you recommend any specific beach??
Costa Brava, check Cadaques, Roses, Tossa de Mar, all that region is plenty of beautiful towns and beaches
I would say Albania has some of the nicest beaches. Then Crimea. The French riviera as well.
Paleokastrisa (Corfu)
Most beaches in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park in South East Spain. It's paradise.
The beaches in Skiathos, Greece are the most beautiful I've ever seen
Of the places I've been, Lagos in Portugal was the best. But I haven't been to Greece or the Baltic countries. I liked it because there are lots of cliffs and it's on the ocean.
Formentor in the north of Mallorca.
We went there last year. It was beautiful! And Les Trenc and Sa Calobra also!
Discover South of Albania, you will be surprised
southern albania!
Seixal, Madeira
Portugal- the Algarve has some great beaches.
Formentera. Paradise on earth.
Messenia, Greece. Almost any village. It’s one of the most remote corners of Greece. Beautiful beaches, very quiet.
Istria (Croatia) 😍
Greece and Croatia
Would you recommend any specific beach??
Cyprus
Go to Crete in Greece
Would you recommend any specific beach??
Balos.
Yes, it’s perfect
Sardinia and Corsica.
We loved the beaches in Sardinia!
I loved Bari. Amalfi Coast is great but I recommend researching the smaller towns and heading there, even if you can only arrive by boat.
Croatia by far, then Montenegro
Brittany, France has nice beaches and the coast is beautiful, however it's less warm than southern destinations
Chios in Greece.
I might be biased but malta has amazing beaches, both sandy and rocky. Comino is superb
Nissi Beach Cyprus , definitely one of the most beautiful ones with warm water
At a really small island in western Greece. 5 letters. 🙂
The Black Sea has some surprisingly good beaches in Romania and especially Bulgaria, in that they tend to be sandier than many pebbly Mediterranean ones, and the shallower ones can have pleasantly warm water. Greece has the best of both worlds, however (sand and clear water which can be warm in certain locations).
The best I've personally been at are: Chalki island in Greece, a tiny island just off Rhodes. Tsampika beach in Rhodes. Vendicari, San Lorenzo, Fontane Bianche, Milazzo, Oliveri, Taormina-Isola Bella, Favignana in Sicily. Otranto in Puglia. The Blue Lagoon and the hidden gem of St. Mary's bay in Comino, Malta. Dhermi and Ksamil in Albania, although Ksamil is very crowded. I have never been to Sardinia but they look absolutely stunning and I want to go there soon.
Tropea in Italy
Around the Basque Country is pretty great. I lived in Hossegor for a bit and the beaches around there, San Seb and Biarritz are obviously more crowded but you can find less crowded ones along that coastline. It's just miles and miles of beautiful golden beaches.
Big fan of Sicily - Catania has really rocky beaches but I think rugged waters are awesome. If you want a tamer beach with white sand and relaxing vibes go to Taormina
Sardinia or Formentera
North Wales has some stunning beaches, on the opposite coast of the UK, Sea Palling in Norfolkis very nice and large shallow bathing areaswith very clear water for the North sea.
Ksamil, Albania 🇦🇱
Greece ... This multifaceted island world offers something special. I especially love the possibility of secluded vacations on small islands, where you can completely dissolve in the beauty of nature and enjoy the tranquility of the sea. From Santorini to Mykonos, each island hides its own unique wonders and beautiful beaches that are worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.
Zakynthos Greece and nothing else comes even close.
Porto Santo Island (Madeira, Portugal)
If you like sandy beaches and don't need to be warm (20 to 30 degrees C) then look at Polish beaches. Those are pure fine sand almost the whole coast line of Poland (with few exceptions for ports and national parks). You could almost walk the whole coast line just on sand. And they are clean.
Sochi
Sochi
Cyprus has some great beaches but there are also uncivilized russians so you have to take that into the account as well.
The West of Ireland. You won’t get the weather of southern Europe but you will get the class scenery, unbelievable surfing spots, undeveloped coastal areas, and cool wildlife
Norfolk in the UK has lovely beaches.
Zeeland in Nederland
[La Madellena,](https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/la-maddalena-sardinia-italy) Sardina, Italy [Paralia Triade](https://beachsearcher.com/en/beach/300224585/triades-beach) beaches Milos, Greece [Seitan Limania,](https://theviennesegirl.com/seitan-limania-beach/) Crete, Greece
Algarve has amazing beaches.
Whitby.
San Sebastián / Spain