Europe's 52 best secret beaches
The beach is the key to many a great holiday – from first childhood steps across the sand to teenage posturing and strolls en famille. But the perfect beach is rarely found by chance.
The coasts of the Mediterranean and the AtlanticJav Tube are fringed with an overwhelming array of beaches - many of which have been spoilt by concrete tower blocks and flocks of tourists. Head, instead, to one of these secret beaches - 52, one for every week of the year - chosen by our European experts in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Greece and Turkey.
How an English vicar invented the beach holiday
Europe's best hidden beaches - in pictures
While some offer splendid isolation, others provide an encounter with a sleepy village that hasn’t changed in decades. Beloved by locals, these sandy stretches are off the tourist track, and brimming with character. Whether you’re a family in search of an old-fashioned seaside break, or a couple seeking activity with a touch of nightlife, our experts offer the inside scoop on Europe’s best beaches – from Kefalonia to Calabria – where the rhythm of your days will be set by the gentle lapping of the sea.
Spain
1. Cíes Islands, Galicia
Known to locals as the “Galician Caribbean”, thanks to its sparkling white-sand beaches, Cíes is an archipelago of three islands in north-west Spain. Rodas is the longest beach on the archipelago and the nicest. Part of the Galician Atlantic Islands National Park, the land and the surrounding sea are protected. Visitors are limited to 2,200 a day; there are no hotels – only a campsite – and just a couple of basic restaurants. There are no bikes, let alone cars.
Cíes is an archipelago of three islands in north-west Spain
Cíes is an archipelago of three islands in north-west Spain CREDIT: AP
Read our full expert guide to the Cíes Islands
Who goes? Families and couples.
Stay: For a treat, check into the 16th-century Parador de DVD Censored Santiago, an hour’s drive away. Read the full review of Parador de Santiago de Compostela.
2. Viveiro, Galicia
The old town of Viviero is the ideal spot from which to access most of the best beaches along Spain’s northern coast – you could visit a different one on each day of your holiday, driving for less than an hour. Or you could stick to the beaches around Viveiro Bay, a teardrop-shaped inlet framed by hills. If you don’t like crowds, go in July or September, rather than August.
If you don’t like crowds, go to Viveiro in July or September, rather than August
If you don’t like crowds, go to Viveiro in July or September, rather than August
Read our full expert guide to Viveiro
Who goes? Groups of friends and families.
Stay: The stylish Ego hotel, which has sea views. The hotel’s restaurant, Nito, is one of the best in the region.
hotelego.es.
3. Llafranc, Costa Brava
The word “Costa” can conjure up images of apartment blocks and cheap lager, but the Costa Brava should not be confused with these horrors. Thanks to its geography – little coves chipped out of a rugged, hilly coastline – and its popularity with film stars and artists (including Salvador Dalí) throughout the 20th century, this is a classier sort of place. At its centre is the fishing village of Llafranc, large enough to keep a family entertained on a week’s holiday, small enough to catch some peace and quiet.
Llafranc on the Costa Brava
Llafranc on the Costa Brava CREDIT: ALEXKAZACHOK 89219313373/ALEXKAZACHOK
Read our full expert guide to Llafranc
Who goes? Anyone seeking an unrowdy beach scene.
Stay: The Mas de Torrent, a luxurious country house hotel and spa, just a 15-minute drive from Llafranc. Read the full review of Mas de Torrent.
Mónsul is one of a string of unspoilt beaches in the Cabo de Gata natural park on the southern tip of Spain. The colourful cliffs – rust, mustard, mauve, black, grey, white – that line the coast are dotted with watchtowers built over the past thousand years to fend off pirates and other invaders. Behind the beach is a landscape of prickly pear cacti and dwarf fan palms, with only the odd farm visible – you could be in Mexico.
The coasts of the Mediterranean and the AtlanticJav Tube are fringed with an overwhelming array of beaches - many of which have been spoilt by concrete tower blocks and flocks of tourists. Head, instead, to one of these secret beaches - 52, one for every week of the year - chosen by our European experts in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Greece and Turkey.
How an English vicar invented the beach holiday
Europe's best hidden beaches - in pictures
While some offer splendid isolation, others provide an encounter with a sleepy village that hasn’t changed in decades. Beloved by locals, these sandy stretches are off the tourist track, and brimming with character. Whether you’re a family in search of an old-fashioned seaside break, or a couple seeking activity with a touch of nightlife, our experts offer the inside scoop on Europe’s best beaches – from Kefalonia to Calabria – where the rhythm of your days will be set by the gentle lapping of the sea.
Spain
1. Cíes Islands, Galicia
Known to locals as the “Galician Caribbean”, thanks to its sparkling white-sand beaches, Cíes is an archipelago of three islands in north-west Spain. Rodas is the longest beach on the archipelago and the nicest. Part of the Galician Atlantic Islands National Park, the land and the surrounding sea are protected. Visitors are limited to 2,200 a day; there are no hotels – only a campsite – and just a couple of basic restaurants. There are no bikes, let alone cars.
Cíes is an archipelago of three islands in north-west Spain
Cíes is an archipelago of three islands in north-west Spain CREDIT: AP
Read our full expert guide to the Cíes Islands
Who goes? Families and couples.
Stay: For a treat, check into the 16th-century Parador de DVD Censored Santiago, an hour’s drive away. Read the full review of Parador de Santiago de Compostela.
2. Viveiro, Galicia
The old town of Viviero is the ideal spot from which to access most of the best beaches along Spain’s northern coast – you could visit a different one on each day of your holiday, driving for less than an hour. Or you could stick to the beaches around Viveiro Bay, a teardrop-shaped inlet framed by hills. If you don’t like crowds, go in July or September, rather than August.
If you don’t like crowds, go to Viveiro in July or September, rather than August
If you don’t like crowds, go to Viveiro in July or September, rather than August
Read our full expert guide to Viveiro
Who goes? Groups of friends and families.
Stay: The stylish Ego hotel, which has sea views. The hotel’s restaurant, Nito, is one of the best in the region.
hotelego.es.
3. Llafranc, Costa Brava
The word “Costa” can conjure up images of apartment blocks and cheap lager, but the Costa Brava should not be confused with these horrors. Thanks to its geography – little coves chipped out of a rugged, hilly coastline – and its popularity with film stars and artists (including Salvador Dalí) throughout the 20th century, this is a classier sort of place. At its centre is the fishing village of Llafranc, large enough to keep a family entertained on a week’s holiday, small enough to catch some peace and quiet.
Llafranc on the Costa Brava
Llafranc on the Costa Brava CREDIT: ALEXKAZACHOK 89219313373/ALEXKAZACHOK
Read our full expert guide to Llafranc
Who goes? Anyone seeking an unrowdy beach scene.
Stay: The Mas de Torrent, a luxurious country house hotel and spa, just a 15-minute drive from Llafranc. Read the full review of Mas de Torrent.
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4. Mónsul, AndalusiaMónsul is one of a string of unspoilt beaches in the Cabo de Gata natural park on the southern tip of Spain. The colourful cliffs – rust, mustard, mauve, black, grey, white – that line the coast are dotted with watchtowers built over the past thousand years to fend off pirates and other invaders. Behind the beach is a landscape of prickly pear cacti and dwarf fan palms, with only the odd farm visible – you could be in Mexico.
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