When you look up ‘the best beaches in the world’, many are from Europe. Whilst we are lucky to live in a country, Australia, boasting incredible coastlines, Europe beaches are still incredible! The beaches in the continent vary widely, with some sandy, some covered in rocks, and some small pebbles. We also found some of our favourite spots to swim in Europe was jumping in ‘off the rocks’. We often enjoyed some of the ‘smaller beaches’, and the ‘best in Europe’ beaches were often very crowded and not as good as some may. This list below is just our favourites in no particular order, but are definitely some good beaches to add to your summer bucket list. Let us know your favourites in the comments below!
Our favourite beaches in Europe:
Vis Island – Croatia:
The Croatian beaches are some of the best in the world. Many will have seen photos of the iconic Zlatni Rat on Bol, and whilst this was impressive, it get very, very, very busy with tourists and boat tours (get there before 10am). We preferred the calmer beaches on the Island of Vis. Our favourite was swimming off the rocks in Rukavac. We also loved Stinivia Beach and swimming in the Vis Old Town. See our Vis Island drone highlights here.
Incebogaz Cinar Beach – Kas:
The Turkish Riviera has stunning beaches. The water was clear and very warm. We visited the seaside town of Kas and spent a delightful week there. Despite seeing many different beaches along the coast and in Kas, our favourite was a little cove around 1km walk from the town. Incebogaz Cinar Beach had wonderfully clear waters, and we visited multiple times. Despite being a little ‘off the radar’, get there early to secure a spot on the sand as the locals love it. See our Kas highlights and recommendations here.
Porto palermo – Albanian riviera:
Porto Palermo is a tiny strip of sand located just off the side of the road. Despite not having as much ‘tourist appeal’ as Albanian’s ‘sexier’ beaches like Gjipe, Jala and Borsch, we loved it much more. Why? Porto Palermo boasted incredibly clear, warm waters. It was also calmer than the ‘popular’ beaches, and was mostly locals. There was also a cute little bar/restaurant adjacent to the beach. Our morning spent here was one of our favourites in Albania. See our Porto Palermo highlights and recommendations here.
Polignano a Mare – Puglia:
This stony beach was one of our favourites due to the impressive setting you find yourself in. The small beach is located directly adjacent to the picturesque white houses of the town, and the water is clear and warm. However, this isn’t the best beach to sunbake for hours, as the stones are large and uncomfortable. The beach can also get busy. However, it remains one of our favourites due to the postcard views you will have as you swim. See our Polignano a Mare highlights and recommendations here.
Hornbaek Strand – Denmark:
The tiny seaside town of Hornbaek is where the Danish spend their summer. The fishing town has a beautiful strip of white sand which runs for over 1km. Whilst temperatures in summer aren’t as warm as southern Europe, we still enjoyed a swim. This beach was calm and filled with Danish locals. Our swim here was one of our favourites of our travels so far. See our Hornbaek highlights and recommendations here.
Burgau – Algarve:
Burgau is a hidden gem on the Algarve located a short drive away from Lagos. We visited for a day trip and loved the stunning beach and picturesque town. Like all of the Algarve beaches, the water is cool, but it was still a great stop! See our Algarve Adventures here!
Some of our other favourites:
- Praia da Marinha – Algarve [Portugal]
- Zlatni Rat – Brac [Croatia]
- Gallipoli Main Beach – Puglia [Italy]
- Himare – Albanian Riviera [Albania]
- Monterosso al Mare – Cinque Terre [Italy]
- Off the rocks in Corniglia & Riomaggiore – Cinque Terre [Italy]
- Bay of Kotor – Kotor [Montenegro]
- Makarska Riviera – Makarska [Croatia]
- Sumartin – Brac [Croatia]
- Praia De Dona Ana – Lagos [Portugal]
- Sakarun Beach – Dugi Otok [Croatia]
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