EUROPEAN BEACH GUIDES, UPDATED FOR 2026
Pick the beach.
Know how to get there.
Swim at the right time.
Beach guides for European towns and islands: sandy or pebble, sheltered or windy, family-friendly or quiet, with sources you can check.
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Spain · Menorca
Menorca Beaches: Where to Swim on the North and South Coasts
Menorca packs white-sand calas, red-rock northern bays and long family beaches into 216 km of coastline. This guide splits the island by coast, explains how each beach is reached and matches the sand to toddlers, swimmers, snorkellers and walkers.
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Spain · Málaga
Málaga Beaches: City Sands, Coves and Where to Swim
Málaga puts dark-sand city beaches within a short walk of the old town, with fishing-district coves to the east, a long surfing beach to the west and cliff-backed Maro beyond Nerja. This guide covers each stretch, who it suits and how to reach it.
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Greece · Rhodes
Rhodes Beaches: Where to Swim, Coast by Coast
Rhodes rewards swimmers who read the coast rather than chase a top ten: pebbly town beaches steps from the old town walls, long sandy strands down the east side, a sheltered bay under Lindos and a windier west shore. Here is how to choose a beach for the day's weather, who it suits and what to bring.
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Greece · Chania
Chania Beaches: Where to Swim, From Town Coves to Elafonisi
Chania's coast runs from long organised sand at Stalos to a rock-walled cove at Seitan Limania and the pink-tinged shallows at Elafonisi. This guide sorts the beaches by how you reach them, what the sand and water are like, and which ones suit small children, snorkellers or a full day behind the wheel.
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Greece · Kefalonia
Kefalonia Beaches: A Coast-by-Coast Guide for Beach Days
Kefalonia splits neatly into contrasting shores: white pebble coves beneath huge cliffs in the north and west, boat-only beaches along the northern coast, shallow family bays near Argostoli and the red clay sand of Xi in the south. Pick your coast first, then plan the drive, the boat or the bus around it.
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Italy · Sorrento
Sorrento Beaches: Platform Bathing Clubs Below the Cliffs
Sorrento's shoreline is a wall of tufa cliff with wooden bathing platforms built out over the water at Marina Piccola. This guide explains how the clubs work, which one to pick for children or for open-water swimming, how to handle the climb, and where to head for a sand-and-shingle day.
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Greece5 guides
Italy13 guides
- Alghero Beaches: Which Sands and Coves to Choose
- Ancona Beaches: Mezzavalle, Portonovo and the Conero Riviera
- Bari Beaches: Sand, Coves and Rocky Spots Near the City
- Cefalù Beaches: Town Sand vs Hidden Coves and Alternatives
- Lecce Beaches: Adriatic Coves and Ionian Sands Within Reach
- Livorno Beaches: Which Coastal Spot to Choose
- Noto Beaches, Sicily: Calamosche, San Lorenzo Guide
- Olbia Beaches: Coves and Bays on Sardinia's North-East Coast
- Ragusa Beaches: Which Sicilian South-East Coast to Choose
- Ravenna Beaches: A Guide to the Nine Lidi on the Adriatic
- Sorrento Beaches: Platform Bathing Clubs Below the Cliffs
- Trapani Beaches: Which Sands and Coves to Choose
- Trieste Beaches Guide: Barcola, Sistiana and Duino
Spain17 guides
- Alcudia Beaches Guide: Which Alcúdia Beach to Choose
- Alicante Beaches: Where to Swim, From Postiguet to San Juan
- Almería Beaches: The Best Sands in Cabo de Gata and Beyond
- Corralejo Beaches: Grandes Playas, Dunes and Town Coast
- Denia Beaches: The Best Sands and Coves on the Costa Blanca
- Girona Beaches: The Best Costa Brava Sands and Coves
- Gran Canaria Beaches: A Practical Guide to Where to Swim
- La Palma Beaches: Black-Sand Guide to the Best Bays
- Málaga Beaches: City Sands, Coves and Where to Swim
- Menorca Beaches: Where to Swim on the North and South Coasts
- Murcia Beaches: Costa Cálida and Mar Menor Beach Day Picks
- Nerja Beaches: Which Beach Guide for Your Trip to Nerja
- Santander Beaches: Which Sands and Coves to Choose
- Sitges Beaches Guide: Where to Swim and Escape Crowds
- Sóller Beaches: Port de Sóller, Platja des Través and the North Coast
- Tarifa Beaches: Where to Swim, Kite and Escape the Wind
- Tarragona Beaches Guide: Where to Swim and Choose Your Spot
NOTES FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE
Fresh from the journal.
A little inspiration. Plenty of practical advice.
GUIDE / Oct 19, 2026
Bagno Ausonia Trieste: Beach Day Guide for Swimmers
Bagno Ausonia is Trieste's city-centre lido: a 1930s rationalist bathing establishment behind the central station, where concrete sun decks, sea ladders and a bar replace the usual sand-and-parasol beach. It suits swimmers who want a quick dip before a train and sunbathers who prefer a reserved lounger to a towel on the stones.
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GUIDE / Oct 19, 2026
Cala Azzurra, Favignana: Beach Guide, Access and Nearby Coves
Cala Azzurra is Favignana's easiest swim: a small white-sand cove with clear, shallow water and sunbeds within reach. Here is how to reach it from the Trapani ferry, when to arrive before the day-trippers, and which wilder coves to pair with it.
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GUIDE / Oct 19, 2026
Platja del Miracle, Tarragona: City Beach Guide
Tarragona's closest beach to the old town is a 500-metre sweep of golden sand with beach bars, showers, assisted bathing and a promenade walk to Arrabassada. Here is how to plan a day on Platja del Miracle, from the walk down from the centre to the dog-friendly stretch at the far end.
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