10 of the Most Beautiful and Best Beaches in Europe

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Europe is home to some stunning coastlines. The waters are breathtaking, the sands are soothing, and the skies are gorgeous, all of which constitute a perfect beach trip. And although each beach has something unique to offer, some European beaches triumph over others in terms of landscape and experience. If you are wondering which those beaches are, find the list of the ten best beaches in Europe below.

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1. Our Lady Beach, France

Photo credit: Summer 2021

We start our list with one of the most stunning beaches on the entire continent. Our Lady Beach (also known as beach Notre Dame) is a long stretch of sand that provides you with whatever you seek, from shade to family-friendly spots to privacy to swimming areas to nap points. You name it, and Our Lady beach has it!

The beach is one of the quieter ones, so you can easily find an area to lay back, listen to the calming sounds of the ocean, and relax. Now, that’s an exciting prospect!

Where to Stay:

2. Cala Goloritze, Italy

Photo credit: lloorenzo

Some fifty-five years ago, Sardinia suffered from land sliding, a beautiful outcome of which was the beach, Cala Goloritze.  Since then, it has been acclaimed as a UNESCO honored site, which perfectly understandable if one considers how spectacularly beautiful the site is. This beach is a gem that demands some effort to reap its benefits.

Being inaccessible via car, you would have to get a boat or embark on a coastal hike to get to the destination. But the reward is worth it! You get to spend time in a stunning location backed by rocky hills, with fine white sand under your feet and gorgeous blue waters in front. You can choose to relax, snorkel, hike, or bird-watch while you are here.

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3. Zlatni Rat Beach, Croatia

Photo credit: Croatia Trip

Zlatni Rat takes a spot on our list of beach beaches in Europe for a good reason. Firstly, the beach has a unique tongue-like shape that protrudes into the bright blue Adriatic sea, meaning that its coastline is very long. Secondly, instead of sand, fine white pebbles make up the beach’s surface and strongly reflect the bright sunlight, giving a glorious view. Thirdly, the beach is backed by stunning pine-tree forestry, which provides the much-needed cool shade during the summer months.

Additionally, there are a lot of water and beach sports you can participate in while you are here, like windsurfing, jet skiing, and swimming.

Where to Stay:

You can find more hotel options in the Zlatni Rat area here.

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4. Porto Limnionas Beach, Greece

Photo credit: Beautiful Greece

The idea of exploring well-kept secrets while on the pursuit of finding Europe’s best beaches is always attractive. Therefore, you must consider visiting the Porto Limnionas beach in Greece. This beach is the perfect site if you are looking to escape the party people who take up most of the space in other Greek cities.

Since the beach is accessible via a hike down a rough track, you can rest assured that you will find only a few dedicated people down there. And while you are here, do not forget to snorkel in the beach’s clear waters and explore its exquisite underwater cave systems.

Where to Stay:

5. Cala Macarella, Spain

Photo credit: Places & People

Cala Macarella is not only one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, but it also one of the unique ones. Although the beach is tucked away from sight between two dramatic cliffs, it is still a prime spot for visitors, owing to its aesthetics and vibe. The beach features stunning white sand and bright translucent waters that let you see the sea’s hidden treasures.

It is also an iconic snorkeling destination in Spain, for the clarity of water and incredible underground cave systems add to the experience. Plus, you can also find a highly popular beach bar on the site, which serves excellent beers and fresh seafood.

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6. Praia Marinha Beach, Portugal

Photo credit: VroomBrands

Portugal is home to some of the best beaches in Europe. And although each beach has something spectacular under its belt, the prize of being the most stunning beach goes to Praia Marinha. Close your eyes, and imagine a wide stretch of fine golden sand, surrounded by dramatic rugged cliffs, and bring turquoise waters. Such is the view of the Praia Marinha Beach.

In fact, it is so celebrated by the locals that it is the poster beach in all of the country’s brochures for international visitors. The beach has remarkable marine life too, which is easily observable due to its waters’ clarity. Therefore, do not forget to go snorkeling here!

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7. Ölüdeniz Beach, Turkey

Photo credit: Oludeniz Beach

This Turkish beach is a breathtakingly gorgeous destination and easily one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. We are talking about a wide and long golden beach stretch, green hills, clear waters, and no signs of over-development – such are the site’s aesthetics. The site is so picturesque that you will not want to go back!

Ölüdeniz Beach is also very famous for its remarkable scuba diving, snorkeling, and paragliding opportunities, which you must avail to enhance your experience.

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8. Palasa Beach, Albania

Photo credit: Untravelled Paths Ltd

Palasa is regarded as an ideal getaway for honeymooners in any age bracket. One of Europe’s best beaches, the Palasa beach is where you forget about your everyday life’s monotony and indulge in pure leisure.

For most visitors, the highlight of their trip to the beach is lying on the white stretch of sand and soaking up the sun while sipping on refreshing drinks. However, others would contend that the beach’s exciting sports opportunities, like scuba boating, paragliding, and snorkeling, make it so special. Well, to each their own!

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9. Playa Sa Caleta, Spain

Photo credit: Adrian Aftin

When you are tired of partying in Ibiza and are looking to recharge your batteries, Playa Sa Caleta is where you should be headed towards. Although you won’t find long stretches of sand here, you will find comfortable flat spots on the cliffs to lounge on.

This not only gets you a somewhat private terrain but also lets you enjoy panoramic views of the spectacular waters ahead. Also, the Phoenician ruins are close to the beach and are waiting to be explored by you!

Where to Stay:

Find the best hotels to stay in on Agoda.com

10. Sarakiniko Beach, Milos

Photo credit: Travel 2 Greece

The Sarakiniko beach makes it to Europe’s best beaches for the other-worldly experience it provides to its visitors. It is nothing like the other beaches you have been to or imagined. The cliffs that surround the sea are grey-ish and eaten away by the waters in such a manner that it appears that you are on another planet.

The waters of this beach are so bright blue that you will not believe your eyes. It is easily one of the most photographed beaches in Europe, and now we all know why.

Where to Stay:

Find the best hotels to stay in on Agoda.com

Video Guide: 10 Most Beautiful Beaches in Europe

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links, MultiCityTrips may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

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Need help planning a beach vacation in Europe?

Want to experience the best and see the most beautiful beaches in Europe but don’t know where to begin? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-destination travel and complicated itineraries are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize your multi-city vacations (to the most amazing beaches in Europe of course!) at the best price.

Don’t want to start from scratch and need some trip inspiration? Check out our marketplace for customizable pre-designed packages available right now for many amazing destinations.

To learn more about how our process of trip planning works in detail, please see our “How It Works” page or check out our video on “How to Plan a Multi-City Trip to Europe in  5 Easy Steps”  here.

Have questions for us? Schedule a FREE Call with us here or contact one of the travel experts/destination specialists at [email protected], call/text us at (888)223-2316 today.

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Travel Resources for Planning Your Own Trip

To make planning your European trip on your own easier, in addition to what already mentioned in our travel guide, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in any destination using these travel resources:

European River Cruises:

Uniworld River Cruises: The world’s best and most awarded luxury river cruise line—offers itineraries in spectacular destinations throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, Asia, and Peru. The company’s European fleet features luxurious ships with an average capacity of 120 guests, the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry, enticing shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, impeccable hospitality, and numerous other all-inclusive benefits.

Pre- and Post-cruise/Tour Extensions: Uniworld curated pre-and post-cruise/tour extensions make it easy to add a few days to the front or back end of your trip while leaving the planning to them

The packages include a variety of hotel options, transfers, and a dedicated destination expert to escort you along the way.

Flights: 

Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.

CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!

Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.

JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.

Hotels

Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.

Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.

Airport Transfers & Transportations: 

Airport Transfers: GetTransfer offers both airport transfers & car rentals with a personal driver. Other airport transfer options are KiwiTaxi and Viator.

TrainEuroRailTrainline, or RailEurope are all great sites for train tickets as well as Rail Passes if you would like to add more flexibility to your trip. They are good for most trains throughout Europe. For trains in Italy, we like and recommend ItaliaRail. As for Portugal, you will need to go to the official website for Comboios de Portugal (the Portuguese train company) to book your train tickets when traveling in Portugal.

BusFlixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.

CarRentalsAutoEuropeEconomyBookings, or  GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)

Bike RentalBikesBooking is a great site for bikes & scooter rentals

Transportation ComparisonOmio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)

Tours & Activities:

TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.

Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.

Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.

GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities

Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.

Travel Insurance:

Travel Guard:  Their comprehensive travel insurance programs, starting at $30, include per-trip & annual plans, coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, medical expenses, baggage loss & more! Travel Guard provides 24/7-customer service with a personal touch through its World Service Center.

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links, MultiCityTrips may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Trip by Travel Experts

Need help planning a trip and find the best vacation package for your multi-city trip to Europe? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-city, multi-country European vacations, and complicated itineraries are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize an amazing multi-city trip to your dream destinations in Europe.

Ready for a trip? Check out our planning options and get in touch with us today!

Featured Pre-Designed Packages

These air-inclusive, pre-designed multi-city European vacation packages can be personalized to suit your needs!

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Schedule a FREE Consultation

Not sure or can’t decide which planning option is right for you? Schedule a free 30-minute call with one of our travel experts to discuss your travel needs today!