Best Beaches with Sunbeds in Europe

We rank the top 40 of 532 beaches with sunbeds and umbrellas in Europe. Myrtos Beach (Greece) comes first with 4.9 / 5, followed by Cala Macarella, Elafonissi Beach.

The sea reaches about 23 degrees C in season, and most of these beaches are at their best from June to September. 23 of the 40 have easy access, and 15 are hidden gems.

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1Myrtos Beach

Kefalonia, Greece · 4.9 / 5 · Moderate access · about 27 °C

Consistently ranked among Europe's most beautiful beaches — gleaming white pebbles meet the most intense shade of turquoise blue imaginable, framed by towering cliffs.

2Cala Macarella

Ciutadella, Menorca, Spain · 4.8 / 5 · Moderate access · about 23 °C

A pale sand cove with turquoise water, enclosed by pine-covered cliffs on the south coast of Menorca.

3Elafonissi Beach

Crete, Greece · 4.8 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

A rare pink-sand lagoon at the southwestern tip of Crete, where shallow crystal-clear waters meet rose-tinted sands.

4Palombaggia

Corsica, France · 4.8 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

Red granite boulders, parasol pines and soft pale sand — Corsica's most photographed shoreline.

5Plage Notre-Dame

Porquerolles Island, Provence, France · 4.8 / 5 · Moderate access · about 22 °C

A wide, gently shelving sand beach on car-free Porquerolles, with shallow turquoise water backed by pines and a national park setting.

6Ses Illetes

Formentera, Spain · 4.8 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

A long strip of white sand and shallow, almost Caribbean-coloured water on the northern tip of Formentera.

7Zlatni Rat

Brač Island, Croatia · 4.8 / 5 · Easy access · about 26 °C

The famous "Golden Horn" — a distinctive pebble cape that juts into the Adriatic and magically shifts shape with the currents and winds.

8Cala d'Hort

Sant Josep, Ibiza · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A small, beautifully framed cove in south-west Ibiza where the dramatic rock of Es Vedra rises from the sea just offshore.

9Cala Luna

Gulf of Orosei, Sardinia, Italy · 4.7 / 5 · Challenging access · about 22 °C

A crescent of pale pebbles and coarse sand between limestone cliffs, with caves along the back and a freshwater pond behind the beach.

10Falassarna Beach

Chania, Crete, Greece · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A long, wide beach of pale sand and clear shallow water on the far west coast of Crete, known for its sunsets.

11Kolona Beach

Kythnos, Cyclades · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 24 °C

A narrow strip of fine sand joining the main island of Kythnos to the islet of Agios Loukas, with water on both sides.

12La Cinta Beach

San Teodoro, Sardinia · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A long strip of soft white sand and shallow turquoise water just outside San Teodoro, with a lagoon behind it.

13Plage d'Argent

Porquerolles, Var · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 22 °C

A long, silvery-white beach on Porquerolles, the largest of the Iles d’Hyeres, within a national park and without cars.

14Praia da Falésia

Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 21 °C

A long golden beach backed by red and ochre cliffs and pine trees, stretching toward Vilamoura.

15Ramla Bay

Xaghra, Gozo, Malta · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 25 °C

A wide sandy beach on Gozo known for its reddish-orange sand, with Calypso's Cave in the cliffs above.

16Scivu Beach, Sardinia

Scivu, Arbus, Costa Verde · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 24 °C

Scivu is a wild beach on the Costa Verde of south-west Sardinia, with tall golden dunes that reach down to a long sweep of sand.

17Simos Beach

Elafonisos, Peloponnese, Greece · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

Two wide bays of fine pale sand and shallow turquoise water, separated by a strip of dunes on the small island of Elafonisos.

18Spiaggia Grande

Amalfi Coast, Italy · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

Nestled beneath the pastel-coloured cliffside village of Positano — one of the most dramatic and romantic settings in Europe.

19Tuerredda Beach

Teulada, Sardinia, Italy · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A crescent of fine pale sand and shallow turquoise water on the south coast of Sardinia, facing a small island just offshore.

20Vignanotica Beach, Gargano

Vignanotica, Vieste, Puglia · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 25 °C

Vignanotica is a cove of white pebbles at the foot of tall white limestone cliffs on the Gargano coast, south of Vieste.

21Apella Beach

Apella, Karpathos · 4.6 / 5 · Challenging access · about 23 °C

A pretty bay of white pebbles and very clear water on the east coast of Karpathos, set under green hills.

22Cala Galdana

Cala Galdana, Ferreries, Menorca · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A half-crescent cove of white sand and calm, shallow water on the south coast of Menorca, ringed by pine-covered cliffs.

23Cala Santanyi

Santanyi, Mallorca · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A small sandy cove tucked between pine-covered cliffs on the south-east coast of Mallorca, with calm turquoise water.

24Cala Saona

Formentera, Balearic Islands, Spain · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A sheltered sandy cove on the west coast of Formentera with clear shallow water and traditional boat houses on the rocks.

25Damouchari Beach, Pelion

Damouchari, Pelion, Magnesia · 4.6 / 5 · Moderate access · about 25 °C

Damouchari is a small bay on the Pelion peninsula, with a beach of pebbles, a few old stone houses and a tiny harbour.

26Formentor Beach

Pollensa, Mallorca · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A sheltered bay of pale sand and shallow turquoise water at the foot of the Formentor peninsula in northern Mallorca, backed by pine trees.

27Gjipe

Himara, Albania · 4.6 / 5 · Challenging access · about 25 °C

A pebble beach at the mouth of a canyon on the Albanian Riviera, with sea caves and clear Ionian water.

28Jale

Albanian Riviera, Albania · 4.6 / 5 · Moderate access · about 25 °C

A bay of clear turquoise water that has grown from a hidden cove into a lively summer beach, with a headland at its end.

29Kavourotrypes Beach

Sithonia, Halkidiki · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A string of small coves on the east coast of Sithonia, also known as Orange Beach.

30Koukounaries Beach

Skiathos, Greece · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A wide sandy bay fringed by pine trees on the south-west coast of Skiathos, with a small lagoon behind the beach.

31Mylos Beach

Agios Nikitas, Lefkada · 4.6 / 5 · Moderate access · about 24 °C

A wild, mostly pebbly beach south of Agios Nikitas, framed by steep green hills and bright blue water.

32Myrtiotissa Beach, Corfu

Myrtiotissa, Corfu, Ionian Islands · 4.6 / 5 · Challenging access · about 24 °C

Myrtiotissa is a long golden beach on the west coast of Corfu, backed by steep green cliffs and a small monastery above.

33Palasa Beach, Albanian Riviera

Palase, Himare, Vlore, Albania · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

Palasa is a long beach of white pebbles at the foot of the Llogara mountains on the Albanian Riviera, facing the Ionian Sea.

34Playa de la Concha

San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 20 °C

A sheltered, shell-shaped city beach with fine golden sand, a long promenade and a small island in the bay, a short walk from the old town of San Sebastian.

35Porto Santo Beach

Porto Santo, Madeira · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 22 °C

A nine-kilometre golden beach on the island of Porto Santo, with calm, shallow, clear water.

36Praia da Comporta

Alentejo coast, Portugal · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 20 °C

A long, quiet stretch of pale sand backed by dunes and pine woods on the Alentejo coast.

37Praia da Figueirinha, Setubal

Arrabida, Setubal · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 22 °C

Praia da Figueirinha is a calm sand beach in the Arrabida natural park, with turquoise water and green hills behind.

38Praia de Galapos, Arrabida

Galapos, Setubal, Arrabida · 4.6 / 5 · Moderate access · about 22 °C

Praia de Galapos is a sheltered bay of pale sand and fine pebbles below the green Arrabida mountains south of Lisbon.

39Praia de Odeceixe

Odeceixe, Algarve, Portugal · 4.6 / 5 · Easy access · about 18 °C

A horseshoe shaped beach on the west coast of the Algarve where the Ribeira de Seixe river curls behind the sand to meet the Atlantic, with calm river pools on one side and surf on the other.

40Praia de Sao Rafael

Albufeira, Algarve · 4.6 / 5 · Moderate access · about 22 °C

A golden cove with striking rock stacks and cliffs on the Albufeira coast, with clear water and a calm feel compared to the town beaches.

Quick comparison

How we picked these beaches

Included when our practical info says sunbeds or umbrellas can be rented on or next to the beach, then ranked by editorial score. Prices change each season, so confirm locally. See how we rate beaches for the full method.

Frequently asked questions

More lists

• Best Beaches with Sunbeds in Spain
• Best Beaches with Sunbeds in Greece
• Best Beaches with Sunbeds in Italy
• Best Beaches with Sunbeds in France
• Best Beaches with Sunbeds in Portugal
• Best Beaches with Sunbeds in Croatia
• Best Beaches with Sunbeds in Malta
• Best Beaches with Sunbeds in Albania

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