Best Sandy Beaches in Europe

We rank the top 40 of 278 sandy beaches in Europe. Navagio Beach (Greece) comes first with 4.9 / 5, followed by Cala Brandinchi, Cala Macarella.

The sea reaches about 22 degrees C in season, and most of these beaches are at their best from June to September. 14 of the 40 have easy access, and 16 are hidden gems.

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1Navagio Beach

Zakynthos, Greece · 4.9 / 5 · Moderate access · about 26 °C

The iconic Shipwreck Beach, enclosed by soaring white limestone cliffs — arguably the most photographed beach in the world.

2Cala Brandinchi

San Teodoro, Sardinia, Italy · 4.8 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A long bay of fine pale sand and very shallow, clear water backed by stone pines, with Tavolara island rising on the horizon.

3Cala 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.

4Cala Macarelleta

Menorca, Spain · 4.8 / 5 · Moderate access · about 24 °C

A tiny turquoise cove tucked below pine-covered cliffs, a short coastal walk from its bigger neighbour.

5Cala Pregonda

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

A wild north-coast cove of reddish-gold sand framed by rust-coloured rocks and clear green-blue water, with no buildings behind it.

6Egremni Beach

Lefkada, Ionian Islands, Greece · 4.8 / 5 · Challenging access · about 23 °C

A long sweep of pale sand and vivid turquoise water below white limestone cliffs on the west coast of Lefkada.

7Palombaggia

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

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

8Plage 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.

9Praia de Rodas

Cíes Islands, Galicia, Spain · 4.8 / 5 · Moderate access · about 17 °C

A pale sand crescent between two islands in the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park, with cold, very clear water.

10Saleccia

Agriates, Corsica, France · 4.8 / 5 · Moderate access · about 23 °C

A long white-sand beach with shallow turquoise water on the wild Agriates coast of Corsica, far from the nearest road.

11Ses 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.

12Spiaggia dei Conigli

Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy · 4.8 / 5 · Moderate access · about 25 °C

A sweep of pale sand and shallow turquoise water on Lampedusa, set inside a nature reserve and often counted among the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean.

13Voidokilia Beach

Pylos, Messinia, Greece · 4.8 / 5 · Easy access · about 23 °C

A near perfect omega shaped bay of fine sand on the Messinian coast, with calm shallow water and the Gialova lagoon wildlife area just behind it.

14As Catedrais

Ribadeo, Galicia, Spain · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 18 °C

Towering sea arches and caves carved by the Atlantic along the coast of Galicia, walkable only at low tide.

15Cala en Turqueta

Ciutadella, Menorca, Spain · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 23 °C

A small sandy cove with clear green-blue water and pine trees reaching down to the shore on the south-west coast of Menorca.

16Cala Varques

Manacor, Mallorca, Spain · 4.7 / 5 · Challenging access · about 24 °C

A small sandy cove with clear turquoise water in a pine lined inlet on the east coast of Mallorca, with no bars or other services.

17Cala Violina

Scarlino, Tuscany, Italy · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 23 °C

A crescent of fine pale sand inside the Bandite di Scarlino nature reserve on the Tuscan coast, said to squeak underfoot, which is how it got its name.

18Dune du Pilat

Arcachon Bay, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 19 °C

A huge sand dune beside the Atlantic at the mouth of Arcachon Bay, with wide beaches and views across the water.

19Es Trenc

Mallorca, Spain · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

Mallorca's finest untouched beach — miles of pristine white sand, turquoise shallow water, and no high-rise hotels in sight.

20Falasarna Beach

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

A broad golden beach on the far west coast of Crete, with clear turquoise water and views toward the Gramvousa peninsula.

21Falassarna 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.

22Ghajn Tuffieha Bay

Mgarr, Malta · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 25 °C

A sandy bay on the northwest coast of Malta below a steep headland, reached by a long flight of steps.

23Kolona 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.

24La 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.

25La Courtade Beach

Porquerolles Island · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 21 °C

A long sandy bay on the car-free island of Porquerolles, with very clear turquoise water and woodland behind the beach.

26La Pelosa

Stintino, Sardinia, Italy · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A shallow white-sand lagoon facing the Torre della Pelosa at the northwest tip of Sardinia.

27Maspalomas Dunes

Maspalomas, Gran Canaria · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 22 °C

A protected field of golden dunes at the southern tip of Gran Canaria, running down to a wide Atlantic beach.

28Plage 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.

29Plage de Roccapina

Sartene, Corsica · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 23 °C

A wide sandy bay in south-west Corsica, watched over by the Genoese tower and the granite Lion of Roccapina.

30Playa de Bolonia

Tarifa, Andalusia, Spain · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 20 °C

A wide, wind-swept Atlantic bay on the Costa de la Luz with a huge sand dune at one end and the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia just behind the beach.

31Playa de Sotavento

Jandia, Fuerteventura · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 22 °C

A very long beach of pale sand on the south of Fuerteventura, with a shallow turquoise lagoon and a sandbar that changes with the tides.

32Playa de Torimbia

Llanes, Asturias · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 19 °C

A beautiful, unspoilt cove of golden sand backed by green meadows and cliffs on the Asturian coast.

33Porto Giunco

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

A wide sandy beach in the south-east of Sardinia, with an old watchtower on the headland and a lagoon behind.

34Praia da Bordeira

Carrapateira, Algarve · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 21 °C

A wide, wild Atlantic beach on the west Algarve coast with dunes, cliffs and a shallow lagoon that forms behind the sand.

35Praia 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.

36Praia da Ursa

Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, Portugal · 4.7 / 5 · Challenging access · about 17 °C

A small, wild sand cove below steep cliffs near Cabo da Roca, known for its tall rock stacks and rough Atlantic surf.

37Praia do Camilo

Lagos, Algarve, Portugal · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 20 °C

A small golden cove framed by honey coloured cliffs and rock stacks near Lagos, reached by a long wooden staircase of around 200 steps.

38Praia do Carvalho

Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal · 4.7 / 5 · Moderate access · about 19 °C

A small golden cove enclosed by tall Algarve cliffs, reached through a short tunnel cut into the rock and down a flight of steps.

39Ramla 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.

40Rondinara Beach

Bonifacio, Corsica, France · 4.7 / 5 · Easy access · about 24 °C

A horseshoe-shaped bay of pale sand and shallow, turquoise water on the south-east coast of Corsica, backed by low scrub and quiet hills.

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How we picked these beaches

Included when the shoreline is mostly of this type, then ranked by our editorial score. See how we rate beaches for the full method.

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