Italy
Cala Goloritzé
3.4 / 5
A dramatic limestone cove on Sardinia's Gulf of Orosei, Cala Goloritzé is famous for its towering rock pinnacle and some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean.
Beaches for
The best beaches for coastal hiking
Trails that reward you with stunning beaches and jaw-dropping views.
About coastal hiking
Trails that reward you with stunning beaches and jaw-dropping views.
19 beaches found
Greece
Elafonissi Beach
4.0 / 5
A rare pink-sand lagoon at the southwest tip of Crete, where shallow turquoise waters and crushed-shell shores create one of the Mediterranean's most unforgettable beaches.
Greece
Fteri Beach
3.0 / 5
Fteri Beach on Kefalonia's northwest coast was named the world's second-best beach for 2026: a white-pebble cove under dramatic cliffs with crystal-clear water, reached only by water taxi from Zola or a steep hour-long hike, and with no facilities at all.
Spain
Playa de Guayedra
3.0 / 5
Playa de Guayedra is a wild black-sand and boulder beach below the Tamadaba cliffs on Gran Canaria's northwest coast, in the valley a native king chose for his exile in 1481. Reached by a dirt track with four parking spaces or on foot from Agaete, with no facilities and serious Atlantic surf.
Hawaii·United States
Honokohau Beach
3.8 / 5
The Kona coast beach inside Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, with a sea turtle haul-out zone, two ancient Hawaiian fishponds engineered 600 years ago, petroglyphs, and a short walk from the harbor that filters out the rental-car convoy.
Greece
Karoumes Beach
3.4 / 5
The remote east-Crete pebble beach reachable only by a 3.5-kilometre hike through Chochlakies Gorge or by private boat. Calm east-facing water, shade from sparse trees, no facilities, no road, and the kind of total isolation that hardly any beach on Crete still delivers.
Hawaii·United States
Ke'e Beach
3.6 / 5
The Kauai beach where Highway 56 runs out, the Na Pali coast begins, and the reef-protected lagoon turns into a swimming pool in summer. The reservation is real, the construction in 2026 is bigger than most guides admit, and the snorkeling window is narrower than it looks.
Bali·Indonesia
Kelingking Beach
3.2 / 5
Home to Bali's most iconic cliff formation, the T-Rex of Nusa Penida, Kelingking Beach rewards those brave enough to descend with pristine white sand and turquoise water far below the crowds.
British Columbia·Canada
Mystic Beach
3.0 / 5
The Vancouver Island hike-in beach 2 kilometres down the Juan de Fuca Trail from China Beach, with a waterfall that drops directly onto the sand, a sea cave accessible at low tide, a rope swing, and the most photographed pocket-cove on the Pacific west coast of Canada.
Croatia
Nugal Beach: The Hidden Cove You Walk to from Makarska
3.4 / 5
Nugal beach is the hidden pebble cove you reach on foot from Makarska, a half-hour coastal forest walk to clear water, cliffs, and the riviera's best-known naturist beach.
Spain
Playa de Cofete
3.0 / 5
A wild, windswept 12-kilometer stretch of golden sand on Fuerteventura's remote Jandia peninsula, Playa de Cofete feels like the edge of the world and rewards anyone willing to brave the rough dirt road to get there.
Spain
Playa de los Muertos
3.0 / 5
Playa de los Muertos, near Carboneras in Almería, is the wild pebble beach with a reputation for Spain's clearest water and a name earned by the currents that once carried shipwrecked sailors ashore. Reached by a steep footpath, with no facilities, no lifeguards, and a sea that demands respect.
Greece
Porto Timoni Beach
3.0 / 5
Porto Timoni is Corfu's famous double beach, two clear-water bays back to back on a slim headland below Afionas, ranked 46th best in the world for 2026. Reached only by a 20-minute hike or a boat, with no facilities and a crowd that arrives by mid-morning.
Portugal
Praia da Marinha
3.6 / 5
One of the Algarve's most dramatic cliff beaches, framed by golden limestone arches and sea stacks, with crystal-clear water and over 100 steps down to the sand.
Spain
Praia das Catedrais
3.4 / 5
Praia das Catedrais near Ribadeo in Galicia hides Spain's greatest rock architecture, arches up to 30 metres high, under a beach that exists only at low tide. Entry is free but capped at 4,812 a day with a mandatory summer booking, and the tide table matters more than the permit.
Greece
Rovinia Beach
3.4 / 5
The Corfu hidden cove tucked into the limestone cliffs near Liapades, reached by a 15-minute forest hike that filters out the casual day-trippers. White pebble shore, crystal water, dramatic cliffs, no facilities, and the seasonal kantina boat that visits in high summer.
Hawaii·United States
Shipwreck Beach
3.6 / 5
The Kauai south-shore beach with the 40-foot cliff Harrison Ford jumped off in Six Days Seven Nights. The cliff is the photo, not the activity. The real reason to come is the Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail that starts behind the sand.
Greece
Tsampika Beach
4.4 / 5
The 1.5-kilometre east-coast Rhodes beach below the Tsambika monastery, with shallow water that extends 30 metres from shore (the best family swim on the island), full amenities, and a 300-step pilgrimage climb to the mountaintop monastery for sweeping Aegean views.
Australia
Whitehaven Beach
3.0 / 5
A 7km stretch of pure white silica sand on Whitsunday Island, where swirling turquoise tides meet the Great Barrier Reef in one of the world's most photographed coastal landscapes.