Beach reviews across the Mediterranean, Atlantic coast, and beyond
12 beaches reviewed in Europe
Easy AccessA quiet pebble beach just west of Bognor Regis on the West Sussex coast, popular with dog walkers, anglers, and anyone looking for a low-key stretch of shoreline away from the crowds.
ModerateA breathtaking 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.
Easy AccessA stunning 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.
Hard to ReachA remote and rugged fossil beach below towering shale cliffs on the North Yorkshire coast, reached by a steep scramble and best explored at low tide.
Easy AccessAlbania's answer to the Greek islands, Ksamil offers turquoise water, tiny swim-to islands, and white sand beaches at a fraction of Mediterranean prices. Located near Butrint National Park in southern Albania.
ModerateThe iconic Navagio Shipwreck Beach on Zakynthos, Greece, where a rusting smuggler ship sits on white sand surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and impossibly blue water.
ModerateA 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.
Easy AccessA windswept stretch of golden sand on Fuerteventura's southeast coast, Playa de Sotavento is famous for its shallow turquoise lagoon at low tide and world-class kitesurfing conditions.
Easy AccessA pebble beach on the Somerset coast just 20 minutes from Bristol, with views across the Bristol Channel to Wales, a historic open air pool, and a marina worth exploring.
Easy AccessA Blue Flag beach on the tip of the Sandbanks peninsula in Poole, Dorset, with calm harbour waters on one side and open sea on the other.
Hard to ReachA dramatic pebble cove hidden between towering cliff walls on Vis Island, voted Europe's best beach.
Easy AccessA wide, windswept sandy beach on the North Wales coast, famous for the striking Point of Ayr Lighthouse and rolling sand dunes that back the shore.