Best Beaches In Europe

From quiet coves and hidden bays to sprawling seafronts and endless horizons, the most beautiful beaches in Europe are yours for the finding.

Everyone wants something different from a beach holiday in Europe. Some want golden sands that run directly down from local towns – offering the sea in front, alfresco dining behind, and everything you might need within a few minutes stroll. Others only like to lay their towel down once they’ve “discovered” somewhere new – a drive, a climb and a long walk away from everyone else in a secluded stretch of coastline that’s completely their own for the day. Whatever you’re after, Europe has some of the best beach holidays for you.

Cefalù, Sicily

Locked in time, the medieval town of Cefalù is the kind of place that makes you forget about everywhere else. Small enough to wander around but developed enough to offer some of the best seafood restaurants and gelato shops in the Med – it’s the beach that really makes you want to turn days into weeks. Fringed by yellow cliffs and leading down to some of the calmest, warmest waters in Europe, the narrow crescent of sand beyond Cefalù’s walls seems made to keep you coming back. Perfect for families, the still waters, fiery sun and proximity to one of Sicily’s prettiest cultural gems offer something for everyone.

Recommended Club Med Resort:
Cefalù Resort…set on Sicily’s north coast with unparalleled views of the Mediterranean ocean

Gregolimano, Greece

The Greek island of Evia boasts 370km of coastline, and almost 110 different beaches. With the eastern coast facing the Aegean, and the west sheltering gulfs alongside the Grecian mainland, it’s the northern tip that finds the sweet spot between the currents and headwinds to create the most beautiful conditions for water sports in Europe. Gregolimano’s calm, clear water is perfect for water-skiing, while the long stretch of white gold sand is ideal for anyone who’d rather watch from a distance. Flanked by a pine forest, and just half an hour away from the spa town luxuries of Aedipsos, Gregolimano beach is one of the jewels of Europe.

Recommended Club Med Resort:
Gregolimano…on the Island of Evia a wonderful oasis between the beach and the olive groves

Kisebükü Cove, Turkey

Bodrum is surrounded by beautiful beaches – with popular stretches like Kumbahce, Kargi bay and Gumbet drawing big crowds in the peak season. All are great choices if you want to be nearer the amenities in town (and Kargi is a must if you want to ride a camel…), but for something a bit more serene, head east of Bodrum along the peninsula to Kisebükü Cove. Isolated enough to be a challenge to get to in a car, and scattered with the ruins of an ancient hamam, it’s the sort of beach you don't want to tell other people about in case they all turn up at once. With stunning views across Karaada island to Kos, there’s nowhere better for watching the sunset.

Recommended Club Med Resorts:
Club Med Palmiye…a paradise perched on a vast stretch of sandy beach
Bodrum Palmiye…where sea and sky meet on the shore of the Aegean Sea

Cala Goloritzé, Italy

Sardinia’s Cala Goloritzé is one of the few beaches to be made a UNESCO World Heritage site – its water so blue, its sand so white, and its appeal so unique that it’s now officially protected alongside sites like Machu Picchu, the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon. When you first crest the limestone cliffs to catch a glimpse of it, it’s easy to see why one of the best beaches in Italy. The kind of place you imagine when someone asks you to “close your eyes and think of a beach”, every photo you take looks like a postcard and every minute you’re not there you want to be back.

Cap d’Antibes, France

Nestled between the twin delights of Cannes and Nice, Antibes is the place where the French Riviera comes to relax. A far cry from the crowds and casinos of Provence’s grand cities, the coastal region separating them offers almost every type of beach you might want – from Juan les Pins’ sleepy seaside towns and the watersports of Plage Ponteil to the kind of places you travel miles for just to try the local seafood. But it’s the hidden coves of Cap d’Antibes that offer a real escape – with no facilities, no crowds (and sometimes no signposts), finding a wild beach with no one on it makes you feel richer than the high-rollers in Monte Carlo (which is only about an hour away, should you still be feeling lucky).

Recommended Club Med Resort:
Opio en Provence … located on the Plateau de Valbonne, between olive groves, pine forests, sea and mountains, only a short drive away from Antibes.

To visit the best beaches in Europe in true style, stay at one of Club Med’s premium, all-inclusive resorts.

Club Med Sun - The best all-inclusive sun holiday experience