14 Top-Rated Best Beaches in Europe to Visit This Year

Europe is famous for its cinematic views, mesmerizing beauty, rich culture, old buildings, traditional food, local and international festivals, and much more. Hold on I forgot to mention another attraction in Europe—sensational beaches.

These beaches are attractions for fun lovers, foodies, families, and couples too. Beaches in Europe not only hold breathtaking views but also lots of activities like dancing, swimming, music, food, wine, support, and playing. I’m sure you will fall in love with these beaches.

We have rounded up a list of some of the best beaches in Europe that you can add to your dream destinations list in Europe.

1. Our Lady Beach: Porquerolles Island, France

Our Lady Beach is also known as Notre Dame Beach, located on Porquerolles Island of France at a distance of 30 minutes walk from Porquerolles village.

You can also access the beach by boat or cycling. A boat usually takes 20 minutes from Porquerolles village. This beach is the most famous and, paradoxically, the least crowded beach on this French Mediterranean island.

Our Lady is 800 meters long—crescent moon-shaped beach, surrounded by eucalyptus trees and dense pine groves which not only enhance the beauty of this place but also perfume the air.

This beach is one of the best beaches in Europe for families with or without small kids because its water is shallow around 300 meters from the beach and it is sheltered from winds.

Generally, Our lady beach is accessible all around the year but the best time to visit is in September and October or late spring when vegetation is in its bloom.

August is the month when you’ll find this beach fully crowded so if you want to visit in august then I’ll suggest you come early especially if you want to enjoy snorkeling.

An interesting thing about this beach is you’ll see an abandoned house there which has been used to film movies.
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2. Navagio Beach: Zakynthos island, Greecey

When it comes to the best beaches in Europe how can we ignore Navagio Beach? The old name was Agios Georgios but the new name is Navagio beach.

This beach is also known as Shipwreck beach after a shipwrecked in 1983, and the interesting thing is the beach’s centerpiece—the wrecked ship is still there, which makes this beach more adorable.

This beach is also considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world not only in Europe. You will not find much sand here because it’s a pebbled beach with enchanting beauty. The beach is located on Zakinthos Ionian island, a greek island just like Corfu.

The beach is fully surrounded by high limestone cliffs, some of which are 200 meters high which is breathtaking sightseeing. There is a lookout point that is 600 feet above the beach. Don’t miss that. One more thing, don’t forget to view Navagio from the cliff. The only way to access this beach is by boat.

There are many tour companies that arrange a tour to Navagio beach or you can also get there by your ship especially if you want to see the wrecked ship more closely.

You can visit Navagio at any time of the year, although there is only one way to get there, this beach is usually crowded with day-trippers. Navagio is more crowded in summer as compared to winter. If you want to enjoy the real beauty of this place then visit this in the early morning or late afternoon.

There are no visitor facilities at the beach so you are suggested to take picnic supplies with you along with chairs, umbrellas, water, resting mats, and towels as well.
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3. Zlatni Rat Beach: Brac Island, Croatia

Zlatni Rat beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Croatia and it is famous worldwide because of its exceptional tongue-like shape which spreads about 500 meters in the sea.

It is also known as Golden Horn. Many international magazines like the New York Times and Insider travel have mentioned Zlatni in articles as a speculator beach.

An interesting thing is that its unusual shape is influenced by winds, waves, and sea currents as well. Golden horn is sited at the southern end of Brac Island, 2 km from Bol town. If you are planning to visit this visually stunning beach then keep a few things in mind. Wearing water shoes will be handy because Zlatni is a pebble beach with crystal clear water.

The clear water makes this beach ideal for snorkel and nature lovers. There are lots of facilities at the beach that makes this place ideal for families too. Lifeguards are on duty during the summers.

July and August are the most crowded times at the beach. If you want to come in these months then you will have to come early to grab the best spot on the beach.

The area of the beach is 20 thousand square meters and accommodates 10 thousand people. There are different means to get to the Zlatni beach—by car (you have to pay car parking 9 EUR) and a long walk to reach the beach area.

Your second way is a street tourist train which costs 2-3 EUR and rides back and forth from Bol center. Another way is a walk from Bol to the Zlatni beach which takes 20-30 minutes under the shade of pine trees lined in a lane. A taxi boat is also a good option to get there for just 5 EUR.
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4. Calo des Moro: Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Calo des Moro is one of the fantastic sandy beaches in the Mallorca region. It is located about 6 km away from Santanyi town on the southeast of the island. This beach is also close to Cala Santanyi resort.

Although it was difficult to get there at the start, now it is considered the crowdest beach in the summer season, especially with very limited transportation facilities. The beach is child friendly because of its shallow calm water but there is very little area for kids to play because of the crowd.

The beach is sports-friendly, you can enjoy diving and snorkeling because of its crystal-clear water. Beach is surrounded by high cliffs and cliffs are surrounded by pine trees.

Even if Calo des Moro is one of the crowded beaches, there are still very few facilities for visitors, but you can enjoy free parking. Calo des Moro is one of the more challenging beaches to access because there are no restaurants, no lounge chairs, no umbrellas, no lifeguards, and no toilets, yet this is one of the most famous beaches among tourists.

If you want to enjoy the beauty of this place then visit the beach from June to September. The beach is accessible via car, bus, or shuttle. The best, easy, and suggested way to get there is to book a shuttle.

If you want to go there by bus then you can take bus route 501, the bus will drop you at stop C and walk 6 km towards the beach or hire a taxi from there.
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5. Oludeniz Beach: Blue Lagoon, Turkey

Oludeniz is also known as Blue Lagoon because of its turquoise and aquamarine water, and green pine trees. The beach is famous among tourists and there is a lot to do besides enjoying calm water and sunbath chairs.

Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon) is located on Turkey's Southern Coast very close to Fethiye and is a very famous beach because of its crystal clear water and soft sand. A 20 minutes taxi drive from Fethiye takes you to the beach for just 9 EUR or you can also get there by regular dolmus (minibus) and bus service as low as 1 EUR.

Many paragliding companies are serving there so paragliding and water sports are famous among tourists. The breathtaking views, cinematic beauty, and traditional food are enough to fall in love with Oludeniz. The restaurants offer food, bars offer exotic cocktails, and non-stop music to entertain visitors all night.
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6. Praia Da Marinha: Algarve, Portugal

Praia de Marinha is the most beautiful beach in Portugal and is one of the best beaches in Europe with crystal clear calm water. It is 5.5 kilometers long beach located in the central Algarve near the towns of Lagoa.

This is the best beach for those who want to spend a whole day on the beach because it is small and not too crowded. This beach is also best for small kids but climbing down the stairs will be difficult for small kids.

The breathtaking view of the beach makes it magical because the beach is surrounded by cliffs, so hiking around the cliff will also be a tremendous experience. You can also view the most adorable M rock on the right side of the beach. You can also enjoy local seafood at a nearby restaurant.

Praia da Marinha is not frequently accessible by public transport; instead, you need to hire a taxi or rent a car to get there because it will be too far to walk from the town of Lagoa. Taxis are pretty expensive because it usually costs 30-40 EUR.

You can also go by bus if a taxi is not affordable for you however, the bus runs only on weekends ( twice a day). The beach parking is on the cliff so to get to the beach area you need to get down the stairs.

Further, this beach can be the best place to be explored by tourists because of its nearby towns and attraction.
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7. Virgin island's beach: Brittany, France

Virgin island’s beach is one of the most surprising and unusual places in Brittany. It is also known as Île Vierge or the Point of Saint Herno. Once it was considered the 7th best beach in Europe because of its crystal clear water and mesmerizing beauty.

This place is not very crowded, maybe because the only way to get to the beach is by boat.
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8. Sveti Stefan beach: Montenegro

Sveti Stefan beach is distinguished among the other beaches in Europe because of its pink sandy pebble bay and adorable surroundings. Sveti has stretched 2 km along Montenegro’s coastline and its water is crystal clear.

Tours are usually arranged by companies that usually charge 25 EUR per person. You can hire loungers here starting from 15 EUR for two loungers and a sun umbrella. This ideal beach is one of the best beaches in Europe and the best place for kids.
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9. Baia delle Zagare: Zagare beach, Italy

Baia Delle Zagare or Zagare beach is located on the southern coast of Gargano. The amazing fact about this beach is it only accommodates 30 visitors per day, maybe because the beach is surrounded by private property hotels.

If you are not a guest in the hotels then you need to take permission from the Mattinata City Council to get there. If you want to enjoy a party on the beach then this could be one of the best party beaches in Europe.

I recommend you visit the floating city of Venice once you are in Italy. You will find a lot of worth visiting beaches around there.
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10. Praia de Miramar: Porto, Portugal

Miramar beach is located on the northern side of Costa de Prata and the beaches in this region are characterized by golden sand, tranquil water, and frequent bracing winds.

Although this beach is not crowded around the year it is crowded during the summer season just like other beaches. The sunset at the beach of Miramar is stunning and attractive.

The beach can be accessible by train or car, by motorcycle, but the best way is to take a train to Ovar and get off at Miramar station.
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11. Porto Katsiki beach: Lefkada, Greece

One of the most adorable, famous, and best beaches in Europe is Porto Katsiki. It is among the top beaches in the Mediterranean and Greece. Porto Katsiki beach is located near Athani village in the southwest of Lefkada city town.

People around the world come to see this beach with its coastal water and rocky beach. You need special shoes to walk on the beach in shallow water. This is one of the best white sand beaches in Europe.
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12. Podrace Beach: Brela, Croatia

Podrace beach is one of the stunning beaches in Brela—a marvelous pebble beach in the region. There is plenty of shade from pine trees and tamarisks which makes this place extraordinary natural beauty.
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13. Ribadesella beach: Asturias, Spain

The Ribadesella beach is located 62 miles east of Asturias airport. This is one of the best family beaches in Europe and a favorite among mature couples. The best on the beach are walking and watching dog walkers, swimmers, and strollers. Descenso Internacional del Sella canoeing festival is held every first week of August.

You can enjoy that time or you can avoid it if you don’t like much of the crowd. It is one of the most adorable golden beaches in the world.

14. Dune du Pilat: Pyla, France

This is one of the highest and largest sand dunes in Europe –- surrounded by pine trees. Dune du Pilat, one of the best beaches in Europe, is also famous for paragliding. It is 3 kilometers long and 500 meters wide. It is located at the entrance of Arcachon Bay.

If you are going with a small kid then do take the carry chair because it will be difficult and somehow dangerous too—to carry the baby while going down the stairs. There are around 100 wooden stairs that make it less steep. You can easily get there by car or bicycle. It usually takes 15 mins by car from Arcachon.

The smattering of cafes, ice cream stalls, and gift shops make this place the most demanding.

Summary:
There are thousands of beaches that attract tourists from all around the world. If you are planning a Europe trip then don’t miss a visit to the most famous beaches in Europe. Don't forget to come back and share with us your happy moments from the vacation.