There’s no need to jump on a long-haul flight to sink your toes into pearlescent white sand or splash around in a silky turquoise lagoon. Europe’s thousands of miles of coastline are a feast of postcard-perfect beaches, off-radar bays, and wild sweeps of soul-stirring scenery – and they’re all just a few hours from the UK. We’ve rounded up the most beautiful beaches in Europe, from Scandinavia to Sardinia, to help you start plotting your first post-pandemic escape.
-
Santa Giulia, Corsica
There’s a glut of beautiful beaches in Corsica, but the dreamy white-sand horseshoe bay of Santa Giulia tops our list. Just a few steps away from the azure water, this stunning beach is ideal for sun-seekers and families alike.
-
Porto Katsiki, Lefkada, Greece
It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that modern infrastructure arrived on this corner of Lefkada’s rugged west coast, finally opening Porto Katsiki up to visitors. Now, it’s one of the most popular beaches framed by dramatic white cliffs carpeted in pines. The deep-blue sea is a sublime spot for swimming; and while the cliffs keep the pebbly sand under shade until midday, multicolored umbrellas are on standby for the steamy afternoons. Best of all, boats are barred from entering the bay, treating sunbathers to blissfully unbroken Ionian views.
-
Calanque d’en Vau, Cassis, France
The wild and wonderful stretch of coastline between Marseille and Cassis is often lauded as Provence’s sleepier, more low-key alternative to the ritzy Côte d’Azur. It’s home to a string of secret inlets – or calanques – punctuating the shore: finger-shaped slits of iridescent blue water flanked by fat shards of limestone cliff. By far the prettiest is Calanque d’en Vau; it’s a real adventure arriving here by kayak, but if you haven’t got sea legs, the other option is a steep and badly signposted climb from Cassis. It’s hard work, but you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views of the Mediterranean along the way.
-
Kvalvika Beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Norway is well known for its epic mountains and fjords; less so for its beaches. But up in the rugged and unfathomably handsome Lofoten archipelago – deep inside the Arctic Circle – the sea is as clear as you would find in the Med. Hemmed in by precipitous rocks rising directly out of the sand, Kvalvika’s slip of golden sand is almost always deserted: visitors must trek through birch forests and wildflower meadows to get here, with some stopping along the way to set up camp for the night. To see the beach at its most magical, come late in the evening for a dip in the light of the midnight sun.
