Europe’s best beaches: These coastal hotspots came out on top for sun, safety, and swimming

27.03.2024 - 23:43 / euronews.com

Summer is creeping up on us fast and with it comes the promise of escaping in the sun. It’s a chance to unwind, sink your toes in the sand and forget about everything else.

But what exactly does the perfect beach holiday look like?

Retreat booking platform BookRetreats has ranked beaches across 16 European countries based on what they say travellers value the most: popularity, weather, safety, accessibility and water quality.

Using data from Google reviews, safety rankings from the Global Peace Index and water quality information from the European Environment Agency (EEA), each location was given a score from 0 to 1 for these categories with a total possible score of 5.

From more than 14,000 top-rated destinations, the travel booking company took a closer look at 251 beaches. They analysed them all from the most popular secluded spots - far from major airports - like Praia da Samoqueira in Portugal or Cala Mariolu in Italy to countries such as Cyprus where 99.2 per cent of bathing sites reported excellent water quality.

These are the places they say are the best beaches in Europe to visit this summer.

The top 25 best beaches in Europe are spread out across the continent from Germany to Greece and Croatia. But when it comes to the top 10, there is a stand-out location in this ranking.

Portugal’s Marinha Beach comes in tenth place and Praia da Falésia in second. In Spain, Cala Comte earned sixth place, Las Canteras in fourth and La Concha Beach ranked in the top spot.

The Iberian Peninsula has many of the best beaches on the continent. In fact, Spain alone has 28 per cent of Europe’s best beaches, according to the BookRetreats ranking.

Here’s a closer look at the coastal destinations that landed the top five spots on the list.

Coming in at number five is the pebbly shore of Lama Monachile in Italy. This cove between two magnificent cliffs in the middle of Polignano a Mare has a 4.7 out of 5 ranking from 14,900 Google reviews.

Summers are perfect for sun lovers reaching an average of 30C and its Blue Flag status ensures crystal clear, excellent water quality. Italy ranks 34th in the world for safety and this beach is also easily reachable by car at just 50km from Bari Airport.

Altogether this earns Lama Monchile a score of 4.15 out 5 - the highest-ranking Italian beach on the list.

In the vibrant heart of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Las Canteras is the highest scoring beach in the Canary Islands. It also has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 14,400 travellers’ reviews. 

Endless sunshine brings summer temperatures of 28C and the water quality is excellent according to EEA data - a big bonus if you plan to swim offshore and experience its lively lava reef teeming with marine life.

With Spain 32nd in the world for safety, it