8 best unspoilt beach destinations in Europe

We’ve chosen a selection of places for all budgets, and most of our list contains beaches that can be reached by public transport, car or, in some cases, by foot. But, check for accessibility before visiting – some places may have steep steps or rocky hills that you'll need to walk up or down. Don’t forget to always bring plenty of water and sunscreen, and in the case of very remote beaches that may not have nearby cafes or bars, a picnic and something special to drink once you reach your destination. Read on to discover some of Europe’s best unspoilt beaches.

Best unspoilt beach destinations in Europe

Maronti Beach, Ischia, Italy

Along the Amalfi coast, those in the know skip the crowded beaches of Positano and Capri and head for the lesser-known island of Ischia from the end of March onwards. Just a 50-minute boat ride from Naples (tickets from £14 return), this island is an unsung gem of Italy. It's a volcanic isle with dramatic mountainous scenery, both natural and manmade thermal and wellness spas, gorgeous beaches, and incredible food and drink.

San Montano beach in the north-west should be your first port of call, as it will introduce you to the stunning rugged beaches and turquoise waters of the island. In the south, take a trip down the (admittedly very steep) steps at Sorgeto Bay to discover natural geo-thermal rock pools in the shore. But, be careful – they can become boiling hot!

Take the water taxi to Maronti beach for lunch cooked by the hot sands. Cooking al fumarole is a tradition here, where ingredients such as fish, chicken and veg are placed in tin pans, covered and put in holes dug in the sand – they cook in just over an hour. Just two restaurants cook in this incredible traditional way: Ristorante Da Nicola Fumarole and Hotel Terme Ferdinando, with its picturesque, sun-filled terrace. Paired with some of the island’s award-winning volcanic wine, Enaria, it’ll be a beachside lunch that you’ll likely remember forever.

Ischia produces several great wines, and the vineyards are worthwhile stop-offs if the weather takes a turn. Tenuta Callito is worth a visit – stay in its newly converted farmstay and check out the wine-based spa with its red wine bath.

Elsewhere, there’s incredible seafood to be had at Ristorante Pizzeria Fratelli La Bufala – try the garlicky sautéed giant clams, soute’ di vongole – and parmesan-crusted pizza bread. Pick up a traditional mozzarella and prosciutto-stuffed zingare sandwich from the much-loved Boccia bakery in Ischia town before your boat back to the mainland.

How to do it: stay in the majestic Hotel and Spa Excelsior Belvedere (doubles from £256) in Ischia town, with an incredible view of the iconic Aragonese castle – it’s where the celebrities stay when in town for the Ischia Film Festival in June. On the south side of the island, try the luxury Miramare (doubles from £320) in the pretty village of Sant’Angelo, which is within walking distance of beaches and popular thermal parks.

Praia do Guincho, Cascais, Portugal

Lisbon is arguably one of Europe’s best city breaks, but as the locals know, it’s best to head down the coast for beach hangs at the weekend. Drive or get the train from Cais do Sodré station, and travel west along the coast towards Cascais. Stop off at Praia de Carcavelos, a massive, fun, family-friendly beach with lots of volleyball and surfing to enjoy, for an arroz de peixe – a Portuguese paella, of sorts – at Marisca Petisca. When you get to Cascais, dodge the influx of visitors and head down to Praia do Guincho via the number 15 bus.

Geographically located between Cascais and the equally charming Sintra, the soft sands of the beach lead out to the Atlantic Ocean – while the sea can be slightly bracing before the high summer months, the sweeping Serra de Sintra hills in the background make it a beautiful place to spend a day or more.

Join the locals for a surfing lesson – check out Moana Surf School, with group lessons from £33 – or simply grab a table at one of the spectacular restaurants along the coast and watch the world go by. Michelin-starred Fortaleza do Guincho offers two tasting menus (£120 and £160) based around memories, or a la carte dishes like the 'wolf in sheep’s clothing', catch of the day, moray eel and black garlic (£40). At the other end of scale – and literally at the other end of the beach – there’s the more homely Bar do Guincho, serving up a wide range of seafood and meat dishes, including prego, a steak sandwich (£15). Or, because you're at the beach, try the prego de atum (tuna steak sandwich, £16). There are lots more sandwich and burger-based offerings that should please any kids, too.

When you head back via Cascais, check out Santini ice cream parlour, which has been around since 1949 – flavours of the month when we visited were clementine, Greek yogurt and strawberries. Stop at Sacolinha for another traditional sweet treat, bola de berlim – a doughnut filled with nata custard.

How to do it: if a meal at Fortaleza do Guincho wasn’t decadent enough, there’s also a five-star hotel in the former fortress, offering stylish and spacious rooms from £170 a night. Further along the beach, Estalagem Muchaxo looks out over the bay, with double rooms and breakfast from £67 – settle in by the roaring fireplace on colder nights in the bar. Slightly in from the beach, the Parque de Campismo Orbitur Guincho campsite in the nature park has self-catering double bed bungalows from £67 a night.

Plage de Trousse-Chemise, Île de Ré, France

First immortalised in a 1962 song by Charles Aznavour, Trousse Chemise, this beach, which is tucked away on the north-west of the French island, is just as dreamy as the tune dedicated to it. While you can access the island via a toll bridge from La Rochelle on the mainland, we’d recommend ditching the car as soon as possible – make like the islanders and hop on a bike to explore this peaceful part of the world.

The pine tree surroundings of Plage de Trousse-Chemise means it manages to escape some of the heftier waves from the Atlantic, which makes it perfect for families with young children.

Lunch – or an evening sunset – should be spent enjoying the view at La Cabane de la Patache, a 10-minute walk along the beach. There’s obviously seafood on the menu, but also lots of other French classics, like asparagus vinaigrette or beef tartare, with mains coming in at around £20.

Île de Ré is famous for its oysters and the little huts that serve them, so if you’re visiting between April and November – when the season runs – you can do an oyster crawl, stopping off at Les Huîtres de Trousse Chemise at Portes-en-Ré or La Cabane du Feneau (£14 per dozen). Don’t let the casual nature of these oyster shacks fool you – they get extremely busy in summer, so make sure to reserve your spot in advance.

Elsewhere, save room for galettes or crêpes at Fricoter – it also offers picnics to take away to the beach – and ice cream at the historic La Martinière Saint-Martin de Ré, known locally as 'the temple of ice cream'. It's open from the Easter holidays, and offers up to 300 flavours of artisan scoops, at around £4 each.

How to do it: closest accommodation to the beach is the four-star camping site Camping Le Phare, set upon the salt planes. The luxury cabins sleep up to six people and cost from £600 a week in low season. Hôtel Le Chat Botté in the pretty village of Saint-Clément-des-Baleines has doubles from £108 a night, and when you’re done splashing around in the sea, you can take a dip in its eco-friendly natural swimming pool, or have a well-being treatment in the spa. It’s also within walking distance of the Phare Des Baleines lighthouse, which has a 257-step climb to an incredible view of the whole island.

Berneray West beach, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

In 2009, the Thai island of Koh Chang promoted the beautiful white sands and turquoise sea of Kai Bae beach in an advert. But, the picturesque image used was actually Berneray island, 8,000 miles away in the Outer Hebrides. Once you've made the trip to the islands off the coast of north-west Scotland, it's easy to see where the confusion lies.

The ferry ride from Uig on the mainland to Lochmaddy takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, then it's a 20-minute drive to Berneray’s West Beach. The long journey is more than worth it, though: the expanse of pristine sand stretches far into the horizon, framed by the rolling hills of the highlands and the clear, aquamarine blue of the sea. Corncrakes, waders, lapwings and oystercatchers can all be spotted making the beach their home, too.

There’s not too many places to eat on Berneray, but the Berneray Shop and Bistro is worth the trip in itself. Open for lunch and dinner in high season – generally running from May to September – homemade fish and chips (£15.5) are always a winner, but try the signature Berneray langoustines hoagie (£14.95) or a baked potato with Hebridean Smokehouse smoked salmon (£12.95). Save room for a slice of the light-as-clouds pavlova, and don’t forget to book in advance, as this place naturally gets busy in summer.

Elsewhere, we’d recommend picking up some of the incredible local produce from the shop at Berneray to take on a picnic to the beach. If you’re travelling via North Uist, pick up a scallop and Stornoway black pudding roll (£8) or North Uist lobster sub roll (£12) from The Wee Cottage Kitchen, a tiny roadside trailer slinging out some of the best sandwich-based meals in the British Isles. Beach picnics have never been more decadent.

How to do it: the remoteness of Berneray is a big part of its pull, but it means that accommodation close to the West beach is scarce, and can be a little pricey. There’s a cute micro-cabin called Kelley’s Pod that sleeps three and costs from £120 a night, while by the East beach on the island, the quaint Seal View B&B offers a family room from £120 (kids five and under go free).

Playa de Bolonia, Tarifa, Spain

It might have been voted one of Spain's greatest beaches, but Playa de Bolonia is still relatively quiet and mostly visited by locals.

It’s no wonder Spaniards are keeping shtum on this one: the cork and wild olive trees of Estrecho National Park and big sand dunes frame the 3.8km beach, which is an ideal spot for windsurfing and other watersports, plus watching the sunset.

After you’ve dusted the sand off, head into the small village of Bolonia, where history buffs can discover one of the country’s best-preserved Roman settlements. Try cheap and cheerful local tapas at Bar Garum, which offers a menu del dia – set meal – for £12, or a tasty stew made with langoustines and chickpeas (£6). Closer to the old Roman ruins, Restaurante Otero serves great food with a side of brilliant beach views – try the traditional red tuna from the region, atún rojo de almadraba (£14). Restaurante Miramar serves up fried fish, like chipirones (baby squid, £7) or boquerones (anchovies, £6.5), that you’ll still be dreaming of long after the holiday is over.

How to do it: accommodation in the village leans towards the more basic. Bellavista Bolonia offers hotel rooms (from £60 for a double or £70 for a triple) and self-catering apartments (£80 a night; sleeps three), and is just a five-minute walk from the beach. The Hurricane Hotel (small doubles from £61 a night) is the must-stay hotel in Tarifa – it's a 15-minute drive from Bolonia and boasts a tropical garden, swimming pool, sauna and hammam.

Avali beach, Lefkada, Greece

Avali beach on Lefkada (technically an island, but connected to mainland Greece via a floating bridge) is another European stunner that’ll make you think you’ve been transported to the Caribbean or Maldives, with its fine pebbles and blue sea that merges with the bright summer sky. Umbrellas and sunbeds can be rented for about £8, in keeping with the budget prices of a break here.

When it comes to eating, Gaidaros Canteen Kalamitsi at the north end of the beach is the place to be – a friendly, super-relaxed al fresco restaurant that serves up Greek classics. It’s a similar story at Avali on the south side of the beach, which offers traditional Greek fare, like courgette fritters and tzatziki (£5) or slow-cooked chicken with peppers (£10). Vegetarians and vegans are also well catered to here.

After a day on the beach, Lefkada has plenty more to offer visitors. There are numerous scenic hikes winding around the green-carpeted hills and mountains, plus the medieval castle of Agia Mavra. Bustling Lefkada town, with its colourful architecture, is a 40-minute drive away from Avali. Pop into the Phonograph Museum, which is full of music and folk bric-à-brac, and stop off at Stavrakas for ice cream or the traditional soft drink soumada, made from almonds and orange flower water.

How to do it: accommodation in this area tends to be a little more rustic and no-frills, but Casa D’Irene, close to Avali, offers budget double rooms with incredible views from £53 a night, which also includes a light breakfast buffet. A little further up the hill in the village of Kalamitsi is Liofos Studios, which has self-catering apartments with either mountain or sea views from £50 a night. The village also has a couple of grillhouse tavernas worth visiting – try the vine-covered terrace of Ionio or Platanos.

Qeparo beach, Vlorë County, Albania

Why not discover the Albanian riviera this summer? Qeparo beach is a short walk from Qeparo village along a seafront promenade, which is easily accessible and takes you down to the narrow stretch of the shore and aquamarine Ionian sea – bring beach shoes, as the ground is a mixture of pebbles and sand. This beach is lesser-known than other tourist hotspots such as Dhërmi or Ksamil, but there are still lots of amenities, including sun loungers and umbrellas for a fee, plus a variety of nearby places to eat.

Paradise Grill is a beach-side joint serving up all the best its wood-fired grill has to offer – there are ribeye steaks from £5 per 100g or tomahawk steak for £6 per 100g. Jo & Jo’s street food cafe is more American-inspired, and perfect for those craving hefty burgers (the Big Jo burger is £10) or club sandwiches (£6). For those with more of a sweet tooth, its waffles with various toppings are a must-try, and cost around £4 each.

A 15-minute walk up from the beach into the hills is Taverna Dhrami (cash only), the star dining spot in this area. It’s a family-run restaurant serving Greek classics like moussaka and tzatziki, as well as the always excellent grilled catch of the day, served with bowls of salad and herbed chips. A meal out on the terrace – which looks down onto Qeparo beach – comes alongside one of the best sunsets you’re likely to see all year.

How to do it: there are two choices for accommodation in this neck of the woods: beach-side, which provides easy access to the shoreline and its amenities, or slightly up in the hills in the ancient village. Valta Hotel is the best-placed hotel for the beach, with stylish doubles from £128 (open from May), including sun loungers and umbrellas on its private section of the beach (this will save up to €100 a day). Up in the hills is the converted self-catering farmhouse Villa Olive Old Qeparo, which has a swimming pool and outside terrace and is a steal starting at £58 a night for two people.

Sandhammaren Strand, Skåne, Sweden

This Baltic Sea spot is a peaceful place to spend a summer’s day (or even a winter’s day, if you’re up for a blustery, energising long walk). One of the beauties of this powdery sand beach is that it stretches out for miles, so there's no chance of someone else’s beach towel encroaching onto yours.

There’s nothing touristy or over-developed here – the Hagestad nature reserve that backs onto the beach keeps it a wild and rugged experience, with the scent of pine trees mixing in with the salty sea air. You might even spot an elk lingering in the distant forest.

The area, which is in the southernmost tip of Sweden, also has the unusual reputation of being the place where, in the past, the most ships have run aground. As such, it's known as the ship graveyard of Sweden. During the summer months, you can get a potted history of pirates and shipwrecks at the Sandhammaren Lighthouse, which dates back to the 1860s (entrance for adults is £3).

While the isolated beach is all part of the appeal, food options are limited – a picnic is probably your best bet – but the cosy and quaint lighthouse cafe Sandhammarens Fyrgrill is open Monday to Friday, offering decent snacks and light meals, like prawn sandwiches (£14), fish & chips (also £14) or traditional meatballs. Or, have a big brunch prior to visiting the sea at Jord & Bord. It's a five-minute drive up the coast, and has a sensational organic and vegetarian menu, with dishes like grilled aubergine & hummus meze (£11) or a vegan burger with kimchi coleslaw, roasted potatoes & aïoli (£11; open Friday to Sunday).

How to do it: within walking distance of the beach is Löderups Strandbad, with comfortable cottages that sleep up to six people from £140 a night. It’s also a bed and breakfast, with doubles from £104. It has a swimming pool that's open in summer, and the on-site restaurant is also decent, with barbecues available during the high season. If you’d like to lean into countryside living even more, try the rustic farmhouse B&B Vinkille, with rooms (from £108) including breakfast that features homegrown veg and homemade jams and marmalades.

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