City & resort

Europe's best city & resort beaches

City and resort sands with the full apparatus — promenades, lifeguards, beach clubs and easy transport — where a proper town sits right behind the beach. 143 city & resort beaches across Europe, ranked by fame and mapped.

Sveti Stefan Beach
Budva Riviera, Montenegro
Brighton Beach
Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Cala Formentor
Pollenca, Mallorca, Spain
Golden Sands
Varna, Bulgaria
Isola Bella
Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Mamaia Beach
Constanța, Romania
Mondello
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Monterosso al Mare
Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Nice Beach
Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France
Nissi Beach
Ayia Napa, Cyprus, Cyprus
Plage de Pampelonne
Saint-Tropez, France
Playa de la Concha
San Sebastián, Spain
Playa de Levante
Benidorm, Costa Blanca, Spain
Playa del Inglés
Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain
Praia de Porto Santo
Porto Santo, Madeira, Portugal
Psarou Beach
Mykonos, Cyclades, Greece
Punta Rata
Brela, Makarska Riviera, Croatia
Rimini Beach
Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Spiaggia della Rotonda
Tropea, Calabria, Italy
Sunny Beach
Nesebar, Bulgaria
Super Paradise Beach
Mykonos, Cyclades, Greece
Tropea Beach
Tropea, Calabria, Italy
Westerland Beach
Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Amager Strandpark
Copenhagen, Denmark
Ayazma Beach
Bozcaada, Çanakkale, Türkiye
Bačvice Beach
Split, Croatia
Baia del Silenzio
Sestri Levante, Liguria, Italy
Baia di Paraggi
Portofino, Liguria, Italy
Banje Beach
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Bellevue Beach
Klampenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark
Bijeca Beach
Medulin, Istria, Croatia
Binz Beach
Rugen, Germany
Blackpool Beach
Blackpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Blåvand Beach
Blåvand, Jutland, Denmark
Bournemouth Beach
Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom
Cala Galdana
Ferreries, Menorca, Spain
Camber Sands
Camber, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Cefalù Beach
Cefalù, Sicily, Italy
Cleopatra Beach
Alanya, Türkiye
Durrës Beach
Durrës, Albania
Elia Beach
Mykonos, Greece
Falassarna Beach
Kissamos, West Crete, Greece
Falsterbo Beach
Falsterbo, Skåne, Sweden
Fig Tree Bay
Protaras, Cyprus, Cyprus
Fornillo Beach
Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Gdynia Orłowo Beach
Gdynia, Pomerania, Poland
Għadira Bay
Mellieħa, Malta
Golden Bay (Għajn Tuffieħa area)
Mellieħa, Malta
Grande Plage des Sables-d'Olonne
Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée, France
Harmanite Beach
Sozopol, Bulgaria
Heringsdorf Beach
Usedom, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Huk
Bygdøy, Oslo, Norway
Ilica Beach
Cesme, Izmir, Türkiye
Jurmala Beach
Jurmala, near Riga, Latvia
Kamari Beach
Santorini, Greece
Kathisma Beach
Lefkada, Greece
Knokke-Heist
Flanders, Belgium
Konyaaltı Beach
Antalya, Türkiye
Larvotto Beach
Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Lido di Venezia
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Machico Beach
Machico, Madeira, Portugal
Międzyzdroje Beach
Wolin Island, Poland
Mogren Beach
Budva, Montenegro
Mulini Beach
Rovinj, Istria, Croatia
Paleokastritsa Beach
Corfu, Ionian, Greece
Palmižana
Pakleni Islands, Hvar, Croatia
Paloma Beach
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France
Paradise Beach (Kalamopodi)
Mykonos, Cyclades, Greece
Paradise Beach (Rajska Plaža)
Lopar, Rab, Croatia
Parnu Beach
Parnu, Estonia
Petrovac Beach
Petrovac, Budva Riviera, Montenegro
Plage d'Argelès-sur-Mer
Argelès-sur-Mer, Roussillon, France
Plage de Calvi
Calvi, Haute-Corse, France
Plage du Sillon
Saint-Malo, Brittany, France
Playa de la Barrosa
Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain
Playa de Las Canteras
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
Playa de las Teresitas
San Andres, Tenerife, Spain
Playa del Duque
Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Spain
Playa del Postiguet
Alicante, Costa Blanca, Spain
Playa del Sardinero
Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Poetto
Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
Praia da Calheta
Calheta, Madeira, Portugal
Praia da Falesia
Olhos de Agua, Algarve, Portugal
Praia da Luz
Luz, Algarve, Portugal
Praia da Rocha
Portimão, Algarve, Portugal
Praia de Miramar
Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Portugal
Ribersborg
Malmö, Skåne, Sweden
Sarımsaklı Beach
Ayvalık, North Aegean, Türkiye
Sarti Beach
Sithonia, Halkidiki, Greece
Scheveningen
The Hague, Netherlands
Side Kumköy Beach
Side, Antalya, Türkiye
Sopot Beach
Sopot, near Gdansk, Poland
Spiaggia di Levante
Sperlonga, Lazio, Italy
Spiaggia di Pizzomunno
Vieste, Puglia, Italy
Spiaggia di Sperlonga
Sperlonga, Lazio, Italy
Spiaggia Grande
Positano, Amalfi, Italy
Świnoujście Beach
Uznam Island, West Pomerania, Poland
Tenby South Beach
Tenby, Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
Timmendorfer Strand
Lübeck Bay, Germany
Tossa de Mar
Costa Brava, Spain
Trstenica
Orebić, Pelješac, Croatia
Tylösand
Halmstad, Sweden
Vama Veche
2 Mai, Constanța, Romania
Vela Plaža
Baška, Krk, Croatia
West Wittering Beach
West Sussex, United Kingdom
Zrće Beach
Novalja, Pag, Croatia
Åhus Täppet
Kristianstad, Skåne, Sweden
Albena Beach
Albena, Bulgaria
Åros Beach
Søgne, Kristiansand, Norway
Bitez Beach
Bodrum Peninsula, Türkiye
Bloemendaal aan Zee
North Holland, Netherlands
Blokhus Beach
North Jutland, Denmark
Bystranda
Kristiansand, Norway
Copacabana Beach
Babin Kuk, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Coral Bay
Peyia, Paphos, Cyprus
Costa Nova
Aveiro, Portugal
De Haan Beach
West Flanders, Belgium
Deauville Beach
Normandy, France
Domburg Beach
Zeeland, Netherlands
Eforie Nord
Eforie, Constanța, Romania
Fiesa Beach
Piran, Slovenia
Gümüşlük Beach
Bodrum, Türkiye
Hamresanden
Kristiansand, Norway
Hornbæk Beach
North Zealand, Denmark
Hvervenbukta
Oslo, Norway
Ingierstrand
Oslofjord, Nordre Follo, Norway
Jaz Beach
Budva, Montenegro
Kołobrzeg Beach
Kołobrzeg, West Pomerania, Poland
Lara Beach
Antalya, Türkiye
Makronissos Beach
Ayia Napa, Cyprus
Marielyst
Falster, Denmark
Maronti Beach
Ischia, Campania, Italy
Mylopotas Beach
Ios, Greece
Neum Beach
Neum, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Ostend Beach
Ostend, Belgium
Palanga Beach
Palanga, Lithuania
Plaja 2 Mai
Limanu, Constanța, Romania
Portorož Beach
Portorož, Slovene Istria, Slovenia
Praia da Foz do Arelho
Óbidos Lagoon, Leiria, Portugal
Praia do Martinhal
Sagres, Algarve, Portugal
Shëngjin Beach
Lezhë, Albania
Velipojë Beach
Shkodër, Albania
Warnemünde
Rostock, Germany

When to go

Most of the 143 beaches listed here are at their best June to September, with the season peaking in July. In the warm season the sea runs from about 17°C at Bystranda up to ~29°C at Cleopatra Beach, averaging 23°C across the list. 34 stay in season into October.

Frequently asked questions

Where are Europe's best city & resort beaches?

Of the 143 city & resort beaches on the atlas, most are in Italy (17), Spain (12) and Croatia (11); Sveti Stefan Beach in Montenegro is the most renowned.

Which city & resort beach has the warmest sea?

Cleopatra Beach in Türkiye — typically ~29°C in the warm season.

When is the best time for city & resort beaches?

Most are at their best June to September, peaking in July.