Europe's best beaches and when to go
A list of beaches without saying which month to go is useless. These are grouped by what you're after, with the month that works for each.
If you want clear water
The Greek Ionian islands, Sardinia and Formentera are the benchmark. Croatia's water is just as clear, but nearly all beaches are stone: bring water shoes. June or September is ideal for all three, when the water is warm and the crowds haven't arrived.
If you want fine sand and long beaches
Fuerteventura, Portugal's Algarve and the Ebro Delta. The first works year-round, the Algarve is good June to September with somewhat cool water, and the Delta has very fine sand and shallow water.
If you want few people
Costa da Morte and the Rías Baixas in Galicia, the Almería coast and the smaller Greek islands. All have enormous, near-empty beaches even in August. The price is cold water in Galicia and no shade in Almería.
If you're going with children
Look for shallow, waveless water: the Mar Menor in Murcia, the Tarragona coast, the northern coves of Menorca and the Ionian beaches of Kefalonia. All with gentle entry and no currents.
If you want beach plus something else
Sardinia combines beaches with nuraghe sites and mountains. Sicily mixes sand with Greek temples and baroque towns. And the Costa Brava has the coastal path linking the coves along the cliff edge on foot.
What almost nobody checks: wind
In the Greek Aegean the meltemi blows hard in July and August, making north-facing beaches uncomfortable and cancelling ferries. The Ionian islands barely feel it. And Fuerteventura is windy year-round: wonderful for surfing, annoying for sunbathing.
The month that almost always wins
The first half of September. The water is at its annual peak, having absorbed a whole summer of heat, and prices have already fallen. The best window of the year across most of Mediterranean Europe.
How to choose without going wrong
Check three things before booking: whether the beach is sand or stone, whether it has natural shade or facilities, and how you get there and park. Many of Europe's prettiest beaches are reached by steps or have car parks that fill by ten in the morning.
Keep reading
Browse every beach destination, or go back to the board and filter by month.