From Italy to Greece, France to Croatia, these secluded beaches in Europe offer all the beautiful views and none of the crowds.
There’s a reason we’ve written so much about beaches. They provide pretty much all you could ever ask of a vacation (sun, parties, adventure), and European beaches stand out among other sandy shores.
Many of them curve around bright, Mediterranean waters backdropped by dramatic cliffs. There’s a trove of soft sand, sea caves, and beach bars to explore all over the continent. And though they’re known for attracting jet-setting party crowds, not all of them are teeming with people. There are certain hidden corners of popular destinations where you’ll find quiet coastlines that you can make your own.
Here, 15 of Europe’s most beautiful, best secluded beaches for the next time you really need to get away.
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1. San Giovanni di Sinis, Sardinia, Italy
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The north coast of Sardinia is famous for its sugar-sanded, Maldives-style beaches, which is why everyone flocks there. But all of Sardinia's coastline is spectacular — you just have to work a little harder to reach the less obvious beaches. The east coast offers one spectacular cove after the next, but they can be steep and inaccessible, and you don't want to go rock climbing on vacation.
So, my vote goes to the west coast, where the long, dune-humped Sinis peninsula dangles into the Mediterranean, about half an hour from Oristano. Ending in a natural reserve, one beach melts into the next — my favorite, just after the village of San Giovanni di Sinis, is a quick stumble across the dunes from some bar shacks, and it sits dramatically in the shadow of the ruined Roman citadel of Tharros.