BEST BEACHES IN EUROPE IN 2015

By: Christian Stan

Best Beaches in Europe in 2015. From the Turkish Riviera to Croatia, Spain, Portugal and the lovely Greek Islands here are the most beautiful beaches you can find in Europe. Pack your bags and don’t forget your swimsuit, unless you are planning to go to Croatia, where bathing in the nude is something common.

If it’s sand and sun you are hankering for, look no further than these amazing beaches in Europe. We have selected for you the best beaches in Europe in 2015.

1. Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia, Greece

Myrtos is often lauded as one of the most dramatic beaches in Greece with its mile-and-a-half long arc of dazzling white pebbles that cuts deep into a sheer cliff on the island’s northwest coast. Film buffs will recognise it as the location for the mine explosion in “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” ( starring Penelope Cruz and Nicholas Cage) and the first time you catch sight of it from the coast road high above is truly memorable.

Unless you can handle the sun all day, this is a great spot to come in the late afternoon for a glorious Ionian sunset. Despite its popularity, the beach has been kept free of watersports, so swimming is the only exercise available

2. Kaputas Beach, Turkey

On the breathtaking road between Kalkan and Kas, the beach at Kaputas is formed by a gorge that opens out into a stretch of sand. The long flight of steps down from the road means there are no facilities on the beach, so take water and a parasol if you’re planning to stay a while.

It’s a popular beach with locals, which gives it a very different feel to many of Turkey’s more accessible stretches of coastline. Dolmuses (minibuses) between Kalkan and Kas stop off at Patara, and if you go on a windy day there are fabulous waves.

3. Porto Katsiki, Lefkada, Greece

Porto Katsiki beach on Lefkada Island is one of the most beautiful Greek beaches and top the list of best beaches in Europe. It is situated 40 kilometers southwest of Lefkada Town, the island’s capital city.

Porto Katsiki beach looks truly fascinating surrounded by incredible hills which make it accessible only by 80 steep steps descending along the cliff.

This is one of the most favorite beaches and it is considered to be one of the island’s major attractions. Porto Katsiki owes its fame to fascinating landscape and most of all, crystal clear blue sea. Golden sandy beach adds a beauty to the overall impression of Porto Katsiki.

4. Zlatni Rat Beach, Croatia

The Zlatni Rat, often referred to as the Golden Cape or Golden Horn (translated from the local Chakavian dialect), is a spit of land located about 2 kilometres (1 mile) west from the harbour town of Bol on the southern coast of the Croatian island of Brač, in the region of Dalmatia.

The pine tree grove which borders the beach is home to the remnants of a Roman villa rustica, which included a swimming pool. The westernmost edge of the beach, and several coves to the west of the main beach, are traditionally occupied by naturists.

5. Ursa Beach, Portugal

Situated in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, the Ursa Beach has a gorgeous landscape, surrounded by nature, considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal and Europe, The access to the beach is a bit steep and difficult, but undoubtedly worth the effort, and can take up to one hour.

Don’t leave without visiting Cabo da Roca, the westernmost tip of mainland Europe. Whilst not a bathing beach in its own right, Cabo da Roca is certainly worth the trip to stand on the last remaining outpost before the Atlantic gives way to the exciting shores of the new world.

6. Dune du Pilat, France

Located in the Landes of Gascony, at the entrance to the famous Arcachon Bay, and facing the tip of Cap Ferret in the department of Gironde, the Dune of Pilat (or Pyla) is the highest dune in Europe.  Visited every year by more than one million people, this itinerant sandy formation by the sea, listed as a “grand national site” in 1978, offers an exceptional panorama of the Ocean, Arcachon Bay, the trenches, Cap Ferret, the islands, the Banc d’Arguin Nature Reserve and the beautiful forest of the coastline from its summit.

Today, the dune has taken on some exceptional dimensions: 1.7 miles from north to south and 500 metres from west to east. It comprises 60 million cubed metres of sand deposited by the wind; its altitude varies from 100 to 117 metres above sea level; and its slope is steeper on the inland side than on the coastal side (the Atlantic Ocean). Every year, it advances one to five metres inland, invading constructions (houses, roads), devouring several cement fortifications built during the construction of the Atlantic Wall, during the Second World War, and is progressively burying the pine forest.

7. Baia delle Zagare, Puglia, Italy

The coast of Gargano houses numerous beaches and tourist facilities, including resorts such as Vieste, Peschici and Mattinata. The two major salt lakes of Lesina and Varano are located in the northern part of the peninsula. Monte Gargano is the site of the oldest shrine in Western Europe dedicated to the archangel Michael, Monte Sant’Angelo sul Gargano. Other tourist attractions include the cathedral, the episcopal palace, the Abbey of Santa Maria of Ripalta and the volcanic rocks dating back to the Triassic Period, known as “Black Stones”, as well as the Sanctuary of San Nazario.

In this area you will find Baia delle Zagare, one kilometer of a beautiful beach, consisting of gravel and small clear pebbles, enclosed in a beautiful pristine bay. Accessible by land through the namesake hotel, or by sea going through the clear waters and enjoying the view of the imposing limestone cliffs overlooking the sea.

8. Oludeniz Beach, Turkey

Ölüdeniz remains one of the most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean. It has a secluded sandy bay at the mouth of Ölüdeniz, on a blue lagoon.

The beach itself is a pebble beach and the lagoon is a national nature reserve and construction is strictly prohibited. The seawater of Ölüdeniz is famous for its shades of turquoise and aquamarine, while its beach is an official Blue Flag beach, frequently rated among the top 5 beaches in the world by travelers and tourism journals alike.

9. Dunas de Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain

The island Gran Canaria counts a 60 kilometer long coast line, full of beaches. Some of those beaches are considered to be some of the best beaches in Europe as for example „Playa de Maspalomas“, with its 250 hectars of sand dunes or „Playa del Inglés“ with an extension of almost 3 kilometers.

Maspalomas is the most emblematic beach on the island, known for its beauty and singularity. It is a natural reservation area and consists of 403 hectares of sand dunes. This unique landscape was declared “Protected area” in 1987 (nature area of national interest). The beach of Maspalomas is doubtless one of the most visited attractions on Gran Canaria and that since already more than 30 years.

10. Cala Goloritze, Sardinia, Italy

The beach of Cala Goloritzè is located along sardinian northeastern coast, in the north of Arbatax. In 1995 it was elected “Italian National Monument” and it is the most photographed beach in the Ogliastra area.

The bottom is clear and 30 m. high. The white pubbled beach is unique of its kind and its waters colder than normal.