Beaches in Europe
Without the masses of tourists and just a short (1,5 hour) ferry ride away from Santorini, Anafi is a great small island to kick back and relax for a few days. The hilltop town of Hora feels like it hasn't changed all that much in the last 20 years and the local people still live there, work there and sit in front of their houses and on the squares. By vehicle you can get to the other end of the island in less than a half hour and on foot it takes a couple. There is a small monastery and a hiking trail to the top of the enormous rock where you find beautiful views and another small monastery. The beaches on Anafi are not exceptional but nice with beautiful calm waters. Although it's not officially allowed, many people camp out on some of the beaches. All in all, it's a great island to escape the tourism madness of Santorini for a couple of days!
When you climb the Acropolis, you realize Athens is quite close to the sea. It only takes a tram or bus ride to reach the coast, which is dotted with both public and private beaches. Mind you, they're nothing like the ones on the islands, but if you can't wait, Athens' beaches make a nice side trip from the dust and heat in downtown. A thumb of rule, the further you get from Athens, the nicer the beaches, and the private beaches are definitely better than the scruffy, but free, public ones. But all of them are good for people watching.
For the water sports fan, this is one of the places to be in Greece. Vassiliki is especially known for its windsurfing. During most of the day there isn't much more than a gentle breeze, but in the afternoons the wind picks up for about 3 hours. This is because of the layout of the mountains where the hot wind is sucked down, which creates a nice steady and strong wind at one side of the bay of Vassiliki. There are plenty of other water sports to do such as sailing, sea kayaking to beautiful sandy beaches (where you can stay overnight) and there are nice dive sites around. Also mountain biking is a good option if you can stand the heat on land or come in spring or fall.
Neighboring L'Ancresse Beach and Pembroke Beach are gorgeous and make out the longest stretch of sand on Guernsey. They're surrounded by a golf course and several loophole towers stand on the rocky outcrops. Along the beaches runs a concrete anti-tank wall built by the Nazis during WWII.
The beach at Petit Bot Bay is protected by steep cliffs on both sides. The bay has always been easy accessible from both land and sea, so it has been necessary to defend the bay. A loophole tower (no 13) was built during the early 19th century, when the threat of a French attack was very real. That tower was also used by the Nazis during WWII as a part of Hitler's "Atlantic Wall". The cafe that stands today is a reconstruction of a mill building the Nazis destroyed when they were raided in 1944.
Some beaches are named after how long they are, but that is not the case with Inch Beach for it's about 5 km. The beach has an unusual location on a small peninsula sticking out from the bigger Dingle Peninsula. The long waves roll straight on to the beach, making it a perfect place to surf - if you don't mind the cold temperatures. You will be spoiled with pretty views over Inch Beach and the bay on a backdrop of mountains, as you approach the beach from Dingle town.
The seaside resort town of Rimini is Italy's mini version of Costa del Sol. A long sandy beach fringed by an equal long row of tall hotels, restaurants, and bars. The wide beach is packed with loungers, umbrellas and sun tanned bodies in speedos and bikinis. In August the density is so great that it's not possible to see neither the sea or sand from the road 100 m away. Disco tones from the beach bars have people up and dance on the sand, even during the day, and there might even be an aerobic class somewhere too. Any kind of water sports are of course available. Yes, Rimini is cheesy, but it's a fun place to chill and people watch.
Stretching for more than 7 km and facing the Atlantic Ocean, this magnificent beach has been a playground for surfers since the 1920's. There are several surf clubs, as well as cafes, dotted along the shore. The beach is patrolled by lifeguards during season, so swimmers should only swim between the flags, as there can be strong currents. During the WWII, the Nazis built an anti-tank wall of concrete along the entire length of the beach, which still stands today. So no matter the season, St Ouen's Bay is always a great place to take a stroll, either on the sand or on top of the wall.
Latvia's beach resort number one is Jūrmala hands down. The white sand beach stretches for more than 20 km along the Baltic Sea (well, actually the Gulf of Riga). In the past it was the summer playground for the Soviet elite, but now the sunbathing is done by the region's rich, famous and those who want to be seen, including new-rich Russians who add the flavour of kitsch which suits Jūrmala so well. A restored Soviet-era five stars hotel lies straight down to the waterfront, side by side with old wooden mansions and low-rise family homes. The town still has a lot of the traditional colourful wooden houses, but they are slowly getting bought up and replaced by more contemporary apartamentos for the holidaymakers. Though not Ibiza, Jūrmala can still be a lot of fun - but try to be here in summer!
Palanga Beach is Lithuania’s version of Costa del Sol. The long wide beach attracts both families, old couples and young partygoers. In high season during summer, it’s probably the most expensive town in Lithuania and it’s wisely to make reservation in advance for accommodation. The main strip, which runs perpendicular to the beach, is lined with restaurants, bars with tacky live music, and kitschy amusements. But outside the holiday zone, Palanga is surprisingly appealing with endless tracks only for bicycles and pedestrians through parks and forests. And then there is the beach, which is so wide and long that you can always pick a spot that suits you.