From setting up a brightly coloured umbrella for the day on a buzzy, golden Mediterranean strand to hiking out to wild Atlantic beaches where waves roll onto pearlescent sand, Spain’s hugely varied coastline has a playa to match most travel styles. You’ll often find me, for example, hopping between the wild blond beaches around Tarifa or Vejer de la Frontera on the bewitching Costa de la Luz in Cadiz, to which I return year after year. Or perhaps going swimming off the calm, sunny pebble coves surrounded by rocky cliffs somewhere along the Costa Tropical in Granada, near where I grew up in southern Andalusia.
Setting aside Spain’s two main island groups (the Balearics and the Canaries, which feel like beach destinations in their own right), the mainland’s Mediterranean shoreline is home to all the best-loved costas. Gentle waters, easily accessible sands and plenty of family-friendly facilities draw millions of holidaymakers each year, and it pays to book ahead for all the most coveted locations. Even in these busier pockets, though, it’s often possible to find more secluded coves by walking out along the surrounding coast. Spain’s cooler northern shoreline, meanwhile, is now slowly making its way onto the international-travel map, but it still remains primarily popular with Spanish beachgoers, drawn by the back-to-nature Atlantic beaches, the lively surf scene and the dramatic green landscapes. Then there is Andalusia’s Atlantic coast, between Tarifa and Portugal, which has its own refreshingly wild feel.
This collection of tempting beach holidays combines classic, beloved coastal destinations with more offbeat picks in lesser-known pockets of Spain. If it’s possible to sidestep the peak-tourism months of July and August in the most popular seaside spots, you’ll find fewer crowds and better-value accommodation. Many of Spain’s beaches are still delightful — and swimmable — in May/June or September/October. For anyone hoping to skip the flight, ferries from southern England open up several beach destinations across Spain’s north coast, while slow-travel train routes through France are handy for reaching the Med, particularly Catalonia’s beaches.
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1. Vejer de la Frontera, Andalusia
Los Caños de Meca is 20 minutes from Vejer
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The pueblo blanco of Vejer might sit a few miles inland from Cadiz’s central Costa de la Luz but it’s still one of Andalusia’s most magical beach holiday bases. Regulars trickle back each year for Vejer’s creative boutique hotels, wonderful tapas bars and restaurants, arty shops and galleries, which are dotted around the meandering whitewashed old town. Within 20 minutes’ drive you can be lazing on the butter-coloured sand in Los Caños de Meca, catching surf waves in El Palmar or swimming off velvety coves framed by earthy orange cliffs in Conil. La Casa del Califa, on Vejer’s buzzing main plaza, is a 20-room joy of a boutique hotel with stylish antiques and a north Africa-inspired restaurant.
Details B&B doubles from £80. Fly to Jerez or Gibraltar
2. Valencia
Outdoor living is the essence of Spain’s sunny third largest city, which combines a lively historic centre (the Ciutat Vella), a wave of modernist architecture and a fabulous food scene. Throw in a 3.5-mile beachfront around the old fishing quarter of El Cabanyal and the careful restoration of local beaches after last year’s tragic floods, and Valencia makes an ideal, easy-to-reach coastal break. For a beachfront stay, Hotel Boutique Balandret has light-filled rooms (some with Med-view balconies) across the promenade from the golden sands of Platja del Cabanyal. Away from the sea, go cycling through the lovely Turia Gardens, check out the wonders of the Central Market and hang out in the cool Ruzafa district.
Details B&B doubles from £79. Fly to Valencia
• 14 of the best affordable hotels in Spain for under £150
3. Costa Tropical, Andalusia
Playa del Cantarrijan welcomes nudists
ALAMY
The relaxed “tropical coast” of Granada province gets fewer visitors than the neighbouring Costa del Sol. Pick from carefree La Herradura, a seafront town with a sweeping sand-and-pebble beach, or livelier Almuñecar, which has three grey-stone beaches and a charmingly tangled historic core topped by a Moorish castle (£3.30; almunecar.es). There’s great kayaking and paddleboarding from La Herradura, where Windsurf La Herradura offers rentals and tours (windsurflaherradura.com). Or spend a day at Playa de Cantarrijan, a nudist-friendly pair of coves hidden within the protected Maro-Cerro Gordo Cliffs Natural Park. Local accommodation options are mostly small-scale, independent places such as B&B El Oasis, with a pool and rustic-design rooms a short drive inland.
Details B&B doubles from £72 (sawdays.co.uk). Fly to Granada or Malaga
4. Malaga, Andalusia
Malaga’s old town combines cultural and historical appeal
With its prized location just a few steps from the soft grey sands of La Malagueta, the century-old Gran Hotel Miramar instantly immerses guests in Malaga’s city beach scene. Completely revamped a few years ago, it’s now a five-star haven with elegant rooms, a spa and an eye-catching angular pool among palm-filled gardens. Pop across the promenade for swimming followed by a lunch of freshly grilled espetos (skewered sardines) and tinto de verano (red wine with lemonade) at any of the sandside restaurants. Malaga’s compact old town is right on the doorstep too, with highlights including a Moorish Alcazaba (£3; malaga.eu) and a wave of galleries led by the unmissable Museo Picasso (£11; museopicassomalaga.org).
Details Three nights’ room only from £419pp, including flights and transfers (britishairways.com)
5. Getxo, Basque Country
The Palacio Arriluce Hotel overlooks Bilbao’s estuary
MARIA IZKUE
In the early 20th century Getxo, just north of Bilbao, was a popular coastal hub for a wealthy local crowd. And the recent opening of the five-star Palacio Arriluce Hotel is the perfect excuse to rediscover this laid-back enclave. Overlooking Bilbao’s estuary, the 1912 palace has been converted with an arty, boutique edge and a creative Basque restaurant courtesy of the chef Beñat Ormaetxea. The sandy, dark gold Ereaga beach swoops along Getxo’s shoreline, and there’s a local pintxo bar scene in the old port of Algorta at the north end. For anyone curious about the region’s surf culture, nearby Barinatxe is a naturally spectacular beach with rolling waves. And Bilbao’s urban thrills (Guggenheim included) are all on the doorstep.
Details B&B doubles from £337. Fly to Bilbao
6. Altea, Valencia
Altea is known for its pretty centre
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Among southern Valencia’s many Costa Blanca beach towns, Altea is popular for its small, charming historic centre, much of which dates from Moorish times. It’s the kind of place where you end up simply wandering through the whitewashed streets, perhaps popping into a local gallery, checking out the domed 20th-century church and drinking in the rippling coastal views along the way. The calm, central pebble beaches of La Roda and Espigo have good swimming, and there’s also rewarding snorkelling. For more secluded coves, head north towards Moraira and Xabia. La Serena offers a boutique old-town stay with a sun-dappled pool overlooking Altea’s rust-tiled rooftops.
Details B&B doubles from £150. Fly to Alicante
• I live in Valencia. This is why now’s the time to visit
7. Marbella, Andalusia
Marbella is the the Costa del Sol’s beach holiday queen
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Over the past few years, the Costa del Sol’s glitzy beach holiday queen has been busy revamping its compact old town. Now remnants of its Moorish-era fortress loom above boho-chic boutiques, restored mansions and alleys filled with terracotta-potted geraniums. Fronting two sandy beaches on the edge of the historic centre, the five-star El Fuerte Marbella is one of the town’s original hotels, having opened in the 1950s. It has recently been relaunched following a glossy makeover by the Barcelona-based Jaime Beriestain Studio, bringing in rich Mediterranean colours and lots of natural light, and has a view-drenched rooftop with an infinity dip pool.
Details Four nights’ B&B from £739pp, including flights and transfers
8. Cabo de Gata, Andalusia
Cabo de Gata is refreshingly undeveloped
ALAMY
Take advantage of new easyJet flights from the UK to Almeria for an escape to the refreshingly undeveloped Cabo de Gata. A protected 130 square mile parque natural curled into Andalusia’s southeast corner, Cabo de Gata specialises in raw honey-coloured and silver-tinged beaches of powdery sand, including Playa de los Genoveses and Playa de Monsul. Many involve a short hike to reach them. You can hire bikes in small towns like San Jose to explore the stark, dusty landscapes and ancient watchtowers, and go snorkelling, kayaking or diving. The adults-only Cortijo Siete Calas is a chic desert-coloured conversion of an old farmhouse between Rodalquilar and El Playazo beaches.
Details B&B doubles from £144. Fly to Almeria
9. San Sebastian, Basque Country
San Sebastian’s Playa de la Concha is dazzling
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Few urban beaches in Europe dazzle quite like San Sebastian’s Playa de la Concha, a curving sweep of pale golden sand within a sheltered bay, alongside an oceanfront promenade that buzzes year-round. There’s more to beach culture in this famously food-loving Basque city too, including a simmering local surf scene over on Playa de Zurriola, bordering the Gros district. If you fancy following the cliffside hiking trail to Pasaia (a collection of hamlets dotted along a deep estuary nearby), there’s a chance to go swimming off a hidden rocky cove along the way. Just south of San Sebastian’s Parte Vieja, Room Mate Gorka has bright, stylishly smart rooms in a renovated 20th-century building.
Details Three nights’ room only from £340pp, including flights and transfers
10. Chiclana de la Frontera, Andalusia
La Barrosa beach is home to a five-star hotel
ALAMY
This summer Jet2 is launching a fresh crop of holidays to Costa de la Luz, flying into Jerez from Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham. The surfy, gold-tinged beaches around Chiclana de la Frontera, south of Cadiz city, are known for having some of the most luxurious Andalusian coastal resorts beyond Marbella. Local highlights include exploring Chiclana’s under-the-radar vineyards, which specialise in sherries and muscatel wines. Stay at the Palacio de Gran Melia Sancti Petri, a Mudejar-inspired five-star hotel on La Barrosa beach; it is also home to the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Alevante, led by the top Andalusian chef Ángel León.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,136pp, including flights and transfers
• 18 of the best all-inclusive hotels in Spain
11. Rias Altas, Galicia
Rias Altas is on Galicia’s less touristy northern shoreline
ALAMY
Spain’s coastal drama peaks in the plunging cliffs, lighthouse-dotted capes and ashen-toned beaches of the Rias Altas, on Galicia’s less touristy northern shoreline. Cedeira, a colourful fishing town tucked into an ocean inlet an hour’s drive from La Coruña, makes a great base. It has a relaxed beach scene centred on calm, sandy Praia da Madalena, plus other wilder strands to discover nearby, such as Praia de Vilarrube and Praia de Pantin (a north-coast surf hub). Part of the fun is staying at the delightful Hotel Herbeira, where 16 sharply styled rooms, a pool and coastal views await.
Details Room-only doubles from £50. Fly to La Coruña
12. Costa Calida, Murcia
Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf and Spa makes switching off easy
It’s easy to flop right into relaxed beach mode at the swish Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf and Spa on the Costa Calida in Murcia. Coastal palettes of sea blue and dusty orange infuse the smart calming rooms, which have recently been given a chic Mediterranean-inspired makeover. That said, the resort is well known for its sporting facilities, including an array of tennis and padel courts, and there’s excellent kayaking, paddleboarding and even kitesurfing to enjoy nearby. A little further afield you can discover quiet coves reached along dusty footpaths in the protected Parque Regional de Calblanque.
Details Four nights’ room only from £764pp, including flights and transfers
13. Ribadesella, Asturias
Ribadesella is an hour from Oviedo
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An easygoing Asturian beach town on the Rio Sella estuary, an hour’s drive from Oviedo, Ribadesella has a divine long stretch of flaxen sand in Playa de Santa Marina. Just across the river some great seafood restaurants and cider bars lie dotted around its small old town. Other untouched beaches near Ribadesella include Playa de Vega, within a protected nature reserve. Then there are the thrills of kayaking along the river from neighbouring Arriondas, glimpsing Unesco-listed prehistoric cave art at the Cueva de Tito Bustillo and hiking in the Picos de Europa mountains just inland. Villa Rosario is an elegantly restored 1914 mansion with a Michelin-starred restaurant on Ribadesella’s promenade.
Details B&B doubles from £76. Fly to Asturias or Santander
14. Alicante, Valencia
The four-star Melia Alicante has fabulous sea views
Alicante makes things easy for beach-seeking visitors, with a sandy city strand (El Postiguet), one of Spain’s sunniest climates and plenty of waterfront accommodation. Recent years have seen a blossoming food scene and, for 2025, Alicante has scored the coveted title of Spanish Capital of Gastronomy. There’s also the maze-like Barri Vell Santa Creu (Alicante’s historic quarter) to explore, while high above stands the medieval Castillo de Santa Barbara fortress (free; castillodesantabarbara.com). Tui’s raft of Alicante holidays includes a beachfront stay at the four-star Melia Alicante, which has crisply contemporary rooms, two pools and views over the beach, marina and castle.
Details Three nights’ room only from £437pp, including flights and transfers
15. Tarifa, Andalusia
Tarifa is home to some of Spain’s prettiest white-sand beaches
ALAMY
There’s a stylishly relaxed energy to Tarifa, the small town perched on mainland Spain’s southern tip, best known for its windsurfing and kitesurfing scenes. Tarifa sits at one end of Cadiz province’s largely undeveloped Costa de la Luz, and the beaches here are some of Spain’s most gorgeous, with miles of soft golden sand backed by bottle-green umbrella-pine forests. After relaxing on the dune-fringed Punta Paloma or at the beachfront chiringuitos (beach bars) along Playa de Valdevaqueros, head into town for local cheeses, wines and other bites at the relaxed tapas bars El Lola or El Frances. Tarifa Beach Houses has a selection of dreamy independent self-catering properties in the area, including the secluded, off-grid Wallpaper House, which sleeps six and has views of Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Details One night’s self-catering for six from £162 (tarifabeachhouses.com). Fly to Malaga or Gibraltar
16. Begur, Catalonia
Cala d’Aiguablava in Catalonia
SHUTTERSTOCK
The Costa Brava brims with villages built from honey-coloured stone, but you can’t beat Begur, a hillside beauty with a tangle of narrow streets spread beneath a ruined medieval castle. Though Begur itself isn’t quite on the beach, the surrounding coastline is dotted with sparkling coves fringed by pine forests or rocky outcrops. Many of these are connected by hiking trails (including routes from Begur), and in summer shuttle buses zip between Begur and several nearby beaches. Aiguafreda, Aiguablava and Illa Roja are all spectacular. Begur has recently grown into a bit of a hub for boutique-hotel escapes. Hotel Aiguaclara is a creatively converted 19th-century mansion with ten boldly styled rooms (moody hues, botanical prints) and a fun small-plates restaurant.
Details B&B doubles from £71. Fly to Girona or Barcelona
17. Costa da Morte, Galicia
The Costa da Morte is named after the many shipwrecks
ALAMY
Spanish holidaymakers rave about the coastal charms of Spain’s northwest corner. Head to the southernmost part of green Galicia’s Costa da Morte (“Coast of Death”), named after the many shipwrecks here, to discover untamed beaches of fine sand, a thriving surf scene and some of the country’s most delectable seafood. The Atlantic waves might feel chillier than the east coast’s Mediterranean waters (and not all beaches here are safe for swimming), but the rewards are obvious at magical, rolling strands such as Praia de Nemiña, Praia de Lires, and Praia da Langosteira near the wonderful Cape Finisterre. With extra time, you could combine all this with the lovely, beachy Cies Islands, near Vigo. Finisterre’s Hotel Mar da Ardora has modern, unfussy ocean-view rooms with balconies and an intimate spa with a pool warmed by solar power.
Details B&B doubles from £84. Fly to Santiago de Compostela or La Coruña
18. Santander, Cantabria
Santander can be reached on a two-night ferry from Portsmouth
WILLIAN JUSTEN DE VASCONCELLOS
A two-night ferry journey from Portsmouth drops you in one of northern Spain’s most rewarding urban beach hubs, with beautifully green countryside sprawling beyond. Santander’s crop of gold-sand beaches includes the calm Playa de los Bikinis, the vast El Sardinero and Playa de Mataleñas, a sparkling cove curled beneath the cliffs. Or hop on a boat across the bay to Playa de Somo, which has a surfy edge. The city also happens to be packed with pintxo bars (try Vermuteria Solorzano or Cañadio) and has curious art exhibitions at the Renzo Piano-designed Centro Botín (centrobotin.org). Byway has a week-long Santander-by-ferry trip, staying at the four-star Gran Hotel Sardinero, an early-20th-century landmark building with crisp, nautical-inspired rooms opposite the beach.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,270pp, including ferry
19. Llanes, Asturias
Beach lovers will be in their element around Llanes, a fishing port town in northern Spain
ALAMY
Halfway between Santander and Gijon, on Spain’s surf-washed north coast, you’ll find a fun, mostly Spanish beach-holiday scene around the fishing port of Llanes. Colourfully painted houses with Asturian-style glassed-in wooden balconies and relaxed, seafood-driven tapas bars line the small medieval old town. Beach lovers should head straight for the surrounding coastline, perhaps to the twin options of Toranda and Torimbia (this last a long-established nudist beach), both dazzling half moons of deep-gold sand framed by green hills. There are some wonderful little independent hotels in this pocket of Asturias, including La Posada, with rooms dotted around a design-led country house and several other architecturally creative buildings.
Details B&B doubles from £73. Fly to Santander or Asturias
20. Cadaques, Catalonia
Cadaques, a pretty beach town on the Costa Brava, has plenty of secret coves
ALAMY
On the northern stretch of the Costa Brava, Cadaques has to be one of Spain’s prettiest beach towns, with a web of whitewashed streets and small, grey-pebble coves for cooling off in the Med. More heavenly, tiny beaches are hidden away on the Cap de Creus peninsula, a popular walk from Cadaques. On Portlligat bay, visit the former home of the surrealist Salvador Dalí, with its giant rooftop eggs (£12.50; salvador-dali.org). Cadaques is also an understated gastronomic hub — book ahead for Compartir, whose innovative small-plates menus are so popular the team opened another branch in Barcelona (compartircadaques.com). The adults-only Tramuntana Hotel is a boutique old-town retreat in a coolly converted townhouse with 11 bright and beachy rooms.
Details Room-only doubles from £105. Fly to Girona
21. Sotogrande, Andalusia
Sotogrande is between Marbella and Gibraltar
MICHELLE CHAPLOW / HOTEL ESSENCE PHOTOGRAPHY
The quiet Andalusian coast just outside Sotogrande, between Marbella and Gibraltar, is welcoming Spain’s luxe flagship property from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts this spring. Set on a sloping green hillside with views of the Rock of Gibraltar, Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol promises sun-washed rooms that make the most of their Mediterranean setting, a sea-view spa with its own yoga studio, a kids’ club and an Andalusian-rooted restaurant by chef Benito Gómez (who has bagged two Michelin stars for Bardal in Ronda). Sotogrande itself — an exclusive coastal development popular with well-heeled Spaniards — has silvery beaches, a smart marina and buzzy seafront bars.
Details B&B doubles from £333. Fly to Málaga, Gibraltar or Jerez
22. Sitges, Catalonia
Sitges is a star of Catalonia’s coast
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About 25 miles outside Barcelona, beach-loving Sitges is a well-established star of Catalonia’s coast. There are 17 Mediterranean-lapped beaches to relax on, including a string of wild nudist-friendly coves southwest of town that you can hike out to. There is also one of Europe’s liveliest LGBTQ+ scenes; a pretty old town centred on a 17th-century seafront church; and several art-world treasures such as the Museu del Cau Ferrat (£10; museusdesitges.com), once the home of the Catalan modernist painter Santiago Rusiñol. Byway’s seven-day, train-based Tracing the Catalonian Coast holiday combines three nights in Sitges with stops in Tarragona, Girona and Nîmes, on a round-trip from London.
Details Seven nights’ room only from £873pp, including trains and some breakfasts (byway.travel)
23. Cadiz, Andalusia
Cadiz is perfect for a city-and-beach break
ALAMY
A crop of pale gold, Atlantic-whipped beaches sets the scene in Cadiz, arguably Andalusia’s most charismatic beach city. The pretty La Caleta offers swimming and sun-soaking right on the edge of Cadiz’s monument-filled old town, so you can easily clamber up the towers of the oceanside Cathedral (£8; catedraldecadiz.com) and devour some tortillitas de camarones (shrimp fritters) at somewhere like the long-running El Faro before relaxing on the sand. Just south of the historic centre, beach bars, seafood restaurants and surf schools dot the two-mile Playa de la Victoria. Casa de las Cuatro Torres is a boutique old-Cadiz bolt hole in a converted 18th-century building; the calming rooms have bold artwork and some original features like open-stone walls.
Details Room-only doubles from £129. Fly to Jerez or Seville
• Why the history-packed city of Cadiz is a fantastic alternative to Seville
24. Barcelona, Catalonia
Barceloneta beach is a great spot for sunrise paddleboarding
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If an easy beach break with all the urban thrills of one of Spain’s most captivating cities calls, the Mediterranean-side capital of Catalonia is just the ticket. Barcelona’s best beaches are dotted just northeast of the centre, fronting the Poblenou neighbourhood, where you can relax in the sun on gold, sandy strands such as Mar Bella, Bogatell and Nova Icaria. Make the most of the city’s glorious coastal setting with some sunrise paddleboarding — Sea You runs sessions year-round from Barceloneta beach (from £17; seayoubarcelona.com). Just a 20-minute walk from the beachfront, in the buzzy El Born district, new boutiquey four-star Borneta has a rooftop dip pool and creative tapas at its in-house restaurant, Volta.
Details Room-only doubles from £146. Fly to Barcelona
25. Huelva, Andalusia
Huelva’s wild beaches are surrounded by dunes and forests
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Huelva province’s stretch of Andalusian coast ripples all the way to the Portuguese border and remains mostly off-radar among international visitors. It has a crop of understated resorts popular with Spaniards (such as Isla Cristina, Punta Umbría and Matalascañas), but the beaches feel wild and relaxed, many of them backed by low dunes and quiet pine forests. A highlight is the chance to explore the 210 sq mile Parque Nacional de Doñana, a Unesco-protected haven home to rare Iberian lynx and other creatures. There’s even a 17-mile national-park beach, only accessible on foot from Matalascañas or glimpsed on an offroad-vehicle Doñana tour (from £29; donanavisitas.es). Stay at the four-star Parador de Mazagón, which has smart, light-flooded rooms with terraces and a pool with ocean views just steps from a cliff-edged beach between Matalascañas and Mazagon.
Details Room-only doubles from £77. Fly to Seville
Have we missed any? Add your suggestions in the comments
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