Alternative beach breaks: 12 quiet holiday spots in Europe

1. Montenegro

Best for: Croatia converts seeking a quieter break

With family-friendly resorts, charming seaside towns and pretty pebbled beaches, Croatia is a classic beach break. But you’ll discover similar splendour without the crowds in nearby Montenegro.

Small but mighty is how you’d describe Montenegro’s 294km (183 miles) of Adriatic coastline that extends south of Croatia. Active beach bums will want to make a beeline for Budva. Once you’ve tried your hand at parasailing and sea kayaking, you can guzzle cocktails in Budva’s trendy beach clubs.

For quieter beach breaks with the family, look to Bečići and Petrovac. Both resorts have an idyllic sand-shingle sweep book-ended by lush green mountains reminiscent of Croatia’s Dalmatian coast.

2. Sardinia, Italy

Best for: Majorca vibes without the masses

Despite excellent beaches on every coast, the island of Sardinia doesn’t draw anything close to the same volume of visitors as Majorca.

Find Sardinia’s best sunbathing spots along the northern Costa Smeralda, home to the island’s most glamorous resorts. Western Alghero is also excellent for kicking back on a beach, but the most peaceful pace can be found amid the baroque beauty of towns such as Oristano.

And you won’t long for the Moorish forts of Majorca: Sardinia’s crumbling nuraghe (towers), which date right back to the Iron Age, add mystery to the island’s stunning coast.

3. Halkidiki, Greece

Best for: A quieter take on the Greek islands

With all the Greek island charm you’d expect from the likes of Rhodes, Crete and Santorini – but with a fraction of the crowds – it’s surprising more travellers haven’t already made their way to Halkidiki.

Known for its three peninsulas that jut out into the sparkling Aegean, this region in northern Greece is a beach lover’s dream. Kassandra, the westernmost peninsula, is the liveliest, where you’ll find the best selection of resorts lining milk-white stretches of sand. The middle, Sithonia, is less developed, scattered with pine-fringed coves calmly lapped by topaz sea.

When you’re not swimming and sunbathing, there are ancient cities to explore, local cuisine to devour and mountain trails to hike.

4. The Azores, Portugal

Best for: An Atlantic alternative to the Canaries

It takes somewhere truly remarkable to beat the Canary Islands’ rugged terrain, volcanic sands and crystalline waters. But the Azores in the North Atlantic might just have the right stuff.

Like the Canaries, this Portuguese archipelago boasts beaches and rippling cliffs, but it remains something of an unknown land for travellers.

Almost all nine islands are ideal for surfing (the largest isle, São Miguel, has the best choice). Alternatively, embrace a quieter pace on Santa Maria island, a patchwork of golden coves, green pastures and whitewashed houses.

The Azores is also one of the world’s best places to whale watch, with one-third of the world’s whale species letting off steam in these deep blue waters.

5. Calabria, Italy

Best for: Amalfi glam without the price tag

The Amalfi Coast doesn’t have the monopoly on glam. The ‘toe’ to Italy’s boot, Calabria is brimming with grand gems.

In Tropea, winding streets snake through its centro storico, offering up stunning sea views in the most unlikely of places. And along its coast, the impressive Santa Maria dell’Isola church is the postcard shot. For a little extra luxury, sailing is one of the top experiences in the area.

Further south is Scilla. Once famous for its star role in Homer’s Odyssey, today the town’s main drawcards are its pretty pastel houses, a sandy beach, and Castello Ruffo, which sits high on a rocky promontory.

6. Parga, Greece

Best for: Algarve addicts after a family-friendly getaway

Plenty of beach destinations rival coastal Portugal, if you know where to look. Parga, on a pine-fringed stretch of mainland Greece, strikes a similar balance between family beaches and lively tavernas.

Sizzle on Krioneri Beach, the most central of Parga’s sunbathing spots, or seek out relative calm on family-friendly Valtos Beach (backed by an excellent camp site). Summer adds fizz to the old town’s bars, but sleepy Parga never gets too raucous.

Beyond the beaches, board a boat to pretty Paxos and Antipaxos, or unleash your inner Lara Croft by rambling the spooky ruins of the Necromanteion 20km southeast of Parga, which the ancient Greeks considered a gateway to the Underworld.

7. Albanian Riviera

Best for: Underrated beaches just a hop from Corfu

For many western European tourists, the name ‘Albania’ elicits more bewilderment than wanderlust. But Albania shares the same Mediterranean waters and balmy weather as Greece and southern Italy.

Though popular with Balkan travellers, only a trickle of foreign visitors arrive to Dhërmi, whose turquoise waters gleam brightly enough to warrant sunglasses, and the islands of Ksamil cove are swimmable from the mainland.

With its blend of clear waters and dreamy villages, a holiday to Albania makes an excellent alternative to Corfu (though we’d warn that Albanian rakia is a little stronger).

*Note: The easiest way to reach the Albanian Riviera is to fly to Corfu and take the cost-effective and quick ferry across to Saranda.

8. Gozo, Malta

Best for: A Malta holiday in miniature

Are you yearning for stress-free island life, with slow food, fresh air and coastal splendour? Malta might be the classic choice, but unsung Gozo also has quiet beach holidays down to a tee.

This laidback lovely has stunning beaches without a resort in sight, boho beach bars and ocean views aplenty. As in Malta, the snorkelling and diving is excellent with clear waters and a number of wrecks to explore, especially the trio at Xatt l-Ahmar (Red Bay).

Marsalforn has some of the island’s best seafood restaurants or head to Ramla Beach for striking red sands you won’t find on Malta.

9. Corsica, France

Best for: A lesser-trodden alternative to Menorca

Menorca may already be quieter than its bigger sister, but for a holiday that feels even more rugged and off the tourist trail, Corsica is just the ticket.

The French island, adrift in the Med above Sardinia, has some 1,000km of coast and nearly 200 beaches. Inland, towering mountains, deep river gorges and dense pine forests make up the bulk of a wonderfully untouched interior.

Quicken your pulse along Corsica’s GR-20 hiking path or plunge into snorkel-worthy waters along the shores of La Balagne. With lavender and heather perfuming the sea breeze, and cuisine overflowing with blossom honey, boar saucisson and rich Brin d’Amour cheese, Corsica will beguile you through all five senses.

10. Costa de Almeria, Spain

Best for: Spanish sunshine with a side of solitude

More than 200km (125 miles) of coastline separates Spain’s iconic Costa del Sol from the equally famous Costa Blanca. This lesser-developed stretch, spared from the tourism boom of the 1960s due to poor road connections, is the Costa de Almeria – and it’s just as fabulous as its more popular neighbours.

Roquetas de Mar is the region’s biggest resort town with plenty of family-friendly beaches to keep kids entertained all day, but you’ll find even better stretches at the protected Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park.

If that’s not enough sand, a holiday to Costa de Almeria puts you within touching distance of the Tabernas Desert, Europe’s only desert.

11. Çirali, Turkey

Best for: Paphos fans up for an adventure

Paphos’s beaches and ancient ruins are hard to beat, but you’ll find their likeness in Çirali, about 90 minutes south of Antalya.

Just like Paphos’s Lara Bay, carretta carretta loggerhead turtles flock to Çirali’s 3km (2 miles) sand and pebble beach; thanks to conservation efforts, their nesting numbers have recently hit a 30-year high. The adorable residents have kept development on the beach to a minimum but it’s still superb territory for catching some rays.

Beyond the beach, the ruins of an ancient Greek settlement are hidden beneath the hulking form of Mount Olympos, while the mysterious rock flames of Yanartaş, about an hour’s walk away, really fire the imagination.

12. Alentejo, Portugal

Best for: Wild beaches quieter than the Costa Brava

Like the Costa Brava, Alentejo boasts a wild and rocky coastline punctuated with swathes of golden sand.

Some of Portugal’s best beaches are here, including Odeceixe Beach, a soft-sand stretch at the mouth of the Ribeira de Seixe river, and upmarket Praia da Comporta, where in-the-know A-listers have been flocking to for years.

The Fisherman’s Trail runs 227km (141 miles) right along the coast and is superb for avid hikers looking for a challenge. Choose one of the 13 day-long walks for a snapshot of what makes Alentejo’s dramatic coastline so special.