With close to 5,000 miles of coastline and 677 Blue Flag beaches (an international eco-certification for water quality), Spain has something for every kind of beach bum. Living here for the past 16 years, I’ve soaked up sun in the calm Mediterranean, the wild Atlantic, the idyllic Balearics, and the perpetually sunny Canary Islands. This list features my personal favorites, along with recommendations from a handful of trusted locals, with a nod to Formentera instead of Ibiza and the Costa de la Luz over Costa del Sol. Grab your favorite book, your UV-proof foldable beach umbrella, and your polarized shades and come along to the most beautiful beaches in Spain.
Playa de la Concha
La Concha’s shallow, gentle waters and its shell-shaped bay have made it one of Europe’s most celebrated urban beaches, with the hills of San Sebastián rising just beyond the sand.
Photo by ksl/Shutterstock
If you think urban beaches can’t be beautiful, you haven’t been to La Concha. The semicircular bay in the center of the food and surf hot spot of San Sebastián resembles a seashell (hence the name) when viewed from the air or nearby Mount Igueldo. Its calm waters and fine, golden sand make it ideal for families, and some of the city’s most iconic pintxo bars (the Michelin-listed Ganbara, the classic La Cuchara de San Telmo) are less than a 10-minute walk away.
“If you stroll along La Concha from the hotel towards the Nautical Club at sunset, when the tide is low, the changing light over Santa Clara Island and the surrounding hills creates one of San Sebastián’s most beautiful moments,” says Carlos Cardona, hotel manager at the beachside Nobu Hotel San Sebastián.
Praia de Augas Santas
At low tide, the arches of Playa de las Catedrales emerge along the Cantabrian coast, their cathedral-like formations rising to nearly 90 feet.
Photo by Mazur Travel/Shutterstock
COME FOR: Cathedral-like cliffs that emerge from the Cantabrian Sea
Dramatic rock formations have given this otherworldly beach on the northern coast its popular name: Playa de las Catedrales (Cathedrals Beach). The impressive cliffs—shaped like the archways of a Gothic cathedral—are all but invisible at high tide, but they slowly emerge as the water level drops. Low tide invites you to wander among the arches and caves, gawking at a natural sculpture garden with peaks that rise to nearly 90 feet tall. Check tide schedules to ensure safe access.
The beach’s popularity has led to a daily visitor cap; avoid summer if you can. Fall and winter ensure ample parking to enjoy a range of hiking trails and viewpoints so you can marvel at the landscape without even setting foot on the sand.
Playa del Silencio, Asturias
COME FOR: The silence
WHERE TO STAY: Hotel Valle de las Luiñas, Cudillero
The name says it all: silence. This crescent-shaped shoreline, bordered by steep cliffs, hidden in the lesser-known northern Spanish region of Asturias, isn’t a destination for sunbathing and sangria so much as for hiking and underwater fishing. Visitors park in Castañeras and climb down steep stairs to the beach. It’s not impossible, nor is it easy, especially on the way back, helping keep the crowds at bay. “I like to go early to walk and work up the courage to have a dip in the Cantabrian Sea—which isn’t always warm,” says Gloria Asensio, general manager for Spain & Portugal at Abercrombie & Kent, a travel company that offers private tours and small group adventure vacations around the world. “Afterwards, we drive to El Único in nearby Oviñana, a family-run restaurant where our 16-year-old dog, Smile, is always thoroughly spoiled. We enjoy the freshest zamburiñas [baby scallops], a delicious cachopo—like an Asturian schnitzel filled with veal, ham, and cheese—and their homemade arroz con leche [rice pudding] that’s worth every calorie.”
Platja de Sa Boadella
Platja de Sa Boadella offers a rare combination on the Costa Brava: crystalline water and rock formations as dramatic as its harder-to-reach neighbors, but with a straightforward walk in from the parking area instead of a scramble down to the sand.
Photo by Mer Diez/Shutterstock
COME FOR: A beachy day trip from Barcelona
WHERE TO STAY: Hotel Santa Marta, Lloret de Mar
Famed for its tiny calas (coves) with crystalline waters and turquoise rock pools, the Costa Brava is where Barcelonians spend their summer weekends. While families favor the spacious sandy beaches, more adventurous sunseekers prefer to clamber down to the natural calas, which typically have no restaurants or facilities. Locals will tell you the trickier the access, the more beautiful the beach—and they are usually right.
Photogenic Platja de Sa Boadella is the exception. Getting here is relatively straightforward (a short stroll along a dirt road and through a pine forest from the parking area) and there’s even a chiringuito (beach bar) serving sandwiches and basic tapas, like deep-fried calamari and croquettes. The water is fresh and clear, and the rocks that jut out of the water give the setting a cinematic feel. The beach gets incredibly crowded on summer weekends; arrive early to secure a spot.
Platja de Ses Illetes, Formentera
A half-mile of powder-fine sand and water so clear it looks filtered: Ses Illetes, in Formentera’s Ses Salines Natural Park, owes its color to Posidonia oceanica seagrass.
Photo by el lobo/Shutterstock
Cofete’s wide, windswept sand draws walkers more than sunbathers—the water’s hidden currents and lack of shade make this a beach for looking, not lingering.
Photo by Robalito/Shutterstock
Looking at pictures of Formentera, the smallest of the four inhabited Balearic Islands, I used to think the clarity and aquamarine color of the water was due to an Instagram filter. Then I visited and found that this otherworldly hue is real; it’s due to the presence of a marine plant called Posidonia oceanica, or Neptune grass, that maintains the quality and oxygenation of the water. Nowhere is the water so clear and bright as at Ses Illetes, a 500-yard-long stretch of flour-like powder sand in the Ses Salines Natural Park.
Since Formentera restricts the number of vehicles on the island, it’s easier to get around by bike. Further limitations are in place at Ses Illetes, and most visitors arrive on two wheels to avoid the disappointment of not being let in.
Playa Mangueta
COME FOR: An authentic Andaluz beach day, complete with salt-cured tuna
WHERE TO STAY: Hotel Madreselva, Los Caños de Meca
Andalusian beaches are often equated with the glamorous tourist playgrounds of the Costa del Sol, but most locals prefer the comparative wildness of the Atlantic-facing Costa de la Luz. Quieter than Cádiz and less gusty than the windsurfers’ paradise of Tarifa, little-known Playa Mangueta boasts fine sands and not a sunbed in sight, while its Ekilore Surf club offers surfing lessons.
Scottish-born, Andalusia-based Annie Manson adores “the crashing waves of the crystal-clear Atlantic” at Playa Mangueta. She’s the founder of Annie B, a company offering tailored food- and wine-focused experiences in southern Spain. “Bring what you need, as nothing’s available other than the occasional guy walking by with beers or mojama [a filleted, salt-cured tuna, typical to the Cádiz region].”
Playa de Cofete
Cofete’s wide, windswept sand draws walkers more than sunbathers—the water’s hidden currents and lack of shade make this a beach for looking, not lingering.
Photo by Robalito/Shutterstock
COME FOR: Windswept walks and spooky vibes
WHERE TO STAY: Iberostar Selection Fuerteventura Palace, Morro de Jable
There’s an eerie beauty to Cofete, one of the most remote stretches of sand in Fuerteventura, a lesser-known Canary Island, located off the southwest coast of Morocco, that’s beloved by surfers. Getting here is no mean feat, requiring a five-mile drive along a bumpy dirt road that runs around the side of a mountain. Most visitors hire a guide to get here, although skilled off-road drivers may opt to brave the track in a 4x4. Once you arrive, you’ll find that unpredictable waves, powerful undertows, and hidden currents mean the water is unsafe for swimmers or all but the most expert surfers, and the fierce winds and lack of shade or facilities discourage most sunbathers.
Related: 10 Beautiful Villages in Spain, With Medieval Walls, Moorish Castles, and Seaside Cliffs
