Choosing the 20 best Spanish beaches is a difficult task, given the number of virgin and urban places of incomparable marine beauty that the country has. This is our selection.
La Calobra, Majorca
The adventure to go to this beach begins on its access road, with nearly 800 curves among which is the famous “Nudo de la Corbata”. The Pareis torrent, looking for an outlet to the sea, made its way through the centuries drilling the coastal rock of the Sierra de Tramontana, excavating this small and spectacular Mallorcan beach. The 200 meter high cliffs serve as majestic guardians. The well-known Torrente de Pareis Concert is held there in summer.
Las Teresitas Beach, Tenerife
Las Teresas was a spacious beach with a beautiful blue sea, but with an unattractive sandbank. Then, in the 1970s, sand was brought in from the Sahara Desert and the beach was rebuilt and expanded, becoming the magnificent place it is today. It was endowed with a breakwater parallel to the coast, so the sea remains dammed and calm. It also has an important paleontological site.
Monsul Beach, Almería
This Almeria beach nestled in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park has clear waters and fine sand. It is about 300 meters long and, together with Playa de Los Genoveses, forms the most frequented pair of beaches in the park. It is surrounded by volcanic lava formations and has been the location of well-known movies, such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Talk to Her .
La Concha Beach, San Sebastian
It was the only beach included in “The 12 Treasures of Spain”, a selection made in 2007 through a popular radio and television contest. It is located in the Bay of La Concha in the Gipuzkoan capital of San Sebastián. It has an extension of 1350 meters and is in an urban environment. Locals and visitors fill their spaces with fine golden sand and normally calm waters whenever they can. It has easy access from a promenade.
Cala Macarelleta, Menorca
It is located in the same Menorcan bay where Cala Macarella is, but it is smaller. Both have beautiful waters and fine white sand. They are semi-enclosed by natural formations that penetrate the sea, so they are pools of blue and calm waters. Cala Macarelleta is frequented by nudists. To go to Macarelleta it is necessary to go to Macarella and walk about 10 minutes.
Las Catedrales Beaches, Lugo
It is a delight to walk it and enter through the portals of the “cathedrals” when the tide is low, feeling the coolness of the water on your feet. The cathedrals are cliffs that erosion has perforated with its millennial work, chiseling arches and caves. This Lugués Natural Monument is on the border with Asturias, being separated from the principality by the Ribadeo estuary. Next to the parking lot there are some viewpoints with spectacular views, worthy of postcards.
Calo des Moro, Majorca
This beautiful Majorcan cove is a gift for the spirit, the eyes and the body. Its turquoise blue waters are contained between two rocky walls that make it a natural pool. It is barely 6 kilometers from Santanyí, a town that has become one of the main Balearic centers for literature and fine arts and has a beautiful main square. Calo des Moro has clear waters and is somewhat narrow, so you have to arrive on time to find a place on the small beach.
Poo Beach, Asturias
This Asturian beach located in the council of Llanes is enclosed between cliffs. The sea water enters through a natural channel and is contained, forming a delicious pool. The sand is white and the beach is flat, which makes it ideal for the whole family, particularly children and the elderly. It is surrounded by beautiful green areas.
Postiguet, Alicante
This beach in the urban area of Alicante, with moderate waters and golden sand, is one of the great emblems of the people of Alicante. Parallel to the coast runs a promenade lined with palm trees, which gives it a pleasant touch of greenery. It has an extension of almost 700 meters and is one of the Spanish beaches with the highest occupancy. At the top of nearby Mount Benacantil is the Castillo de Santa Bárbara, a 9th-century fortress.
Ses Illetes, Formentera
This Balearic beach has often been listed as the best in Spain and as one of the best in Europe. It has white sand and calm, crystalline waters, ideal for scuba diving. It is almost half a kilometer long and is located at the northernmost point of the island. The anchoring of boats is allowed and it has a good endowment of services.
La Barrosa, Chiclana de la Frontera
Its 300 sunny days a year have made this Cadiz beach one of the favorites for high-net-worth international tourism. It is 8 kilometers long and has pleasant waters and fine sand. It has several 4 and 5 star hotels and all the basic beach services. The Battle of Chiclana took place nearby, in which the Spanish independence fighters defeated Napoleon’s army in March 1811.
Benidorm, Alicante
The Alicante city of Benidorm in the Valencian Community is a magnificent tourist destination for having several attractive beaches and other places of interest. Playa Levante, Playa Poniente and Mal Pas are consistently distinguished with the Blue Flag for beach quality. Benidorm also has an active nightlife and its modern buildings make it be mentioned as “The Spanish city of skyscrapers”
Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria
Along with the good Canarian climate, this beach combines its 3-kilometre length, its normally calm waters, its fine golden sand and easy access through its promenade. It is active throughout the year thanks to European tourism and an entire infrastructure of accommodation, shopping centers and other services has been developed in its surroundings. Likewise, it has the facilities to practice the different beach entertainments. It has a nudist sector and is frequented by the gay community.
Dunes of Corralejo, Fuerteventura
This beach area is located in the Corralejo Natural Park, La Oliva municipality, on the Canary Island of Fuerteventura. The beaches are turquoise blue waters and fine white sand, highlighting El Viejo, Médano and Bajo Negro. The park has the largest dunes in the Canary Islands. Corralejo’s beaches are frequented by enthusiasts of scuba diving, surfing, windsurfing and other sea sports.
Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote
The 7 kilometers of coastline of Puerto del Carmen form the main tourist area of the Canary Island of Lanzarote. Their accommodations are usually taken over by European tourism, especially Nordic. Added to the beauty of the beaches is its location on the eastern coast of Lanzarote, protected from the Alisios winds that blow from the ocean. At night, the activity moves from the beaches to Avenida de las Playas, full of entertainment and good food.
Victoria Beach, Cádiz
This Cádiz beach, which runs for 3 kilometers between the Muro de Cortadura and the Playa de Santa María del Mar, is considered the best in Europe in urban contexts. It is permanently awarded with the Blue Flag that distinguishes European beaches that meet the highest demands for quality and level of services. In its surroundings it has an excellent infrastructure of hotels, restaurants, bars and other establishments.
Torimbia Beach, Asturias
The main attraction of this princely beach is that it is partly enclosed by cliffs, giving it the appearance of an incomparable private refuge. It is reached by walking two kilometers along a path from the town of Niembro. Another of the attractions of this place, which is part of the Protected Landscape of the Eastern Coast of Asturias, is that its sandbank touches the green base of the Sierra de Cuera stacks, turning the symphony of colors into a beautiful postcard.
Formentor, Majorca
This captivating Majorcan beach is located in the Cala Pi de la Posada cove in the town of Pollensa. It is near the end of Cape Formentor, the “meeting point of the winds” according to the people of Pollen. Formentor beach has fine white sand and its charm is enhanced by the spectacle of the foliage of the trees touching the water. On the beach is the famous Hotel Formentor, which was frequented by famous figures of the 20th century, such as Sir Winston Churchill, John Wayne and the Mexican Octavio Paz.
Cala Comte, Ibiza
This beach area is made up of two small coves, Comte and Racó d’en Xic, with mother-of-pearl sand and crystal clear turquoise waters, which invite you to take a refreshing swim. It is located in San Antonio de Portmany, one of the main tourist centers in Ibiza, which also has a 15th-century temple that is worth visiting. Near Comte is Cala Salada, less frequented, but widely used by those who need to anchor boats.
Gulpiyuri Beach, Asturias
For millennia, the sea carved holes into the cliffs in this coastal area of the principality, until a cave was formed whose roof later collapsed. The resulting cavity filled with water, forming a beautiful and picturesque little beach that is located inland, a hundred meters from the coast, but connected to the sea. It is located between the Asturian councils of Ribadesella and Llanes. This precious Asturian jewel can only be reached on foot, from San Antolín beach.