Travel writers have unveiled a selection of breathtaking secret beaches across southern Europe, from Greece to Portugal, offering quiet shores and warm seas away from the crowds.
In Greece, Ikaria’s Seychelles beach, named after the Indian Ocean archipelago, features white sand and turquoise waters accessible via a steep scramble near the port of Magganitis. Lesbos boasts Skala Eressos, a two-mile curve of dusky sand linked to the poet Sappho, with vegan cafes and yoga centres. Karpathos remains a well-kept secret, with near-deserted beaches and the uninhabited island of Saria reachable by boat, offering a Robinson Crusoe experience.
Crete’s Sitia region, a Unesco geopark, includes Xerocambos beach with golden sands and Caribbean-blue seas, accessed via a narrow road. In Spain, Huelva’s El Rompido resort offers La Flecha, an eight-mile spit of virgin sand accessible only by boat, providing a wild and isolated coastline.
