Are you a self-confessed beach bum but have had enough of high rise over-development and rowdy beer boys? If so, we have pulled together a list of some of Europe’s finest beach resorts with not a crowded disco bar or banana boat in sight.

Best for incredible coastline

Amalfi Coast, Italy

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You would be hard pressed to find coastline as jaw-droppingly beautiful as the southern side of Sorrento’s peninsula. The Amalfi Coast is 50km stretch of towering cliffs, winding roads, pungent lemon groves, vineyards and whitewashed villas. The resort has long been a magnet for the rich and famous and although the area is incredibly popular, thankfully over-development has been limited-probably largely due to it’s unforgiving terrain. The gorgeously located Sorrento and Ravello shouldn’t be missed nor should the photogenic but expensive town of Positano. If you are a tight budget give the exclusive hotels a miss and stay in one of the family run B&Bs instead.

Best for authentic charm

Sesimbra, Portugal

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Sesimbra, located on the west coast of Portugal is a small and attractive working fishing port where visitors will also benefit from a long promenade, a great beach, clear turquoise sea and some better than average hotels. Sesimbra is not what you’d call underdeveloped but it still somehow manages to retain it’s rustic charm and village atmosphere – the resort is the antithesis of the unashamedly brash Algarve. Lisbonites come here to escape the city hassles and is undiscovered by most living outside Portugal. The bay is excellent for swimming and dolphin spotting and there are endless rows of cafes and restaurants to enjoy the local catch of the day. Being only an hour’s drive from the capital, Sesimbra also makes the perfect base to explore Lisbon and the neighbouring cosmopolitan seaside town Cascais.

Best for hanging out with the beautiful people

Sardinia, Italy

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Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean sea is popular with affluent tourists, island-hoppers, beautiful bronzed people and the odd celebrity or two. It’s also a travel destination of contrasts – it’s both historic and cosmopolitan and laid-back and lively. As well as some impossibly picturesque traditional towns, Sardinia has natural beauty in abundance and the perfectly clear turquoise sea and white sandy beaches seem to have more in common with islands much nearer the equator. Head for the glitzier resort towns of Costa Smeralda and Porto Rotundo for your celeb-spotting fix.

Best for boating

Kefalonia, Greece

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The popular novel Louis de Bernières Captain Corelli’s Mandolin turned Kefalonia into one of the most sought after Greek island resorts but yet this large but still traditional island has somehow managed to escape the problems that the other tourist ridden Greek islands have suffered. As well as being blessed with natural beauty, Kefalonia is adorned with all the usual cliched Greek images such as olive groves, white washed villages, incredible beaches and rugged mountain ranges. Try hiring a small boat to discover one of the many secluded bays inaccessible by road or foot, or use discount cruises to island hop the rest of the Ionian islands.

Best for timeless beauty

Croatia, Dalmatian Coast

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Croatia has come a long way from it’s unsettled past and is now considered a safe and welcoming country. It’s also a much-loved and much hyped holiday destination. Rapid development has been kept to a minimum here and Croatia with it’s bustling fishing ports, stone-built villages, quiet coves and historical towns is one of Europe’s most unspoilt and timeless places to take a holiday. Part of it’s appeal is it’s renowned dramatic and lengthy rugged coastline often known as the New Riviera. Dubrovnik, Lord Byron’s ‘pearl of the Adriatic’ deserves a special mention, it’s a unique city that has pristinely preserved its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, palaces and monuments.

Best for rugged scenery and chic coastal towns

Corisca, France

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Although popular with tourists, Corsica is another island that has surprisingly not succumbed to over-development. Holiday-goers flock here for the mild climate, white sand crescent beaches, serene rocky coves and unrivalled diverse landscapes. The rugged mountainous parts of the island attract walkers and hikers and the chic towns and ports lined with pavement cafés and palm trees offer the perfect place to relax. Try the famous GR20 – one of the top trails in the world for a particularly exhilarating hike or drive.

Best for budget

Patara, Turkey

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Patara is a beachside village located on the glistening ‘Turkish Riveria’ (the south-west Aegean coast of Turkey). The resort has one of the longest and most beautiful sandy beaches in the Mediterranean and has the added bonus of being outside the expensive euro-zone. Legend has it that Patara is the birthplace of Apollo and at the height of the Roman Empire it was one of the most important harbours in the western Mediterranean, fine examples of excavated Roman masonry can be found in the village’s ticketed archeological site. Nowadays Patara mostly attracts Turkish day trippers, bohemian tourists and nesting turtles!

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Tags: beach holidays, beach hut, beaches, Europe, france, GlobalGrasshopper, holidays, Italy, Portugal, rustic charm, Sardinia, sardinia italy, turquoise sea, village atmosphere, winding roads
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