By Lucy Richardson, Editor
For an easy sunny getaway, you can’t beat a buzzy town with a beach. But not one with party vibes and clubby strips. We’re talking about cute, charming towns by the sea where beaches are unspoilt and streets have soul. These are among our favourite seaside destinations in Europe, and with airports nearby, they’re all ideal for a quick, hassle-free beach break.
Olhão, Algarve, Portugal
Olhão is a rare gem. This authentic fishing town (Portugal’s largest fishing port) is just 20 minutes along the coast from Faro Airport and has access to some of our favourite beaches in the Algarve.
It’s very much a working town, buzzing with life seven days a week. Cobbled streets are lined with boutique shops and simple restaurants serving deliciously fresh catch of the day, and down by the water, a bustling market has a daily spread of fruit, veg and fish. On Saturdays, there’s a farmers’ market too, selling everything from budgies to bunnies, baked goods to pottery.
For beach thrills, taxi-boats whizz you into the Ria Formosa Natural Park, whose beautiful islands have deserted beaches and laid-back appeal. We love Ilha da Culatra and Ilha Deserta, though all offer stunning stretches of golden sand.
Get there: Fly into Faro, 15km away, then hop in a taxi or rent a car, or transfer to Faro’s Bom Joao railway station and catch the train to Olhão from there (6 mins).
Stay: Convento, a Moroccan riad-style hotel, is great value and has a fab roof terrace; Casa Rosa Villa Hotel is a cute, colourful and very affordable boutique retreat near the centre of town.
Cascais, Nr Lisbon, Portugal
Cascais is Lisbon’s summer playground. Once a small fishing village, now an upmarket resort town, it’s fringed by blonde-sand beaches and is just 40 minutes along the coast from the capital.
Historically, Cascais was a retreat of Portuguese nobility, so the architecture is grand. Elegant buildings and lavish villas rise along the beachfront, and there’s a marina with flashy craft. At the town’s heart is the old fishing village (car-free in summer), now with boutiques, bars, and restaurants serving fresh-off-the-boat seafood. Elsewhere are galleries, parks and pretty churches.
Praia da Conceição and Praia da Duquesa are the main beaches, but there plenty more to choose from. The waves on this stretch of Lisbon coast are ideal for surfing; windsurfing, paddleboarding, sailing and waterskiing are also popular pastimes.
Get there: Fly into Lisbon, jump in a taxi or take the bus to Cais do Sodre railway station, then catch the train to Cascais (1 hour).
Stay: Hotel Albatroz sits on a rocky headland between two golden beaches; Villa Cascais is a 19th-century mansion with sea-view rooms. Both hotels are just a few minutes’ walk from the railway station.
Lindos, Rhodes, Greece
The magical town of Lindos is a rare taste of Ancient Greece. This timeless corner of Rhodes is car-free, with just donkeys for transport. The mighty Acropolis watches over from above, while down below, sheltered bays have clear turquoise water, ideal for safe swimming.
The town centre is an enchanting warren of twisty cobbled alleyways, old churches and cute tavernas. In summer months it can get busy with visitors, so take a stroll here during the evenings, when the day-trippers have departed. Climbing to the Acropolis – a citadel fortified successively by the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Knights of St John and the Ottomans – is a must, as the views are out of this world.
From Lindos harbour you can take boats out for the day, or go diving, kayaking, snorkelling, waterskiing and fishing in Lindos Bay. The island of Halki makes for a lovely day trip (1 hour by boat).
Get there: Fly to Rhodes, then catch a bus from Rhodes town, which takes about an hour. Alternatively, most hotels will offer road transfers.
Stay: Lindos Comfy Suites has good-value suites and exceptional views of the Acropolis from the rooftop terrace bar; Casita Casita is a boho-chic retreat set on the edge of town – away from the bustle but easily walkable to shops, restaurants and beaches (5 mins).
Tarifa, Andalucia, Spain
Unless you’re Spanish or a keen kitesurfer, you probably won’t have heard of Tarifa. This small town at the southern tip of Spain’s Costa de la Luz is effortlessly cool and has one of the best beaches in the country.
Situated at the start of the Strait of Gibraltar, it’s got the Atlantic on one side, the Med on the other, and you can – quite literally – stand in the middle of the two. Strong gusts create excellent kitesurfing conditions, and this has led to an influx of surfer types who come to ride the waves and hang out in the beach bars. Tarifa is all about having fun: you eat tapas, you socialise, you dance to DJ sets, you end the night with ice cream.
Across the water is Morocco, and you can cross continents for the day to visit Tangier; it’s a jarring cultural experience being in Western Europe one minute and North Africa the next. Look out for whales along the way.
Get there: Fly to Gibraltar Airport, then cross the border into Spain on foot (50 metres from the airport). There are plenty of car rental companies along the strip, or you can catch the coach to Tarifa from La Linea bus station (10-minute walk).
Stay: El Cancho is a pair of secluded eco-houses (for 2-6) overlooking the Atlantic coast; Casita La Terraza is a cosy hillside cottage (for 2-3) near a national park on the Med coast. Both properties are just outside of Tarifa and are blissfully peaceful.
L’Escala, Catalonia, Spain
L’Escala is a charming beach town in Catalonia, close to the French border. It’s an old fishing port, famed for anchovies, and still has a working fleet today. Recent years have seen the town develop into a fashionable seaside retreat, a result of its pretty beaches and pristine turquoise water.
The old town has cute cafes, boutique patisseries and trendy restaurants spilling onto the streets. The main beach is Riells, offering safe swimming. Or a quieter option is Empúries, which fronts an ancient Greco-Roman archaeological site – the oldest of its kind in Spain.
Diving is popular here, with some good dive sites and wrecks just off the coast. Or explore the water by jet-ski or glass-bottom boat, heading out to find hidden coves.
Get there: Fly to Girona Airport, then take the train to the city centre, and from there a bus to L’Escala (45 minutes). You could also fly to Barcelona (train to Girona, bus to L’Escala).
Stay: Casa Calvari is a boho-chic townhouse (for 6-7) with a rooftop pool. Beaches are within walking distance.
Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Taormina is charming in a sophisticated, quintessentially Italian kind of way. This is Sicily’s smartest resort town, long frequented by A-list royalty (Liz Taylor, Greta Garbo). Its breathtaking setting on a hillside means you get glittering views over the Ionian, while Mt Etna smokes inland.
The town’s flower-filled streets make for pleasant strolls. Bar-hop along Corso Umberto I, the main drag, for an aperitivo in the early evening, then stay for dinner and classy cocktails. The Greek Amphitheatre, perched high above the coast, is a must-see and has regular open-air performances in summer.
A cable car takes you down to the beach at Mazzarò, where you can snorkel in the translucent water or wander across to the pretty islet of Isola Bella.
Get there: Fly to Catania, then catch a direct bus or take the train to Taormina-Giardini Naxos (50 mins).
Stay: The Ashbee is a classically styled boutique hotel in a grand villa with stunning sea views; Hotel Villa Carlotta is an intimate oasis in a turn-of-the-century villa, built into Taormina’s cypress-spiked cliffs.
Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Sorrento is an old classic. This smart resort town is the gateway to the Amalfi Coast, so it’s a great place to base yourself for hair-raising adventures along those iconic plunging cliffs.
It’s touristy, yes, but it’s also deeply romantic. On Sundays, the whole town turns out for a morning stroll along the Corso, while each evening, bars serve aperitivi, shops stay open late, and the town’s twinkling lights dance on the water.
Take boat trips to Amalfi’s most picturesque places – Positano, Ravello, or the island of Capri. Or just chill by Sorrento’s waterfront, people-watching or jumping off the pier for cooling dips.
Get there: Fly to Naples, then catch a bus to Sorrento or transfer to Napoli Centrale station and take the train (1 hour).
Stay: Maison La Minervetta is a cliffside boutique hotel perched above Sorrento’s harbour, with views that take your breath away.
Want to go somewhere bigger? Check out our favourite beach cities in Europe, or click to see all our coastal hotels