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.
1. La Calobra, Mallorca
The adventure to go to this beach begins on its access road, with about 800 curves among which is the famous "Knot of the Necktie". The Pareis torrent, looking for an exit to the sea, made its way through the centuries, piercing the coastal rock of the Sierra de Tramontana, excavating this small and spectacular Mallorcan beach. The 200-meter-high cliffs serve as majestic custodial guardians. The well-known Torrente de Pareis Concert is held there in summer.
2. Las Teresitas Beach, Tenerife
Las Teresas was a spacious beach with a beautiful blue sea, but with unattractive sand. So in the 1970s they brought sand from the Sahara Desert and the beach was rebuilt and enlarged, making it the magnificent place it is today. It was equipped with a breakwater parallel to the coast, so the sea is dammed and calm. It also has an important paleontological site.
3. Mónsul 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 integrates together with Playa de Los Genoveses the couple of most frequented beaches in the park. It is surrounded by volcanic lava formations and has been the location of well-known films, such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Y Talk to her.
4. La Concha Beach, San Sebastián
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 area of 1350 meters and is in an urban environment. Donostiarras and visitors fill their spaces with fine golden sand and normally calm waters whenever they can. It has easy access from a promenade.
5. 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, making them pools of calm blue waters. Cala Macarelleta is frequented by nudists. To go to Macarelleta it is necessary to go to Macarella and walk about 10 minutes.
6. Beaches of Las Catedrales, Lugo
It is a delight to walk through it and enter the portals of the "cathedrals" when the tide is low, feeling the coolness of the water on your feet. Cathedrals are cliffs that erosion has pierced with its millenary work, carving out arches and caves. This Portuguese Natural Monument is on the border with Asturias, being separated from the principality by the Ribadeo estuary. Next to the parking lot there are viewpoints with spectacular views, worthy of postcards.
7. Calo des Moro, Mallorca
This beautiful Mallorcan 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 just 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 somewhat narrow, so you have to arrive in time to find a place in the small sandy area.
8. Poó Beach, Asturias
This Asturian beach located in the municipality of Llanes is enclosed between cliffs. The seawater 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.
9. Postiguet, Alicante
This beach in the urban area of Alicante, with moderate waters and golden sand, is one of the great emblems of Alicante. Parallel to the coast runs a promenade lined with palm trees, which gives it a nice 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.
10. Ses Illetes, Formentera
This Balearic beach has been frequently classified as the best in Spain and as one of the best in Europe. It has white sand and calm and 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.
11. La Barrosa, Chiclana de la Frontera
Its 300 sunny days a year has made this Cadiz beach one of the favorites of international tourism with high purchasing power. 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. In its surroundings the Battle of Chiclana took place, in which the Spanish independentists defeated Napoleon's army in March 1811.
12. 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 awarded the Blue Flag for beach quality. Benidorm also has an active nightlife and its modern buildings make it referred to as "The Spanish city of skyscrapers"
13. Playa del Inglés, Gran Canaria
With the good Canarian climate, this beach combines its 3-kilometer extension, 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 developed in its surroundings. Likewise, it has the facilities to practice different beach entertainment. It has a nudist sector and is frequented by the gay community.
14. 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 of turquoise blue waters and fine white sand, highlighting El Viejo, Médano and Bajo Negro. The park has the largest dunes in the Canary Islands. The beaches of Corralejo are frequented by enthusiasts of diving, surfing, windsurfing and other sea sports.
15. 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 trade 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.
16. Playa de la Victoria, Cádiz
This Cadiz beach, which runs for 3 kilometers between the Cortadura Wall and Santa María del Mar Beach, 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.
17. Torimbia beach, Asturias
The main attraction of this princely beach is that it is partially enclosed by cliffs, giving it the appearance of an unrivaled private retreat. It is reached by walking two kilometers along a path from the town of Niembro. Another attraction of this place that is part of the Protected Landscape of the Eastern Coast of Asturias, is that its sandy area is touched with the green base of the stowage of the Sierra de Cuera, turning the symphony of colors into a beautiful postcard.
18. Formentor, Mallorca
This captivating Majorcan beach is located in the cove of Cala Pi de la Posada in the town of Pollensa. It is near the end of Cape Formentor, the "meeting point of the winds" according to the Pollensín people. Formentor beach has fine white sand and its charm is enhanced by the spectacle of the fronds of trees touching the water. On the beach is the famous Hotel Formentor, frequented by famous people of the 20th century, such as Sir Winston Churchill, John Wayne and the Mexican Octavio Paz.
19. 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 clear turquoise blue waters that invite you to a refreshing swim. It is located in San Antonio de Portmany, one of the main Ibiza tourist centers, 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.
20. Gulpiyuri Beach, Asturias
For millennia, the sea was piercing the cliff in this coastal area of the principality, until a cave was formed whose roof then fell. The resulting cavity was filled with water, forming a beautiful and picturesque little beach that is 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.
Our marine walk through Spain is coming to an end, but there is still a lot of coast to know. See you soon for another lovely tour.
