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Blessed with a huge coastline coupled with a reliably sunny climate, Greece can lay claim to being the premiere location in the world for a beach holiday. From sands of every colour and texture to backdrops of forests, mountains and dunes, the sheer diversity of the beaches on offer is stunning.
Whether you are looking to unwind with your partner, party with your friends, or spend some quality time with the family, the sweeping sands and secret coves of Greece and its multitude of paradisical islands, have something for you. Here are just a few of our favourites:
Agios Prokopios on the splendid island of Naxos is one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece with its turquoise water and white, powdery sand. It is protected from the wind, allowing families and groups of friends to spend quality time on the beach where they can relax in tranquility.
Worthy of a movie scene, Navagio Beach is one of the most beautiful spots in all of Greece and indeed the world. The bay, which is located in the north-western part of the island, is also named “Shipwreck Beach” or “Wreck Bay”, after the cigarette-smuggling ship that has lied stranded on its sands since 1983. This white sandbank is surrounded by strikingly, almost dreamlike, azure waters and majestic cliffs. To reach this little haven, you will need to take a water taxi from the nearby port of Agios Nikolaos, Porto Vromi, Saint Nikolaos Volimes, or from the port of Zakynthos town. Access to the beach is therefore forbidden when the weather is bad.
This slice of paradise is located on the north west of the island of Thassos, just off the mainland. It is a secluded cove surrounded by emerald green waters and a leafy forest, offering a gentle serenity and shallow waters that are perfect for the little ones to splash around in.
This exotic beach of fine golden sand and pebbles is distinctive in Greece for its luscious forest of tall leafy palms, of a species unique to Crete. The water is clear and shallow, so it is the perfect place for fun and games with your children! Located around 25km East of Sitia, Vai beach is fully equipped with parking, umbrellas, sunbeds, food, as well as hosting all kinds of watersports! If you feel like a walk, follow the path along the side of the beach for a stunning panoramic view of the region and the magnificent palm forest of Vai.
For the best experience, make sure to set an alarm and get there early - very early! - as the beach tends to get very crowded in the peak summer months
The beaches of Mikri Viglia and nearby Orkos have come to be regarded as something of a surfers’ paradise in recent years. The former, popular with families and water sports enthusiasts alike, represents something of two-for-one offer, since it is made up of two conveniently divided beaches: the more open Parthena, favoured by wind and kite surfers, in the north, and the more sheltered Limanaki in the south, with its sparkling waters and soft white sand, perfect for families and unwinding in peace.
A really quite unique beach: an otherworldly, almost Martian landscape, comprising dark rust-coloured sands and volcanic rock formations, offering a stark contrast to the rich blue of its serene waters. Accessible by a regular bus service from nearby Fira, as well as with parking not far from the beach, don’t miss the opportunity to experience a truly majestic site on one of the most beloved of the Greek islands.
Shallow, crystalline waters and an endless sweep of white-pink sand, Elafonisi beach can lay claim to be being one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, if not the world. Located on the western coast of Crete, on what is actually an island 200m from the shore, it receives its peculiar pink colour from the vast number of crushed seashells that pepper the sand. While you can arrive by boat, a bus or car journey will afford you views of some of the most picturesque villages in Crete.
A wild, pearly white beach set against a backdrop of lush, forested cliffs and waters of a deep blue that has to be seen to be believed, this spot offers a wonderful view of the sun setting over the boats and bathers that dot the lazy waters of the Aegean Sea. Paradisical.
One of the mainland’s most beautiful beaches is located next to the equally gorgeous towns of Syvota. Relatively untouched by tourism, this delightful family beach consists of a golden strip of beach barely buried beneath the water which connects the two beaches of the mainland and Mourtemeno, a small islet.
A natural extension of Agios Georgios beach, Issos is known for its pristine waters and series of low dunes, giving the impression that the beach is bordered by a small desert. It boasts a long shoreline and enough wind to delight kitesurfers and windsurfers alike. There are also a handful of bars where you can grab a bite or enjoy a cocktail to sound of lapping waves. As with many beaches in Greece, sun loungers and parasols are available.
Perhaps the most wonderful of the stunning selection of beaches that Skiathos has to offer, Koukonounaries Beach, bordered by sumptuous vegetation and blessed with crystalline waters (and a local swan population!) is a must for anyone visiting the island. Due to its extreme beauty, in can get a little crowded in high season, so is perhaps best visited in late spring or early autumn, when you can have this slice of paradise all to yourself.
