The ranking was compiled by travel publisher Lonely Planet and contains a few surprises.
It’s the time of year when millions of people can only dream of lying on the sand, sunbathing and cooling off in the cool sea water. All the more so now that it is slowly but – more or less – safely possible to travel again. With this in mind, the popular Australian publisher Lonely Planet recently published a list of the 20 most beautiful beaches in Europe.
Lonely Planet guides are particularly popular with independent travelers and backpackers, which would explain some of the surprises in this ranking. For example: the top beach and supposedly the most beautiful in Europe is not in Malle, Italy or Greece. It is a Norwegian beach called Haukland, located on the island of Lofoten off the northwest coast of Norway. Its remoteness, stunning nature and the fact that it is the perfect stage for observing the Northern Lights have brought it to this place.
This is followed by other beaches in destinations popular with summer vacationers, such as Sardinia, Greece, the Balearic Islands and Portugal. However, there are still some surprising appearances on the list. West Beach in Scotland, Barafundle Bay in Wales and Rauðasandur in Iceland are not the places you would imagine for a classic vacation in the summer heat, but they have an undeniable beauty. And, again, they are remote, wild and authentic.
The top ten most beautiful beaches according to Lonely Planet are these:
1. Haukland Beach, Lofoten – Norway
2. Cala Goloritzè, Sardinia – Italy
3. west beach, Scotland
4th Plage de Palombaggia, Corsica – France
5th Platja Illetes, Formentera – Spain
6th Barafundle Bay, Wales
7. Praia da Arrifana, Portugal
8th Cala Macarella, Menorca – Spain
9th Navagio Beach, Zakynthos – Greece
10th Platja de Coll Baix, Mallorca – Spain
You can see the complete ranking here.