{"id":14603,"date":"2026-04-30T15:26:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/14603\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T15:26:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:26:24","slug":"not-spain-or-greece-europes-best-beach-named-as-hotspot-with-golden-sand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/14603\/","title":{"rendered":"Not Spain or Greece \u2014 Europe&#8217;s best beach named as hotspot with golden sand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>New research has found the best beach in Europe that should be on your radar for summer 2026<\/p>\n<p>Vita Molyneux Travel reporter and Ellen Jenne Senior U35 Spare Time Writer<\/p>\n<p>16:20, 30 Apr 2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Boardwalk leading to Praia da Fal\u00e9sia beach, Algarve, Portugal\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0_Praia-da-Falsia-beach-Algarve-Portugal.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"New research has found the best beach in Europe that should be on your radar for summer 2026\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">New research has found the best beach in Europe that should be on your radar for summer 2026(Image: teddiviscious via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Summer&#8217;s greatest pleasure is unwinding on a beautiful <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edinburghlive.co.uk\/all-about\/travel\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">beach,<\/a> with waves gently rolling in, seabirds calling above and sunshine beaming down. If that&#8217;s your ideal escape, finding the right coastal spot is essential.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">New research has just assessed some of <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edinburghlive.co.uk\/all-about\/europe\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Europe&#8217;s<\/a> finest beaches to identify the ultimate summer getaway <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edinburghlive.co.uk\/all-about\/travel\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">destination.<\/a> The analysis, carried out by airport transfer firm <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hoppa.com\/en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">hoppa<\/a>, examined numerous sought-after <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edinburghlive.co.uk\/all-about\/holidays\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">holiday locations.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Each destination was evaluated based on average three-star accommodation prices, journey time from airport to shoreline, and Google ratings to determine the very best options. Topping the list as the finest beach for summer 2026 is Praia da Fal\u00e9sia in Portugal.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Praia da Fal\u00e9sia, Algarve, Portugal\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777562783_587_0_Praia-da-Falsia-Algarve-Portugal.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"This gorgeous beach stretches for 8km\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">This gorgeous beach stretches for 8km(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Situated in the renowned Algarve area, this coastal gem offers an utterly spectacular experience. The sands extend for over 8km, protected by striking orange and white cliff faces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Beach-goers describe it as amongst the region&#8217;s finest, with one Tripadvisor reviewer commenting: &#8220;The blend of the colours of the golden sand, the crystal blue sea and the imposing cliffs make it one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Another visitor remarked: &#8220;A wide expanse of golden and red sand, nice rock formations in the background and the waves here are gentle, perfect for swimming.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a popular beach, but due to its size, it&#8217;s a big, long beach; it never seems crowded even in high season. It&#8217;s a beach to most definitely check out if you&#8217;re planning a holiday to Albufeira.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Lifeguards are on duty, and visitors have the option to rent sun loungers for added comfort. The beach caters brilliantly to both families and couples, and thanks to its generous proportions, it seldom feels overcrowded.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"stunning cliffs at praia da Falesia, Algarve in Portugal\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777562784_479_0_stunning-cliffs-at-praia-da-Falesia-Algarve-in-Portugal.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"This beach in Portugal has won the top spot\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">This beach in Portugal has won the top spot(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n<p>Europe&#8217;s best-rated beachesPraia da Fal\u00e9sia \u2014 Algarve, PortugalPlatja de Muro \u2014 Majorca, SpainMyrtos Beach \u2014 Kefalonia, GreecePromenade des Anglais Beach \u2014 Nice, FrancePlaya de Poniente \u2014 Benidorm, Spain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New research has found the best beach in Europe that should be on your radar for summer 2026&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14604,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[66,818,17,357],"class_list":{"0":"post-14603","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-europe","9":"tag-holidays","10":"tag-spain","11":"tag-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}