The best seaside and beach towns in the Mediterranean

A Spanish city where the average hotel rate is under £100 per night (on average) has been rated the best seaside destination in the Mediterranean, according to more than 3,000 visitors.

Valencia beat more than 40 other coastal locations in our survey, including Spain’s second-biggest city and much-loved tourist destination, Barcelona.

That wasn’t the only surprising result from the survey. When you think of the Costa del Sol, you might think of beaches backed by towering concrete blocks that ruin the seaside charm. Well, you might find that in Benalmádena or Fuengirola, which were rated two-star ratings for attractiveness, but just an hour up the road, Estepona received four stars, has a fantastic beach and a village-like feel.

In our table below you’ll also find the best seaside beach town in the Algarve and why you should give Mykonos a miss. 

Read on for highlights of the best destinations on each country’s coast – and some places to avoid.

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Best seaside and beach towns in the Mediterranean

Best seaside and beach town in Spain and the Mediterranean: Valencia, Spain 91%

Everything you once went to Barcelona for is in our table-topper. A cityscape which swings from honey-stoned old town whorled around a Gothic cathedral, to futuristic buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences development. It’s one of Spain’s leading gastronomy scenes too, and it gained four out of five stars for its food and drink. 

A must-visit is Mercado Central – less a market than a gastronomic marvel – a hangar-like Art Nouveau hall of coloured glass and culinary ambition. Once you finish browsing some of the finest produce in Spain’s larder, head to swathes of golden sand (Patacona is best). The beach is clearly a huge draw for readers who awarded it five stars in this category, trouncing Barcelona’s three. Unlike Barcelona, it is yet to suffer from overtourism. That’s possibly why it’s still great value. Valencia was our only Spanish destination (and one of only four in the survey) to get five stars for value for money.

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Second-best (joint) seaside town in Italy and the Mediterranean: Venice, Italy 88% 

Unlike Valencia, Venice is criminally expensive and has too many tourists – despite the ban on cruise ships in 2021. Unsurprisingly, it only scraped two stars in both value for money and peace and quiet categories. Yet where in the Mediterranean compares to the beauty (five stars) and cultural weight (another five) of Venice? Embrace getting lost in mazelike sestieri (neighbourhoods) like San Polo, or Dorsoduro's museums and university quarter. And spend afternoons watching gondolas bob in the chop before St Mark’s Square, riding a vaparetto water bus to outlying islands like Burano for lunch, or listening to the music of local son Vivaldi soar into the roof of Chiesa San Vidal (now a concert hall). You’ll bank more memories from Venice than any other destination in this survey, which is priceless.

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Second-best (joint) seaside town in the Mediterranean: Porto, Portugal 88%

Its reputation as the gritty working city to Lisbon’s chic capital was always misplaced. Sights like the Gothic São Francisco church are as revealing of cultural heritage as the 20,000 painted azulejos (mosaic tiles) in Sao Bento railway station. And the astonishing Livraria Lello bookshop, which inspired JK Rowling’s Hogwarts, has been around for over a century. What’s new is the creative energy. Restaurants and bars have popped up along the waterfront and interesting ateliers line the streets (try Rua das Flores). All this without elbowing out vivacious local communities, who are still pleased to see you – our survey ranked Porto five for friendliness to Lisbon’s four. And while it can’t match the capital for entertainment and fun, hop in a river taxi across the Douro to Vila Nova de Gaia district for a Port tour and tastings, or take a bus or train an hour or so away to flop on fantastic beaches set around traditional fishing villages. 

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Best seaside and beach towns in the Algarve

Tavira, Portugal 87% 

It’s the other Algarve in the region’s overlooked east. Avoid the stag and hen parties reeling between the bars of Albufeira; the same distance west of Faro is Tavira, the region’s most historic town along the Gilão River. It welcomes couples to seafood restaurants and boutiques on cobbled lanes. Being just off the coast has its advantages and explains why this working harbour got straight fives for attractiveness and peace compared with Albufeira’s two and three, respectively. It got the same for friendliness and value for money, helping to place it fourth on our list overall. Not bad for a sleepy harbour in the forgotten bit of the Algarve. 

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Lagos, Portugal 81%

Few destinations are such holiday all-rounders. Yes, Lagos has its share of tourist restaurants, even a modest nightlife district. However, it retains a sense of its past as the Algarve’s historic capital. Tiled facades ring pretty squares, and mosaics dance through the cobbles. Meanwhile, the beaches are belters here at Europe’s tip: coves tucked within cliffs and a vast sweep of sand on either side of the harbour – but you will have to watch out for the wind. 

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Beach town in Europe to miss: Portimão, Portugal 68%

You come to Portimão for beaches Praia da Rocha and Tres Castelos. You don’t come for good looks (two stars) or tranquillity (three stars). Where other destinations are prettified for tourism, Portimão works for its living. It’s sprawling and scruffy, designed for residents. There are few concessions to holidaymakers beyond a strip of high-rise hotels behind the coast a mile and a half from the centre. Uncomplicated fun, perhaps. Cheap too. But most people will prefer prettier places for a holiday. 

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Best seaside and beach towns in the Costa del Sol

Nerja, Spain 83%

Squint, and it’s almost the Costa del Sol of yesteryear. Nerja is a low-rise resort that has kept developers at bay. This has preserved the Andalusia of our dreams: white houses and cobalt skies, palm trees and the Sierra de Tejeda sawtoothing along the skyline. Look closer, and the truth is those houses are mostly souvenir shops and restaurants for a large ex-pat community, but there’s no faulting the five-star setting. Nerja teeters along the edge of cliffs above postcard-perfect coves. Make sure you arrive at beaches like Playa de Calahonda by 10am if you want a parasol in high season. Pull yourself off the 10km of beach and there are chances for cliff walks and dips in rock pools. Head east to smaller, prettier Playa del Carabeo for a more relaxing day by the sea. Bring a picnic and prepare for steep steps.

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Estepona, Spain 82%

Just 40 miles separate the Costa del Sol’s Estepona and Fuengirola. A visit to Estepona rewards you with a villagey old quarter lined with sugar-cube houses and blooming balconies. It has a better seafront along its palm-fringed promenade (five stars) than Fuengirola, better beaches (four stars) and better dining in the tapas bars and seafood restaurants (four stars). It is superior in all the essentials of a Costa del Sol holiday, including value for money. Don’t believe anyone who suggests resorts are identical on this most packaged of coastlines. 

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Beach town in Europe to miss: Fuengirola Spain 66%

Second from bottom in our table. After decades of rampant development fuelled by easy access from Malaga airport 15 miles away, Fuengirola has had a charm bypass. Large high-rise hotels have swallowed its Moorish castle; its bars hold the appeal of a shopping mall. If anything, the two-star rating for attractiveness is generous. On the plus side, the beaches on either side of Fuengirola’s harbour are long.

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