Instagram posts of Europe's most beautiful beaches are sure to inspire your wanderlust: clear blue waters, rocky cliffs, bright striped chairs and colorful buildings. But the reality is, some of the most popular beaches aren't all that great – they're often so crowded with tourists that it's hard to find a little spot to relax amid the hustle and bustle.
Luckily, for every one of Europe's super popular beaches, there's another one that's not yet on any “must-visit” lists and remains less well-known to most tourists. Wizz Air analyzed 50 European countries and their popular beaches to determine which are the most and least crowded beaches, and shared the data with Thrillist. Using a calculation that “measures the beach, divides its area by the size of a beach towel, then divides that by the average number of daily visitors,” they determined the estimated amount of space each beach offers per person.
“While most people are familiar with Europe's iconic beach resorts such as Ibiza, Tenerife and the Algarve, there are countless coastal destinations that are less well known to travellers,” said Andras Rado, director of communications. “From the secluded coves of Croatia to the hidden sandy beaches of Albania, there are plenty of lesser-known beach spots where you can relax away from the crowds.”
Here are the top 10 least crowded beaches in Europe.
1. Durres Beach
Durres, Albania
2. Camber Sands
East Sussex, England
3. Zlatni Rat Beach (Golden Horn)
Bol/Brac Island, Croatia
4. Borsh Beach
Borsh, Albania
5. Pampelonne Beach
Ramatuelle, France
6. Brighton Beach
Brighton, United Kingdom
6. Falesia Beach
Algarve, Portugal
8. Mogren Beach
Budva, Montenegro
9. Nissi Beach
Ayia Napa, Cyprus
10. Playa d'en Bossa
Ibiza, Spain
Want to join the party and be in the heart of the action? Wizz Air also used the same towel space calculation to determine which beaches are the busiest. Here are the 10 busiest beaches in Europe:
1. Sa Caleta Beach
Ibiza, Spain
2. Cala Macarella
Menorca, Spain
3. Barceloneta Beach
Barcelona Spain
4. Mellieha Bay
Mellieha, Malta
5. Cala Goloritze
Sardinia, Italy
6. Canela Island
Costa de la Luz, Spain
7. Playa del Duque
Tenerife, Spain
8. Playa de Maro
Nerja, Spain
9. Puerto de la Cruz
Tenerife, Spain
10. San Sebastia Beach
Barcelona, Spain
If you go to these popular spots in Europe, be prepared for very limited space to soak up the sun.
