The Guardian Includes Seven Greek Beaches Among Europe’s Best

Photo Source: @Municipality of Elafonisos

UK daily newspaper The Guardian has included seven Greek beaches on its list with the best beaches in Europe.

The newspaper’s travel writers have picked the continent’s “finest sands” to compile a list with the Top 40 beaches in the European continent including from flamingo-pink shores to wild coastlines.

According to the list, the best beaches in Greece are:

Fteri, Kefalonia

Fteri is an alternative to Kefalonia’s busy big-hitter beaches such as Xi and Myrtos.

“Backed by white cliffs and a forested valley, Fteri remains relatively quiet thanks to the slight effort involved in getting there, but those who do are rewarded with cut-glass water and the sweep of white sand,” The Guardian says.

Elafonisi, Crete

Elafonisi beach, Crete. Photo source: Region of Crete

Elafonisi’s flamingo-pink beach, linked by a shallow turquoise lagoon to a dune-studded island where rare pancratium lilies perfume the air in spring, was once Crete’s best-kept secret.

Even today these talc-soft sands 50 miles south-west of Chania are rarely crowded except in the height of summer, especially out on the island, where sunloungers are prohibited.

Sarakiniko, Milos

Sarakiniko beach, Milos. Photo source: Visit Greece

Lunar-like Sarakiniko on Milos, with its startling white rocks like chalky icebergs wins hands down.

“Inevitably such a striking beach is popular with Instagrammers who come to take selfies leaping from the cliffs or posing near the beach’s half-submerged shipwreck,” The Guardian says.

Plaka beach, Naxos

Plaka beach, Naxos. Photo source: naxos.gr

Beautiful beaches abound on this Cycladic  island renowned for its immense kouroi statues and kitro, a punch-packing lemon liqueur.

Tucked behind grass-spiked dunes, Plaka sits between the lively resort of Agios Prokopios and the near-deserted swathes of windswept Mikri Vigla, and is definitely one of the best.

Karavostasi, Epirus

Karavostasi means “the place where the ship stops”, and according to the newspaper, it’s a fitting name for this secluded, horseshoe-shaped cove between two pine-clad headlands near Perdika, a small village with a handful of traditional tavernas serving no-frills local cuisine on the Greek mainland near the popular resort of Parga.

With silk-soft sands and shallow waters, this remote beach is perfect for toddlers, while parents can try their hand at paddleboarding and windsurfing in the small watersports centre.

Simos, Elafonisos

Elafonisos (Simos Beach)

Strung out on the southern shores of Elafonisos island, just a ferry hop away from the pretty taverna-lined streets of the Peloponnese town of Neapolis, this spectacular beach is shaped like a butterfly with two “wings” of fine white sand lapped by clear waters and linked by a narrow strip of grass-studded dunes.

Vagia bay, Serifos

Vagia beach, Serifos. Photo source: serifos.gr

Serifos is home to what must be the most dramatically situated of all Greek island hilltop villages, Hora, and numerous fantastic beaches. There’s Kalo Ambeli, a buttery scoop of gold nudging clear bright water, and Ganema, backed by greenery and hills shaped like Mayan temples – but Vagia is utterly gorgeous.

The Guardian’s list includes at total of 40 beaches located in Greece, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Montenegro, Portugal, The Netherlands, France, Turkey, Italy, Croatia and Albania.