Best Spain Beaches

Andalucía

Andalucía covers more coast, climate and character than anywhere else in Spain. In Almería, the Cabo de Gata-Níjar natural park is a volcanic near-desert where several of the finest coves are reached only on foot and where summer access is genuinely restricted — barriers, capped parking and shuttle buses rather than a car park. On the Atlantic side, the Costa de la Luz gives you enormous dune beaches, Roman ruins at the water’s edge and a steady swell that made El Palmar a surf destination. In between, a protected stretch of the Costa del Sol has stayed wild against the odds. These guides set out how to reach each one and when it is worth the trip.