Most beautiful beaches in Spain | Are you dying to see the intense blue colors of the Mediterranean coast? Are you dreaming of combining a Study Abroad program to learn Spanish in Spain, while relaxing on the best Spanish beaches? Don’t hesitate and book a Spanish course in Spain and discover the best beaches and coastal towns in Spain while learning Spanish! There are plenty of choices. Check out the best choices when it comes to the ‘costas’ of Spain: Most beautiful beaches in Spain.

SPANISH COSTAS

SPANISH COASTLINE Spain has a coastline of no less than 4 964 km or 3 084 miles long! As Spain is a peninsula: most of the country is surrounded by water. The most famous coastline is the wonderful Mediterranean Coastline that covers 1 670 kilometers or 1038 miles. The popular southern coast of Spain is located on the territory of the regions known as Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia. It stretches all the way from Tarifa, the southernmost point of Europe, to the border between France and Spain. The Mediterranean coast is one of the most warm and favorable for a successful summer holiday in all of Europe. You will love to swim in the Mediterranean Sea with its very pleasant warm water. But you can also choose for the Atlantic Coastline, going from Tarifa to the Portuguese border in the south, all along Spain’s northern shores. This is good for 2 234 km or 1388 miles of coast. These beaches are perfect to escape mass-tourism and to enjoy the wild waves and the rugged, green shores.

Surely you have heard some of the names of the Spanish ‘costas’ before. The Costa del Sol, the sun coast or Costa Brava, the wild coast, are world famous. The Spanish coastline is divided into different regions and each coast or costa has been given a specific name. Having a look at the Spanish coastline map will help you to orient yourself and to search the best coast for your Spanish course in Spain.

WHERE TO STUDY SPANISH NEAR THE BEACH

Whatever coastal city and beach you choose; it will always be a great choice! You can study Spanish in Spain in Valencia, Barcelona, Málaga, or Cádiz and live within walking distance from a great beach!

But depending on what you are looking for, we would like to give you our expert opinion so you can make the very best choice. There is a beach for every person in Spain, no matter what your expectations are! In fact, 578 Spanish beaches were awarded with the Blue Flag in 2015, which makes Spain the country with the most Blue Flag beaches worldwide!
(*The Blue Flag is a certification that is only given if a beach meets certain standards of water quality, safety, and environmental management).

Most beautiful beaches in Spain

1. Praia Das Catedrais

The best beach to enjoy the most breathtaking nature of Spain

Did you know that there is a beach close to Santiago de Compostella? The Playa de los Catedrales is a natural monument with a supernatural dimension. The beach is located at only 2 hours driving from Santiago de Compostella in the north of Spain, next to the Atlantic Ocean. You will find the beach in Ribadeo in the province of Lugo in the region of Galicia.

The region of Galicia is known for its very impressive beaches, and this 1.5 km sandy beach is so special because of the curved rock formations that you can walk under when the sea is at its lowest point. The beach’s daily limit is 4812 visitors.

Although the Costa Verde beaches are normally not so crowded, during Holy Week and the summer, the beach is so popular that you will be required to reserve your permit beforehand. The permit is free and can be found on this website of the local government.

The government also organizes a free of charge, guided tour with an official guide to the natural monument to make your visit even more interesting. You can make your reservation for this tour at the same website mentioned before.

To arrive to the beach:
Take the train to the Esteiro train station, which is 1.3 km walking from the beach. In summer, you can take the four-times-daily bus service from Ribadeo’s tourist office to the beach for around 2.5 euros round-trip. There are great information panels with information about how to get to the beach, which makes it very easy to access.

Study Spanish in Santiago de Compostela

2. Platja D’en Bossa

The best beach for party people!

The party never stops at Playa d’en Bossa, the largest and most dynamic beach in Ibiza offering a vibrant atmosphere! This beach is situated at only 3 km south of Ibiza Town where you can also find our Spanish school. The Playa d’en Bossa is a legendary stretch of fine, pale sand surrounded by cafes, restaurants and world-renowned clubs such as Bora Bora, Ushuaia and Hi Ibiza.

This beach also offers many possibilities after you have slept in after a night out. You will find shallow blue waters, perfect for a refreshing swim. The beach offers an abundance of water sports for the adventurous souls, including beach ball, water-paddle, catamaran, kayaks, jet skis and plenty of other fun water sports.

Playa d’en Bossa beach is 2.7 km or 1.7 miles long, although quite narrow around 20 – 30 meters wide. Enjoy a walk to the Sal Rossa watchtower on a rocky promontory. The more quite section is the part further away from Ibiza town. You can enjoy a complete change of scenery by visiting the official naturist beach of Platja d’Es Cavellet at 3 km or 2 miles south. And from there, visit the unspoiled Las Salinas and Platja de Migjorn. Both beaches are very popular with the gay community.

Study Spanish in Ibiza

3. Playa Burriana

The best family-friendly beach!

The best and longest beach in Nerja (Andalucia) is the Burriana Beach! The Burriana Beach has plenty of towel space on the sand, although you can also rent a sunbed and parasol. The beach is 800 meters long and 40 meters wide.

To reach the beach from Balcón de Europa, you should walk east down the white Calle Carabeo and then just continue around 15 minutes to reach the beautiful beach.

After enjoying your Spanish classes at our Spanish school in Nerja, you can reach the beach at just 10 minutes walking! Because the school and beach are both so close to the city center, the location makes the beach perfect for families who want to avoid long commutes by public transport. And if you don’t feel like walking, it is also easy to catch a Nerja taxi to take you to the beach. The beach is fully adapted for disabled people and strollers and is definitely one of the Most beautiful beaches in Spain.

No wonder the beach has been a regular recipient of the prestigious ‘Blue Flag’ award, a proof of excellence given by the European Union to the best beaches only. The beach has also won regularly the ‘Q for Quality’ Spanish award.

There is always a nice spot to have a drink, a snack or a meal as the beach is backed by a line of ‘merenderos’, which are open-sided restaurants. There are many kiosks selling delicious ice creams.

Burriana Beach is perfect for doing some water sports! You can rent kayaks or paddleboards for the very affordable price of around EUR 6 per hour. This beach is very popular by Spaniards.

Nearest Spanish School:
Spanish school in Nerja
Spanish school Málaga

4. La Kontxa (La Concha)

The best Urban beach!

The La Kontxa or La Concha an urban beach: urban beaches are artificially created in an urban setting, which simulates a public beach front, through the use of sand, beach umbrellas, and seating elements. Urban beaches are gaining more and more popularity worldwide, as they are perfect for both city residents and tourists given their perfect location and possibilities.

San Sebastian is the perfect place to study Spanish and spend time on the best European Urban Beach! The beach is just a short stroll from the Spanish school, the city center and the fabulous old town. The emblematic seashell-shaped beach ranks even as one of the most famous urban beaches in the world, rivaling beaches such as the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.

The beach is named after its shape, which is that of a seashell, located in the Concha Bay. The word seashell translates to ‘concha’ in Spanish or ‘kontxa’ in the Basque language. As you probably already guessed, the beach is part of the Costa Vasca. The beach boasts just under a mile or just over 1.3 km of white sand and is incredibly spacious. The beach is so spacious that it rarely gets packed.

As the water of La Concha beach is almost always pretty calm, it is also perfect for swimming and paddling. There is a zone of the beach reserved for doing sports such as beach volley or even soccer. There is no better way to escape the city then coming to this urban beach after your Spanish lessons! After spending some time on the beach, enjoy a meal in restaurants on the shore. There is also a great choice of cultural events going on at the beach.

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the breathtaking view of the city you have from this beach! This unique view is something you will never forget!

Study Spanish in San Sebastián

5. Bogatell

The best beach in a large city!

Studying Spanish in one of the most famous Spanish cities and enjoying some time on a perfect beach?! If you thought that was impossible, come to Barcelona!

Barcelona is Spain’s second largest city and it sits right on the Mediterranean Coast. It is located between the Costa Brava and Costa Dorada, on the coast of what is known as the Costa del Maresme or the Costa del Garraf. The coastline in and around Barcelona is lined with some great beaches. The beach we would like to recommend is the 700-meter long Bogatell beach!

The Bogatell beach is within the city limits but it is much less crazy than the city’s main and most famous Barceloneta beach. Bogatell is a man-made beach created for the 1992 Olympics. You will see that the beach is very well designed and clean. There are lifeguards on duty in summer and the beach offers all necessary facilities such as bathrooms and showers. As this beach is less popular with tourists, it is also safer. There are less pickpockets active on Bogatell than on the Barceloneta beach.

The beach is located at only 4 km from the Spanish school in Barcelona and is easy to reach by bus or metro (Line 4 – llacuna). After your Spanish classes in Barcelona you can reach the beach easily by metro in 20 minutes ride. The beach is just across the station. You can practice water sports such as swimming, windsurfing and kite surfing. There is a fitness area and there are facilities to play table tennis, basketball, soccer and beach volley. If you want to come by bike, there are several bicycle parking areas.

Bogatell is also perfect to enjoy local seafood or tapas as there are plenty of great bars and restaurants to choose from. It is said that here is the spot to eat the best paella or fideuà (a local version of paella with noodles)! During the day the beach is tranquil, at night, local clubs such as Shoko, Catwalk and Opium are welcoming you to party the night away.

Here is one last insider tip! This beach is located just opposite the up-and-coming neighborhood of Poblenou. You can find art studios, vintage markets and craft beer breweries in this neighborhood. Combine your visit to the beach with a stroll in Poblenou and find all sorts of hidden gems and surprises!

Study Spanish in Barcelona

Bonus tip! Playa del Papagayo in Lanzarote

If you study Spanish on the Canary Islands (Palma de Mallorca or Tenerife) you’ll be surrounded by amazing beaches too. One specially recommened beach of the Canary Islands is on the island of Lanzarote: it’s called the Playa de Papagayo. It was Tripadvisor’s Travellers Best Choice 2020 and is without a doubht one of the Most beautiful beaches in Spain.

Playa de Papagayo is inside a natural park so you have to pay a small fee (a few euros per car) to get into the bumpy sandy path that drives you to the beach for a few kilometres. There is a place to park and a couple of restaurants. It takes serveral stairs to get down to the beach.

Playa del Papagayo is an excellent beach, with beautiful sand and very nice, clear and refreshing water with tons of fish for those who like snorkelling. It has a beautiful view from the cliff-top.

Interested in a Spanish language course in Spain near the beach? Contact us!