Beaches in Spain

01 March 2021

Spain's Best Beaches, Nude Beaches


Information about Spain’s beaches, Spain’s main types of beaches, the Balearic and Canary Islands as beach destinations, and tips for going to nudist beaches in Spain.


D’en Bossa Beach is one of Spain’s main party beaches and a stone’s throw away from the clubs and keepers of the famous Ibiza sound on Spain’s riotous island of Ibiza.

What comes to mind when you hear the words “sunny Spain”? I’ll bet you probably thought about Spain’s seemingly endless stretches of beaches. In fact, Spain has almost 8,000 kilometers of coastline, and Spain’s geography and Beaches in Spain: Sardinero Beach, Spain

Sardinero Beach by Xavier Vargas

City beach – Want to hit the beach but don’t want to leave the big city? The hip port city of Barcelona (Catalunya) boasts six beaches, with Barceloneta Beach being the most centrally-located to the centre and unsurprisingly the most popular. 
 

Beaches in Spain: Barceloneta Beach, Spain

Barceloneta Beach by OliverN5

Famous beach – La Concha Beach in the city of San Sebastián (Guipúzcoa) is Spain’s most famous beach and rivals El Sardinero as the most beautiful beach in Spain. In any case, it is San Sebastián’s most prized jewel. The beach sits on shell-shaped Concha Bay where the old historic district (the casco viejo famous for its tapas), rolling green hills, and Santa Clara Island can be seen in the distance. In the summer stronger swimmers can swim out into the bay to platforms for diving and fun. 
 

Beaches in Spain: La Concha Beach, Spain

La Concha Beach by DumbYellowDog

Gravelly beach – Calahonda Beach, one of many beaches in Nerja (Andalucía), is a quaint beach with dark gravelly sand on the infamous Costa del Sol. There small, brightly-painted boats beached on the sand and a herd of cats weaving between them are familiar sights. 
 

Beaches in Spain: Calahonda Beach, Spain

Calahonda Beach by Nerja Today

Inland beach – Los Nietos Beach is a local dark sand beach on the Mar Menor located right next to the town of Los Nietos. Actually a saltwater lagoon, the Mar Menor is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a thin strip of land known as La Manga (literally, The Sleeve). 
 

Beaches in Spain: Los Nietos Beach, Spain

Los Nietos Beach by trebol-a

Nudist beach – For those who want to show some skin, Los Muertos Beach in Carboneras (Almería) has a pretty beach that doesn’t get too crowded. 
 

Beaches in Spain: Los Muertos Beach, Spain

Los Muertos Beach by Sofía

Nudist gay beach – Las Balmins Beach in Sitges (Catalunya) is geared towards those looking for all things naked and all things gay in one place. 
 

Beaches in Spain: Las Balmins Beach, Spain

Las Balmins Beach by jsmjr

Party beach – D’en Bossa Beach is one of Spain’s main party beaches and a stone’s throw away from the clubs and keepers of the famous Ibiza sound on Spain’s riotous island of Ibiza (Baleares). 
 

Beaches in Spain: D'en Bossa Beach, Spain

D’en Bossa Beach by Str1ke

Year-round beach – A pretty and sandy beach, Juan Gómez beach in Fuerteventura (Canarias) is open all year round.

When going to nude beaches in Spain be sure to keep these tips in mind...

Beach Central: The Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands

The two most popular places for beach experiences in Spain aren’t on the mainland but on Spain’s two island chains. The Balearic Islands are located east of Catalunya, south of France, west of Sardinia, and in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. They are composed of four islands – Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera – and boast more than 300 beaches combined, some of them located in intimate coves. Most of the islands’ beaches have smooth sand, but a few have small pebbles or large rocks. The busiest time of the year on the islands is during July and August. The Canary Islands are located west of Morocco and the Western Sahara in the Atlantic Ocean and are composed of seven islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote, El Hierro, and La Gomera. The islands are volcanic in origin and some of the volcanoes are still active today. In fact, the island of Lanzarote is known for its volcanic landscape that is likened to that of a lunar landscape. Due to the warm, pleasant climate, the Canary Islands’ beaches are generally suitable for swimming year round.

Tips for Nudist/Nude Beaches in Spain

When going to nude beaches in Spain, be sure to keep these tips in mind:

  • Enjoy the feeling of being natural and don’t worry about the way your body looks. Not having to worry about sand in your shorts or up your bra can be good, and a nudist beach is not a beauty contest. Just enjoy the sand between your toes and the sun on your bum!
  • You don’t have to be naked. Nudist beaches are about being comfortable and having fun in the sun. If in the end you decide that you don’t want to take it all off, then don’t feel like you have to.
  • Don’t stare. That just makes people uncomfortable. Wear sunglasses if you’re concerned about your ability to keep your eyeballs in their sockets.
  • Don’t take pictures. Just because people have decided to go to a nudist beach does not mean that they have given you permission to take pictures of them when they’re naked.
  • Be aware that on most beaches in Spain – nudist or not – it’s okay to go topless, so you don’t have to go to a nudist beach if you just want to loose the strings of your bikini top.
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