Quiet beach vacation destinations
There are, of course, surefire ways of finding a quiet beach – like shelling out for a private stretch of sand at an exclusive resort. But we want this list to be a little different. We’ve tried to find local beaches – beaches that take a little bit of effort; beaches that people love. These are quiet shores full of life, where your visit has a low negative environmental impact, but a high positive impact on local economies.
Read our list of our top 10 quiet beach vacations for more.
Read our list of our top 10 quiet beach vacations for more.
1. Castara Bay, Tobago
If you’re looking for absolute silence and stillness, Castara might not tick the box. Waves thunder upon the shore and the resident birdlife is very vocal, whilst Thursday nights are party nights at the weekly village bonfire. But you’ll have a sense of relaxation as Caribbean life buzzes on around you. Best of all, longstanding low-impact tourism at the eco retreat on Castara Bay has helped several local people set up successful small businesses.
Best time to go: May to December is off season, but the weather is great, and your visit has a high positive impact on the village economy.
Our top selling trip: Tobago beach accommodation
See all our trips: Trinidad and Tobago vacations
Read more: Tobago travel guide
Best time to go: May to December is off season, but the weather is great, and your visit has a high positive impact on the village economy.
Our top selling trip: Tobago beach accommodation
See all our trips: Trinidad and Tobago vacations
Read more: Tobago travel guide
2. Iztuzu Beach, Turquoise Coast, Turkey
The massive, sandy Istuzu Beach is set at the edge of a wetland, on water that immediately makes you understand why this is known as Turkey’s Turquoise Coast. Marshland isn’t everyone’s idea of scenic, but the whispering reeds form a beautiful maze that you’ll wind through by boat to reach the bay. This area has been protected from development since 1988, after a long struggle by environmentalists to save the loggerhead turtles that nest there, and the beach is closed at night to help protect them.Best time to go: May, June and September – outside the busy summer.
Our top selling trip: Turquoise Coast luxury gulet cruise
See all our trips: Turkey vacations
Read more: Gulet cruises travel guide
3. Agathia Beach, Milos, Lesser Cyclades, Greece
Milos is the most remote of the Cyclades Islands. Once a local Greek favorite, word’s got out, but its distance from hotspots like Santorini have kept it safe. This Lesser Cycladic Island has over 70 beaches. Agathia Beach, on the uninhabited west side of the island, is even quieter than most – a golden crescent with shallow water and an arc of rocky headland encircling like bull’s horns. Go with one of our partners, and they may introduce activities like a short beach clean as part of your trip, so you can do your part to keep Milos immaculate.Best time to go: As early as mid-April and as late as the end of October, but avoid peak season of July and August.
Our top selling trip: Walking vacation in the West Cyclades, Greece
See all our trips: Cyclades vacations
Read more: Cyclades travel guide
4. Samara Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Samara Beach on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula lies between the roar of the sea and the thrum of the jungle. Whilst many beaches come with an audience of large resorts and hotels, this Pacific coast beach is only overlooked by a fringe of palm trees – with just a few family-run lodges hidden behind. It’s a great beach for children and tentative paddlers. For the more adventurous, Isla Chora, an uninhabited island with its own white-sand beach and excellent snorkelling, is a 20-minute kayak off the coast.
Best time to go: Year-round. The north Pacific coast is the driest area of the country, meaning visiting is possible even in the rainier months of May-October.
Our top selling trip: Costa Rica highlights vacation and beach
See all our trips: Costa Rica vacations
Read more: Our best beaches in Costa Rica
Best time to go: Year-round. The north Pacific coast is the driest area of the country, meaning visiting is possible even in the rainier months of May-October.
Our top selling trip: Costa Rica highlights vacation and beach
See all our trips: Costa Rica vacations
Read more: Our best beaches in Costa Rica
5. Srebrna Bay, Vis Island, Croatia
Vis is the furthest inhabited island from Croatia’s mainland. It’s quieter than most – though, of course, high-summer ferries bring more visitors. Srebrna Bay is known for its silver pebbles, like piles of treasure on the shore (srebrna means silver). Beach shoes advised, but this is a sheltered cove that’s great for families. There are thought to be 400 dolphins in the area around Vis, our local partners help with beach cleans outside of summer, so that coast and the dolphin-friendly water remain pristine and as shimmering as Srebrna Bay.Best time to go: May to October
Our top selling trip: Vis Island activity vacation in Croatia
See all our trips: Vis Island vacations
Read more: Vis Island travel guide
6. Simos Beach, Peloponnese, Greece
Whilst a lot of Greek island beaches are small, intimate and rocky, those on the mainland’s Peloponnese peninsula are far larger, sandier and emptier. It’s easy to navigate here, so go on a self guided cycle or drive to see the most beaches. The island of Elafonisos, just off one of the peninsula’s fingers, has many great sandy stretches – including beautiful Simos Beach. Once you’ve enjoyed the local beaches, show your appreciation for the communities that live behind them by dining in local restaurants and staying in family-run accommodation.Best time to go: Between April and October. Inevitably, in July and August, even the Peloponnese gets busy.
Our top trip: Peloponnese vacation in Greece
See all our trips: Peloponnese vacations
Read more: Peloponnese travel guide
7. Cayo Jutias, Cuba
This massive Caribbean island has many sandy shores. On the north-west coast, local people drive the 7km causeway out to Cayo Jutias and park their cars right on the beach – but why not cycle instead? From Vinales, the road route is around 60km.There are no hotels on this undeveloped stretch, instead, let daily worries fade away like the bleached driftwood, pale sand and sea, and the white roots of marooned mangroves. Fuel your cycling tour with freshly barbecued Caribbean lobster, and stay at Cuba’s fantastic casas particulares, run by local families.
Best time to go: November to April
Our top trip: Cycling vacation in Cuba
See all our trips: Cuba vacations
Read more: Best beaches in Cuba
Best time to go: November to April
Our top trip: Cycling vacation in Cuba
See all our trips: Cuba vacations
Read more: Best beaches in Cuba
8. Ponta Ruiva Alte, Algarve, Portugal
The Algarve doesn’t summon visions of emptiness, but not all of this popular region’s best beaches are crowded. Just 10 minutes from Sagres, the rocky unpaved track down to Ponta Ruiva Beach doesn’t deter Portugal’s surfers and their cars. They come for the excellent waves on this half-kilometre-long sandy stretch; its tawny yellow sand is large enough for visitors to share the space. In spring, flowers outcompete the sand in yellowness. Rural tourism – or turismo no espaço rural – is an important part of Portugal’s economy. Stay in family-run rural accommodation to give the most back on your visit.Best time to go: April-June or September-October
Our top selling trip: Cycling vacation in Portugal, self guided
See all our trips: Algarve vacations
Read more: Best beaches in the Algarve
9. Ramla Bay, Gozo, Malta
Most Malta archipelago vacationmakers stop at densely populated Malta. But if you take the 20-minute ferry over to sister island Gozo you’ll find far more space to stretch out. Ramla Bay has the only substantial sandy beach on Gozo. The Romans liked it here – ruins of a Roman villa with its own baths were excavated here in 1910 under the sand dunes, and more were revealed 100 years later in a winter storm. Tourism has provided jobs in the local economy that have allowed native Gozitans to stay on the island – historically, many have had to leave their home to find employment.Best time to go: March, May, June or September
Our top trip: Gozo family activity vacation
See all our trips: Malta vacations
Read more: Malta travel guide
10. Gjipe Beach, Himare, Albania
Albania’s Himare region on the Albanian Riviera is known for its beaches, attracting crowds from Tirana during peak months. It’s not taking long for the Albanian Riviera to become a popular tourist destination, spawning lots of development, so you can’t expect empty beaches anymore, or a countryside picked clean of litter. Gjipe Beach isn’t an empty beach by any means because it’s a camping spot – but it is a half-hour hike from a car, or a boat ride away. The water – typically for the region – is almost as blue as the nation’s famous Blue Eye spring.
Best time to go: May to October. If you can, avoid July and August, the busiest time of year.
Our top selling trip: Walking in southern Albania
See all our trips: Albania vacations
Read more: Albania travel guide
Best time to go: May to October. If you can, avoid July and August, the busiest time of year.
Our top selling trip: Walking in southern Albania
See all our trips: Albania vacations
Read more: Albania travel guide
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