Beaches in Spain

The most varied beach country in Europe, because it has four coasts and an archipelago in the Atlantic. The Mediterranean side runs from the coves of the Costa Brava to the dune fields of Almería. The Balearics are limestone and pocket cove. The Atlantic north is green, cold and surf-driven. The Canaries are volcanic, black-sanded and closer to Africa than to Madrid. Access is straightforward everywhere: Spanish law makes the whole shore public property, and the coastal law of 1988 also set a protection strip inland of it, which is why some older buildings sit closer to the water than anything new may. Seasons differ sharply by coast — the Mediterranean runs from May to October, the Atlantic north is a summer proposition only, and the Canaries work all year. Blue Flag counts here are the highest in the world, which says more about the administration of beaches than about their beauty, and the country's lifeguard and flag system is used consistently across regions.

They spread across nine beach worlds, the largest group being four hidden coves. Together they account for 23 km of shore. · computed from the 15 records below