Whilst the UK may have some ugly beaches, European countries are not exempt — with some including high-rise tower blocks, nearby boozy bars and crowds of tourists
Seaside towns in Britain get a mixed reputation — some are hit-or-miss, some completely miss, while some are 100% hitters.
Although some areas of the UK have gained credit for their golden sands, like St Ives, others seem to consistently receive bad press, like Skegness. The rest of Europe is similarly blessed with patches of seaside heaven and coastal hell. Some are real gems, and others are overcrowded with people trying to squeeze into an empty patch of sand between one family’s cooler and another family’s parasol.
Whether it is because the beach is surrounded by tourist destinations or in a busy area, here are some of the beaches to avoid in Europe, according to the Telegraph.
La Línea de la Concepción, Spain
La Línea sits on the border between Spain and Gibraltar and has wide stretching beaches. At one side there is a high-rise tower block and nearby, there is an oil refinery — the largest on the Iberian peninsula. This means that the horizon is littered with oil tankers.
In addition, La Línea has a reputation as a crime capital. In one review on TripAdvisor, a visitor warned: “Be very careful in La Linea! At night, street crime is a popular sport for the local youth with tourists making easy targets. We have had one of our chaps going home on crutches having been held up and chased, and another with a black eye after being asked for money. Stay in the centre and avoid being too drunk, stay in groups or use taxis.”
Laganas, Zante, Greece
Laganas Beach is located on the Laganas Strip in Zante, and whilst the weather can be warm, the one-mile strip becomes inundated with partygoers heading to bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Outside of that one-mile nightlife zone, Laganas does have plenty of traditional tavernas, laidback bars and family-friendly resorts — but unfortunately the reputation of the main strip means these destinations are often avoided or forgotten about.
One Tripadvisor reviewer summed up the beach: “Filthy, rubbish strewn, 18 – 30 [year old] nightmare, never go to with a family. Over priced, ripped off from arrival to departure. Constantly over charged for food and drinks. All hotel staff very rude and unhelpful. Will never return or recommend, put us off Greece.”
Albufeira, Portugal
Albufeira in Portugal is a popular seaside resort, which originally used to be a fishing village. Today it is full of bars, pulsating nightclubs, and cheap accommodation in often ugly tower blocks that line the beach. The Praia da Oura beach at the end of The Strip in the New Town is more about recovering than relaxing, as hoards of partygoers from the night before often flock to the beach to catch the sun before another night of dancing and drinking.
Ploče, Croatia
Ploče beach in Croatia is located between Dubrovnik and Split. Set against the backdrop of a rundown petrochemical port terminal and grain silos, the beach is one of the less pretty destinations in Croatia.
It has often been labelled by visitors as an ‘urban’ beach due to the abundance of local facilities, however, the nearby restaurants and bars have also been noted as pricey.
One Tripadvisor review state: “This beach area was underwhelming. It depends what you are looking for, but from the perspective of a couple in our late thirties without children we would not recommend Budva for a relaxing beach break – especially with so many other islands and beach resorts close by in Croatia.
“The vibe is very Coney Island – with lots of carnival rides and take away food outlets. It also appears to be a location for local holiday makers or people on vacay from other European countries – as English speaking internationals, we didn’t feel particularly welcome at any stage and found locals would offer ignore us when asking for assistance or service. Interesting for a short visit – but wouldn’t plan to stay long.”
Kemer, Turkey
Approximately 40 miles southeast of Antalya, you will find Kemer. The central beach is covered in large pebbles and is often crowded. Tourists who prefer quiet ad tranquil places should steer clear of the central beach and instead head for the hidden beaches in Kemer’s rockfaces.
In addition, due to it being a pebble and shingle beach it isn’t the best place for a picnic or kids to play.
