Italy · Europe
Sicily is Italy turned up to eleven — louder, messier, more dramatic, more delicious. The beach at San Vito Lo Capo has white sand and water that rivals anything in Greece, backed by a dramatic limestone cliff. Scala dei Turchi near Agrigento is a surreal staircase of white marl rock that looks like a giant meringue melting into the sea. But Sicily isn't really about picking one beach; it's about the whole package. You can stand inside a 2,400-year-old Greek temple at Agrigento, eat arancini the size of your fist from a Palermo street cart for two euros, watch Mount Etna rumble from a rooftop in Taormina, and swim in a hidden cove near Cefalu — all in the same day. Seafood here is absurdly good and absurdly cheap: grilled swordfish with caponata and a half-liter of house wine for under 20 euros.
From Saint-Tropez's golden sand to Croatia's glass-clear Adriatic and Portugal's cliff-backed Atlantic shores — the definitive guide to Europe's best clothing-optional beaches, with practical info on getting there, what to bring, and when to visit.
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Madeira's volcanic coast delivers dramatic natural swimming pools, black-sand coves, and Europe's best coastal drives, while Porto Santo's 9-km golden beach offers the sandy relaxation Madeira's cliffs don't. Together they make one of the Atlantic's most complete beach destinations.
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The Albanian Riviera runs along the Ionian Sea with turquoise water, limestone canyon beaches, and Mediterranean prices from another era. Seafood dinners for €10, beachfront rooms from €30, and beach bars where cocktails cost €3-4.
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Volcanic rock pools, imported Moroccan sand, and year-round 18-23°C water — madeira beaches redefine the concept entirely. Add 2,500 km of levada hiking trails through UNESCO laurel forest and Portugal's most dramatic coastal scenery.
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Box jellyfish in Australia, man-of-war in the Atlantic, mauve stingers in the Mediterranean -- here's how to identify the jellyfish in your water, what actually treats a sting (hot water, not urine), and when to get to a hospital.
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A guide to Santorini's beaches covering the dramatic Red Beach, developed Kamari and Perissa black sand strips, the lunar landscape of Vlychada, Amoudi Bay's caldera swimming, and the volcanic hot springs, with practical tips on access, Ancient Thera, and why Assyrtiko wine matters.
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