Forget about Santorini or Ibiza this summer. There are over 2,000 inhabited islands in Europe and many live up to the most famous islands but have managed to stay under the radar. They may be trickier to get to and require a little more effort, but the feeling of being one of a few international tourists on Europe’s secret beaches is hard to beat. Join us as we head off the beaten ferry route and hunt out Europe’s secret islands, hidden sands and secluded coves.
Iles d’Or, France
Does anything sound more like a romantic European summer than the Golden Islands of the Cote d’ Azur? Grouped together in an archipelago at the southernmost tip of Provence, the three islands are the ideal of a Mediterranean summer, with vineyards, secret coves, and pine forests leading to crystal clear beaches. This is the French Riviera as it used to be, away from the glitz of St. Tropez. The innate glamor of the French can still be seen in the main town’s wide-open square, where old men play petanque and families en vacance eat dinner or sip a digestif.
Favignana, Sicily
Favignana may be one of Europe’s secret islands but not amongst the Palermo locals who head to the island 4 miles off the coast of Sicily to enjoy the crystal clear waters and a distinct lack of international tourism. Take a ferry from Trapani and in around an hour you’ll reach this little haven. It’ll be hard not to feel just a little bit smug, as you laze like the Italians before lunching on red tuna, spaghetti with sea urchins, or pasta with lobster.
Ærø, Denmark
Ærø (pronounced ‘air-rue’) is a little island off the coast of Denmark where time seems to have stopped. Where people get around on bikes, farmers sell strawberries at the side of the road, and people probably don’t lock their front doors. Danish summer means almost constant daylight and after a dark winter, the season is celebrated with a sense of energy it’s impossible not to embrace. On Ærø days are spent on the beach and the evenings at the summer festivals and concerts that take place almost every weekend.
La Gomera, Spain
Most people that travel to Spain’s Canary Islands stop at Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote at a push. Not many keep going to La Gomera, the smallest of the archipelago and the one that has managed to avoid package resorts, Irish pubs and sunburnt crowds of Northern Europeans. La Gomera remains wilder and less developed, it’s crisscrossed with hiking trails, subtropical cloud forest and black sand beaches. It’s the lack of white sand that has saved it from ruthless developers and means it still offers a unique chance to see Canarian culture intact.
Sveti Klement, Croatia
Croatia is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the best islands in Europe. But while many take their yachts to the glitzy port of Hvar (looking at you, George Clooney and Beyoncé) just 15 minutes away across the bay you’ll find Sveti Klement, a tiny island with hidden coves in the deep blue Adriatic Sea. During the height of summer the main beach gets busy with day trippers from Hvar but wait until the evening or just hike/sail to another cove and you’ll be surrounded by the smell of wild herbs, the glittering sea and the sound of waves lapping the shore.
Colonsay, Scotland
An island off the west coast of Scotland probably isn’t your first thought for a Euro summer, but hear us out. Colonsay has white sand, clear blue waters and the wild and remote atmosphere of Scotland’s Hebrides. Come for hiking, wild swimming, pints of ale in the local pub and the summer folk festival. The phenomenon of the Gulf Stream brings a mild climate to the island and the beach at Kiloran Bay is a huge sweep of often empty sand. Hiking trails take you to other sandy beaches, where you might spot wild goats or the golden eagles that call the island home.
Cíes Islands, Spain
On the northwest coast of Spain just north of the border with Portugal is the port city of Vigo. Perhaps not the first place you’d picture islands with turquoise waters and white sands but 45 minutes away by boat the Cies Islands are home to what has been voted the best beach in the world. Visitors must request permission to visit and the only accommodation is the official campsites; as numbers are controlled they never feel overrun. Spend your days hiking, snorkeling and swimming but bear in mind the Atlantic water temperatures are refreshing to say the least.
Long Story Short...
These are just some of the best islands around Europe that offer a chance to avoid the crowds and overdevelopment of mass tourism. Take the ferry and get ready for a taste of Europe in its most relaxed season, where good food, salty swims and aperitivo in the sun are the order of the day.
Written by Laura Sedlak
