by Søndervig, Denmark
Søndervig – known as the Gateway to the North Sea – has been visited by sun-seekers and sea-watchers for more than a century, drawn to its silver-gold sands and stormy grass dunes. There are good facilities – mini golf, tennis, trampolines and Segways are available close to the beach, and the town has a wealth of excellent fish restaurants. The town’s main attraction is the unusual sand sculpting festival, which runs from May to October, with a wild animal theme this year. Stay at Fjordgaarden, a stylish spa hotel 10 minutes’ drive (or regular bus connection) from the beach.
Doubles from £143 B&B; fjordgaarden.dk
Sola Strand, Norway
A fifteen-minute drive out of Stavanger, this beach plays host to surfers and surfers on windy days, and families flock to the wide stretch of sand when it’s calm. The only development is the golf course and the hotel on the north side, and the dunes behind the house are so rich in poultry that the whole beach is a protected area. Walkers can follow the five-mile hiking trail through the Jæren conservation area to Vigdel, a picturesque little bay ideal for swimming. Stay at the Sola Strand Hotel, a low-rise, century-old establishment with a lively bar and restaurant right on the sand.
Doubles from £124 B&B; solastrandhotel.no
Blokhus Beach, Denmark
If you are looking for a beach with a buoyant center attached, Blokhus – on the west coast of Denmark – is the one to choose. The beach is a zone: over 100m wide, with dunes behind it, with plenty of space for ball games and sandcastle building and excellent conditions for windsurfing and kitesurfing. The town has an almost English seaside feel, with ice cream shops, bucket and spade emporiums and a miniature golf course. There is also the Fårup Sommerland water park – one of Denmark’s top attractions – right on the doorstep. The Strandhotelet has comfortable rooms – a bit small, but the restaurant is excellent and the staff are extremely friendly.
Doubles from £172 B&B; strandhotellet-blokhus.dk
Sandhammaren, Sweden
An award-winning beach with more than a touch of the Caribbean, Sandhammaren is located on the southeastern tip of Skåne province, with powdery white sand and a nature reserve behind the beach, home to moose and a wide variety of birds. The 19th century lighthouse is open for tours, there is a kiosk for drinks and snacks and a small cafe next to the car park, but otherwise the beach is unspoilt. Nearby Löderups Strandbad is an excellent beach location with white clapboard houses and simple but comfortable rooms.
Doubles from £104 B&B; loderupsstrandbad.com
Hoddevik Beach, Norway
Hoddevik is the kind of beach that sends brochure covers; white sand against bottle-green fields, aquamarine water rolling in between two mountainous headlands. It’s a show that just gets to Hoddevik; the road snakes over a high mountain before descending to the beach, where Neoprene covers surfers in the waves. This is an adventure beach rather than a family strand – Stop Surf School offers lessons for all levels (and it is recommended not to surf alone). The Stad Hotell is 13km away, but it’s the best option, aside from camping, with sleek rooms and a great seaside location.
Doubles from £117 B&B; stadhotell.no
Sjøsanden, Norway
One of a handful of unspoilt beaches in the Furulunden nature park on the southern tip of Norway, this 800m stretch of sand is separated from the town of Mandal by a thick sweeping forest, latticed with walking paths. Its southern location means that the climate is relatively mild (by Norwegian standards) and the beach shelves are flat, making it ideal for young families. Mandal itself has a beautiful old town with cobbled streets and a wide range of cafes and restaurants, while Topcamp Sjøsanden has comfortable cabins, apartments and camping.
From £118, sleeps four, topcamp.no
Yyteri Beach, Finland
Most Finns would agree that Yyteri’s 6km of unspoilt sand are the best in the country, with safe swimming zones, surfing stretches and beach volleyball nets on the sand. Suitable for families, the beach is popular with walkers on the Yyteri Nature Trail, which includes some of the highest sand dunes in Europe – and birders, who come for the wide range of rare species found in the National Park The surrounding Bothnian Sea. The Yyteri Hotel & Spa is a stone’s throw from the beach, with stunning views from many of the rooms and especially the sauna on the seventh floor.
Doubles from £118 B&B; virkistyhotelli.fi
Tofta Beach, Gotland, Sweden
Stretching for 3km on the west side of Gotland, Sweden’s largest island, Tofta doesn’t have much more than a handful of cafes, a few basic campsites and a vast glistening stretch of the Baltic Sea. Locals come for blustery walks and sunset lunches or drinks at the hip Tofta Beach House (toftabeachhouse.com), a stunning suite of contemporary Scandi design set right on the sand. Most visitors stay in Visby, linked to Tofta by a 20km flat cycle path (or twenty minutes by car), where Hotel Kalk has comfortable and crisp rooms.
Doubles from £139 B&B, kalkhotel.se
Böda Sand, Sweden
On the northeastern edge of the island of Öland, just off the east coast of Sweden, the 20km stretch of sand Böda is a family dream. Backed by low dunes and a pine forest, the south side has all the necessary facilities – showers, toilets and cafes – and the further north you walk, the quieter the beach. Böda Sand Beach Resort offers activities for children, playgrounds as well as several food shops. Cabins are more comfortable than camping, but choose a Type 4 or higher if you don’t want to sleep in bunk beds.
From £135, it sleeps four; camping.se
Marielyst Beach, Denmark
Part of the 10km stretch of beach along the south-east coast of the island of Falster, Marielyst was once the summer resort of choice for the Danish royal family, and is a perennial family favorite for the calm sea and sandy shore. Bring bikes and walking shoes to head to the Bøtø Nature Area or explore part of the coast-to-coast cycle path, with Marielyst’s network of cafés, restaurants and farm shops offering plenty of pre- or post-trip fuel. Stay at the Nørrevang Hotel, a half-timbered, thatched inn dating back to 1906, with a modern resort built around it.
Doubles from £112 B&B; hotelnorrevang.dk.
• This article was amended on 21 July 2024. Tofta beach and the island of Gotland are in Sweden, not Denmark as stated in an earlier version.
