Europe's sunniest beaches in 2026, ranked
76 European beach destinations — coastal spots where the sea is warm enough to swim (21 °C+) for at least four months — ranked by annual sunshine, from long-term climate normals, by Sunshine Atlas. Published July 2026.
Key findings
• Samos (Greece) is Europe's sunniest beach destination: 3,110 hours of sun a year.
• Valletta and Karpathos follow, at 3,054 and 3,022 h.
• Best winter-sun beach: 🇪🇸 Lanzarote (Spain), 87/100 in November–February — the Canaries are Europe's warmest winter coast.
The full ranking — annual sunshine
| # | Beach destination | Country | Sun h/yr | Warmest sea | Swim season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 3,110 | 26°C | 6 mo |
| 2 | Valletta | 🇲🇹 Malta | 3,054 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 3 | Karpathos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 3,022 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 4 | Lampedusa | 🇮🇹 Italy | 3,022 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 5 | Almería | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,994 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 6 | Mykonos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,978 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 7 | Santorini | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,891 | 26°C | 6 mo |
| 8 | Alicante | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,851 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 9 | Patras | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,847 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 10 | Jerez de la Frontera | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,847 | 25°C | 4 mo |
| 11 | Málaga | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,842 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 12 | Zakynthos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,803 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 13 | Mytilene | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,791 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 14 | Heraklion | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,779 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 15 | Nice | 🇫🇷 France | 2,760 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 16 | Athens | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,759 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 17 | Lanzarote | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,759 | 23°C | 8 mo |
| 18 | Kefallinia | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,759 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 19 | Fuerteventura | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,759 | 23°C | 8 mo |
| 20 | Skiathos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,759 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 21 | Toulon | 🇫🇷 France | 2,759 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 22 | Cagliari | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,726 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 23 | Gran Canaria | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,716 | 23°C | 10 mo |
| 24 | Preveza | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,716 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 25 | Tenerife | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,716 | 24°C | 12 mo |
| 26 | Valencia | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,696 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 27 | Ibiza (Eivissa) | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,672 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 28 | Kalamata | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,672 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 29 | Split | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 2,631 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 30 | Marseille | 🇫🇷 France | 2,628 | 23°C | 4 mo |
| 31 | Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,591 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 32 | Ajaccio | 🇫🇷 France | 2,584 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 33 | Palma de Mallorca | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,584 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 34 | Comiso | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,584 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 35 | Trapani (TP) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,584 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 36 | Catania | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,540 | 30°C | 6 mo |
| 37 | Mahón (Maó) | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,540 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 38 | Palermo | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,540 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 39 | La Palma | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,540 | 25°C | 12 mo |
| 40 | Alghero | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,497 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 41 | Olbia (SS) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,497 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 42 | Calvi | 🇫🇷 France | 2,497 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 43 | Figari | 🇫🇷 France | 2,497 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 44 | Reus | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2,497 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 45 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,473 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 46 | Bari | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,409 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 47 | Corfu | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,409 | 29°C | 7 mo |
| 48 | Montpellier/Méditerranée | 🇫🇷 France | 2,409 | 24°C | 4 mo |
| 49 | Reggio Calabria | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,409 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 50 | Brindisi | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,365 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 51 | Lamezia Terme (CZ) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,365 | 30°C | 6 mo |
| 52 | Varna | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 2,345 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 53 | Bastia | 🇫🇷 France | 2,321 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 54 | Tirana | 🇦🇱 Albania | 2,321 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 55 | Naples | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,278 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 56 | Thessaloniki | 🇬🇷 Greece | 2,278 | 31°C | 6 mo |
| 57 | Dubrovnik | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 2,234 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 58 | Istanbul | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 2,218 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 59 | Tivat | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 2,190 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 60 | Sochi | 🇷🇺 Russia | 2,178 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 61 | Funchal | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 2,146 | 24°C | 9 mo |
| 62 | Pisa (PI) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,146 | 30°C | 5 mo |
| 63 | Genoa | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,102 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 64 | Pescara | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,102 | 30°C | 5 mo |
| 65 | Pula | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 2,102 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 66 | Anapa | 🇷🇺 Russia | 2,102 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 67 | Burgas | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 2,059 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 68 | Zadar | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 2,059 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 69 | Falconara Marittima (AN) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,059 | 29°C | 4 mo |
| 70 | Trieste | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,015 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 71 | Rijeka(Omišalj) | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 2,015 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 72 | Rimini (RN) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,015 | 30°C | 4 mo |
| 73 | Odesa | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 1,971 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 74 | Venice | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1,883 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 75 | Praia da Vitória | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 1,752 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 76 | Ponta Delgada | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 1,708 | 25°C | 5 mo |
Explore all 3,833 destinations on the interactive globe →
Best beaches for winter sun
The same beaches re-ranked by the November–February Sunshine Score — where the winter sun is warmest.
| # | Beach destination | Country | Winter sun /100 | Warmest sea | Swim season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lanzarote | 🇪🇸 Spain | 87 | 23°C | 8 mo |
| 2 | Fuerteventura | 🇪🇸 Spain | 87 | 23°C | 8 mo |
| 3 | Gran Canaria | 🇪🇸 Spain | 79 | 23°C | 10 mo |
| 4 | Tenerife | 🇪🇸 Spain | 71 | 24°C | 12 mo |
| 5 | La Palma | 🇪🇸 Spain | 62 | 25°C | 12 mo |
| 6 | Lampedusa | 🇮🇹 Italy | 60 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 7 | Alicante | 🇪🇸 Spain | 60 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 8 | Funchal | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 55 | 24°C | 9 mo |
| 9 | Jerez de la Frontera | 🇪🇸 Spain | 54 | 25°C | 4 mo |
| 10 | Valencia | 🇪🇸 Spain | 52 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 11 | Almería | 🇪🇸 Spain | 51 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 12 | Valletta | 🇲🇹 Malta | 50 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 13 | Catania | 🇮🇹 Italy | 48 | 30°C | 6 mo |
| 14 | Praia da Vitória | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 48 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 15 | Málaga | 🇪🇸 Spain | 47 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 16 | Santorini | 🇬🇷 Greece | 46 | 26°C | 6 mo |
| 17 | Cagliari | 🇮🇹 Italy | 46 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 18 | Trapani (TP) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 46 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 19 | Mykonos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 43 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 20 | Reggio Calabria | 🇮🇹 Italy | 42 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 21 | Ponta Delgada | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 42 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 22 | Mahón (Maó) | 🇪🇸 Spain | 41 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 23 | Karpathos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 40 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 24 | Zakynthos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 40 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 25 | Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | 40 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 26 | Heraklion | 🇬🇷 Greece | 39 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 27 | Palermo | 🇮🇹 Italy | 39 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 28 | Reus | 🇪🇸 Spain | 38 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 29 | Ibiza (Eivissa) | 🇪🇸 Spain | 37 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 30 | Athens | 🇬🇷 Greece | 36 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 31 | Comiso | 🇮🇹 Italy | 36 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 32 | Samos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 35 | 26°C | 6 mo |
| 33 | Patras | 🇬🇷 Greece | 35 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 34 | Olbia (SS) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 35 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 35 | Alghero | 🇮🇹 Italy | 33 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 36 | Kalamata | 🇬🇷 Greece | 32 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 37 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | 32 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 38 | Lamezia Terme (CZ) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 32 | 30°C | 6 mo |
| 39 | Preveza | 🇬🇷 Greece | 31 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 40 | Toulon | 🇫🇷 France | 29 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 41 | Palma de Mallorca | 🇪🇸 Spain | 29 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 42 | Mytilene | 🇬🇷 Greece | 28 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 43 | Kefallinia | 🇬🇷 Greece | 27 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 44 | Brindisi | 🇮🇹 Italy | 27 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 45 | Bari | 🇮🇹 Italy | 24 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 46 | Corfu | 🇬🇷 Greece | 24 | 29°C | 7 mo |
| 47 | Naples | 🇮🇹 Italy | 22 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 48 | Nice | 🇫🇷 France | 21 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 49 | Skiathos | 🇬🇷 Greece | 21 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 50 | Ajaccio | 🇫🇷 France | 20 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 51 | Calvi | 🇫🇷 France | 20 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 52 | Montpellier/Méditerranée | 🇫🇷 France | 19 | 24°C | 4 mo |
| 53 | Bastia | 🇫🇷 France | 18 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 54 | Tirana | 🇦🇱 Albania | 18 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 55 | Thessaloniki | 🇬🇷 Greece | 18 | 31°C | 6 mo |
| 56 | Marseille | 🇫🇷 France | 17 | 23°C | 4 mo |
| 57 | Figari | 🇫🇷 France | 15 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 58 | Pisa (PI) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 14 | 30°C | 5 mo |
| 59 | Falconara Marittima (AN) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 13 | 29°C | 4 mo |
| 60 | Pescara | 🇮🇹 Italy | 11 | 30°C | 5 mo |
| 61 | Istanbul | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 10 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 62 | Genoa | 🇮🇹 Italy | 10 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 63 | Split | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 9 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 64 | Sochi | 🇷🇺 Russia | 9 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 65 | Pula | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 9 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 66 | Burgas | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 9 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 67 | Dubrovnik | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 8 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 68 | Tivat | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 7 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 69 | Zadar | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 7 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 70 | Trieste | 🇮🇹 Italy | 7 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 71 | Rimini (RN) | 🇮🇹 Italy | 6 | 30°C | 4 mo |
| 72 | Varna | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 5 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 73 | Venice | 🇮🇹 Italy | 5 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 74 | Rijeka(Omišalj) | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 4 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 75 | Anapa | 🇷🇺 Russia | 3 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 76 | Odesa | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 0 | 27°C | 4 mo |
Methodology
A destination counts as a "beach" here if its sea reaches a swimmable 21 °C for at least four months a year — a data filter, not a hand-picked list — ranked by annual sunshine hours from long-term climate normals (CRU climatology), not a forecast. "Warmest sea" is the hottest monthly mean; "swim season" counts months at 21 °C or above. Sea temperatures via Open-Meteo. See also the world's sunniest islands and the sunniest cities in Europe.
Republish this data
Free to use under CC BY 4.0: credit Sunshine Atlas and link to this page. Download the full ranking as CSV: sunshine-atlas-sunniest-beaches-europe.csv (76 beach destinations).
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