Europe's sunniest beaches in 2026, ranked
82 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 October 2026.
Key findings
• Gran Canaria (Spain) is Europe's sunniest beach destination: 3,298 hours of sun a year.
• Jerez de la Frontera and Kos follow, at 3,263 and 3,218 h.
• Best winter-sun beach: Gran Canaria (Spain), 93/100 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 | Gran Canaria | Spain | 3,298 | 23°C | 10 mo |
| 2 | Jerez de la Frontera | Spain | 3,263 | 25°C | 4 mo |
| 3 | Kos | Greece | 3,218 | 26°C | 7 mo |
| 4 | Rhodes | Greece | 3,201 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 5 | Karpathos | Greece | 3,177 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 6 | Lampedusa | Italy | 3,136 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 7 | Almería | Spain | 3,132 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 8 | Málaga | Spain | 3,106 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 9 | Samos | Greece | 3,081 | 26°C | 6 mo |
| 10 | La Palma | Spain | 3,075 | 25°C | 12 mo |
| 11 | Valletta | Malta | 3,046 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 12 | Comiso | Italy | 3,021 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 13 | Santorini | Greece | 3,012 | 26°C | 6 mo |
| 14 | Lanzarote | Spain | 2,979 | 23°C | 8 mo |
| 15 | Fuerteventura | Spain | 2,979 | 23°C | 8 mo |
| 16 | Zakynthos | Greece | 2,970 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 17 | Ibiza (Eivissa) | Spain | 2,950 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 18 | Alicante | Spain | 2,939 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 19 | Tenerife | Spain | 2,933 | 24°C | 12 mo |
| 20 | Heraklion | Greece | 2,929 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 21 | Trapani (TP) | Italy | 2,928 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 22 | Athens | Greece | 2,907 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 23 | Mykonos | Greece | 2,897 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 24 | Chaniá | Greece | 2,895 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 25 | Valencia | Spain | 2,894 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 26 | Marseille | France | 2,885 | 23°C | 4 mo |
| 27 | Palma de Mallorca | Spain | 2,860 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 28 | Preveza | Greece | 2,849 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 29 | Kefallinia | Greece | 2,846 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 30 | Alghero | Italy | 2,842 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 31 | Palermo | Italy | 2,842 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 32 | Funchal | Portugal | 2,835 | 24°C | 9 mo |
| 33 | Ajaccio | France | 2,831 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 34 | Patras | Greece | 2,829 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 35 | Rome | Italy | 2,823 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 36 | Mytilene | Greece | 2,823 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 37 | Reus | Spain | 2,823 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 38 | Corfu | Greece | 2,819 | 29°C | 7 mo |
| 39 | Mahón (Maó) | Spain | 2,818 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 40 | Castellón de la Plana | Spain | 2,816 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 41 | Naples | Italy | 2,808 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 42 | Salerno | Italy | 2,807 | 30°C | 7 mo |
| 43 | Calvi | France | 2,792 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 44 | Cagliari | Italy | 2,787 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 45 | Catania | Italy | 2,786 | 30°C | 6 mo |
| 46 | Reggio Calabria | Italy | 2,786 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 47 | Kalamata | Greece | 2,737 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 48 | Toulon | France | 2,729 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 49 | Nice | France | 2,722 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 50 | Brindisi | Italy | 2,716 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 51 | Olbia (SS) | Italy | 2,705 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 52 | Girona | Spain | 2,702 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 53 | Barcelona | Spain | 2,700 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 54 | Figari | France | 2,695 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 55 | Tirana | Albania | 2,686 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 56 | Lamezia Terme (CZ) | Italy | 2,661 | 30°C | 6 mo |
| 57 | Bastia | France | 2,659 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 58 | Split | Croatia | 2,559 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 59 | Pisa (PI) | Italy | 2,545 | 30°C | 5 mo |
| 60 | Montpellier/Méditerranée | France | 2,544 | 24°C | 4 mo |
| 61 | Dubrovnik | Croatia | 2,534 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 62 | Tivat | Montenegro | 2,533 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 63 | Bari | Italy | 2,531 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 64 | Thessaloniki | Greece | 2,531 | 31°C | 6 mo |
| 65 | Skiathos | Greece | 2,524 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 66 | Ponta Delgada | Portugal | 2,421 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 67 | Pula | Croatia | 2,419 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 68 | Pescara | Italy | 2,401 | 30°C | 5 mo |
| 69 | Genoa | Italy | 2,353 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 70 | Ancona | Italy | 2,309 | 29°C | 4 mo |
| 71 | Praia da Vitória | Portugal | 2,308 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 72 | Trieste | Italy | 2,292 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 73 | Venice | Italy | 2,291 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 74 | Varna | Bulgaria | 2,248 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 75 | Odesa | Ukraine | 2,247 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 76 | Burgas | Bulgaria | 2,238 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 77 | Sochi | Russia | 2,236 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 78 | Anapa | Russia | 2,222 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 79 | Rimini (RN) | Italy | 2,211 | 30°C | 4 mo |
| 80 | Istanbul | Türkiye | 2,201 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 81 | Zadar | Croatia | 2,156 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 82 | Rijeka(Omišalj) | Croatia | 2,004 | 27°C | 4 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 | Gran Canaria | Spain | 93 | 23°C | 10 mo |
| 2 | Lanzarote | Spain | 90 | 23°C | 8 mo |
| 3 | Fuerteventura | Spain | 90 | 23°C | 8 mo |
| 4 | Tenerife | Spain | 89 | 24°C | 12 mo |
| 5 | La Palma | Spain | 87 | 25°C | 12 mo |
| 6 | Almería | Spain | 79 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 7 | Funchal | Portugal | 78 | 24°C | 9 mo |
| 8 | Alicante | Spain | 66 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 9 | Lampedusa | Italy | 64 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 10 | Valencia | Spain | 64 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 11 | Ponta Delgada | Portugal | 62 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 12 | Málaga | Spain | 60 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 13 | Heraklion | Greece | 60 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 14 | Catania | Italy | 60 | 30°C | 6 mo |
| 15 | Jerez de la Frontera | Spain | 59 | 25°C | 4 mo |
| 16 | Karpathos | Greece | 59 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 17 | Valletta | Malta | 59 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 18 | Rhodes | Greece | 55 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 19 | Santorini | Greece | 55 | 26°C | 6 mo |
| 20 | Praia da Vitória | Portugal | 55 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 21 | Trapani (TP) | Italy | 54 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 22 | Palermo | Italy | 53 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 23 | Cagliari | Italy | 53 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 24 | Reggio Calabria | Italy | 53 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 25 | Kalamata | Greece | 53 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 26 | Barcelona | Spain | 53 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 27 | Ibiza (Eivissa) | Spain | 52 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 28 | Chaniá | Greece | 52 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 29 | Palma de Mallorca | Spain | 52 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 30 | Comiso | Italy | 51 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 31 | Patras | Greece | 50 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 32 | Samos | Greece | 48 | 26°C | 6 mo |
| 33 | Zakynthos | Greece | 48 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 34 | Kefallinia | Greece | 48 | 27°C | 6 mo |
| 35 | Olbia (SS) | Italy | 48 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 36 | Kos | Greece | 47 | 26°C | 7 mo |
| 37 | Mahón (Maó) | Spain | 47 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 38 | Girona | Spain | 47 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 39 | Alghero | Italy | 46 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 40 | Reus | Spain | 46 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 41 | Athens | Greece | 44 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 42 | Mykonos | Greece | 44 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 43 | Preveza | Greece | 44 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 44 | Brindisi | Italy | 44 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 45 | Corfu | Greece | 43 | 29°C | 7 mo |
| 46 | Salerno | Italy | 43 | 30°C | 7 mo |
| 47 | Lamezia Terme (CZ) | Italy | 43 | 30°C | 6 mo |
| 48 | Figari | France | 42 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 49 | Bari | Italy | 41 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 50 | Skiathos | Greece | 41 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 51 | Ajaccio | France | 40 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 52 | Mytilene | Greece | 40 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 53 | Bastia | France | 40 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 54 | Rome | Italy | 39 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 55 | Calvi | France | 38 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 56 | Naples | Italy | 36 | 29°C | 6 mo |
| 57 | Toulon | France | 36 | 25°C | 5 mo |
| 58 | Nice | France | 36 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 59 | Castellón de la Plana | Spain | 35 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 60 | Pescara | Italy | 34 | 30°C | 5 mo |
| 61 | Marseille | France | 32 | 23°C | 4 mo |
| 62 | Pisa (PI) | Italy | 31 | 30°C | 5 mo |
| 63 | Montpellier/Méditerranée | France | 31 | 24°C | 4 mo |
| 64 | Thessaloniki | Greece | 30 | 31°C | 6 mo |
| 65 | Tirana | Albania | 29 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 66 | Split | Croatia | 26 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 67 | Ancona | Italy | 26 | 29°C | 4 mo |
| 68 | Dubrovnik | Croatia | 24 | 28°C | 5 mo |
| 69 | Tivat | Montenegro | 24 | 28°C | 6 mo |
| 70 | Genoa | Italy | 22 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 71 | Rimini (RN) | Italy | 21 | 30°C | 4 mo |
| 72 | Zadar | Croatia | 18 | 26°C | 5 mo |
| 73 | Sochi | Russia | 16 | 29°C | 5 mo |
| 74 | Pula | Croatia | 13 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 75 | Istanbul | Türkiye | 13 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 76 | Rijeka(Omišalj) | Croatia | 13 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 77 | Venice | Italy | 11 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 78 | Burgas | Bulgaria | 11 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 79 | Varna | Bulgaria | 9 | 27°C | 4 mo |
| 80 | Trieste | Italy | 7 | 28°C | 4 mo |
| 81 | Anapa | Russia | 5 | 27°C | 5 mo |
| 82 | Odesa | Ukraine | 2 | 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 (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). "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 (82 beach destinations).
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