Zavala Beach
Hvar Island, Split-Dalmatia, Croatia
Zavala sits on the quiet southern coast of Hvar Island, Croatia, reached from Jelsa through a narrow, unlit tunnel cut more than a kilometer through the island's spine. The 230 meter gravel beach fronts water so clear it looks lit from below, and the pace in the village behind it stays slow even at the height of summer.
A real escape from Hvar's busier side thanks to the tunnel keeping casual visitors away, though the total lack of services means it's a bring-your-own-everything kind of stop.
Drive carefully through the single lane tunnel from Pitve, since it's unlit and narrow enough that oncoming traffic has to take turns at the wider passing points.
The road from Jelsa runs through Pitve and the long tunnel to reach Zavala, with informal parking near the harbor and beach.
The beach has a gentle, gradual entrance into the water over fine gravel, easier underfoot than Hvar's rockier coves, though there's no paved path from the road.
June through September brings the warm, clear water and reliable sun that make the tunnel drive worth it, with the beach staying noticeably less crowded than Hvar's north coast even in August.
More Europe beaches
Kedrodasos Beach
Chania, Crete, Greece · Europe
Kedrodasos Beach lies on the southwest coast of Crete, Greece, just over a kilometer past the more famous Elafonissi and separated from it by a low headland that keeps the crowds thinner here. Ancient juniper trees, not the cedars the name suggests, grow right down into the dunes, and the water stays shallow and clear over a stretch of sand more than a kilometer long.
Voulisma Beach
Agios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece · Europe
Voulisma, also called Golden Beach, curves around the Gulf of Mirabello about 15 kilometers south of Agios Nikolaos on Crete, Greece, backed by a rocky cliff thick with Mediterranean scrub. The turquoise water here is calm enough for kids and shallow enough that it warms up quickly through the summer, and it's fully set up with sunbeds and beach bars for anyone who wants to stay all day.
Nanou Beach
Symi, Dodecanese, Greece · Europe
Nanou Beach sits on the south coast of Symi, Greece, a long stretch of white pebbles reachable only by boat and hidden behind a ring of high hills that keeps it out of view from the rest of the island. A small canteen serves lunch right on the beach, and the water here runs clear enough for good snorkeling and diving just off the shore.