Ranked and rated: Spain’s 20 greatest seaside towns

Our Spain expert reveals her 20 favourite coastal delights, plus a gorgeous place to stay in each

The more things change, the more they stay the same, and one constant when it comes to travel is the great British love affair with Spain. It is our favourite holiday destination bar none, with more than 17 million  in 2023, a 15% rise on the previous year – not far off the pre-pandemic figure of 18.5m.
While the country offers no shortage of sensuous city breaks, with Madrid and Seville on many bucket lists, as well as spectacular landscapes in the shape of the Picos de Europa and the Sierra Nevada, for most people a Spanish holiday revolves around the coast. With this in mind, our expert has chosen her 20 favourite seaside towns, offering elegant harbours, quiet beaches, superb seafood restaurants and white-washed buildings adorned with bougainvillea.
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
With canals running between low-rise white buildings adorned with bougainvillea, Puerto de Mogán is reminiscent of both Andalucía and Venice. Brightly-coloured boats bob in the marina, which is framed by attractive restaurant terraces. This immaculate resort in the south of Gran Canaria may lack history but it is certainly not short of charm. 
Where to stay: The traditional-style LIVVO Puerto de Mogán has a great location by the marina and the beach. Doubles from £222, half board.  
Nearest airport: Las Palmas (33 miles).
Menorca, Balearic Islands
A lot of people – including the Spanish royal family – go to the harbour village of Fornells just to eat caldereta de langosta – the lobster stew for which this rather smart fishing village on the north coast of Menorca is famous. With a sheltered location on a long bay, it is a popular choice for learning to sail, kayak or dive.
Where to stay: Simple yet stylish, which is the essence of Menorca, the Hostal La Palma, with rooms and apartments, is right by the harbour and has a pool. Doubles from £82, B&B.  
Nearest airport: Mahón (18 miles).
Castellón province, Valencia
With a walled old town topped by a castle on a peninsula, it didn’t take much to transform this family resort into the city of Meereen for Game of Thrones. On the Costa del Azahar – the Orange Blossom Coast – north of the city of Valencia, its long beach with shallow water is ideal for small children.
Where to stay: The Hostería del Mar is a traditional hotel with a pool opposite the beach. Doubles from £85, B&B.
Nearest airports: Castellón-Costa Azahar (31 miles) and Reus (83 miles).
Almería province, Andalucía
Whitewashed houses are piled like sugarcubes on a hill above a 10-mile strip of sand in this laidback resort on the Costa de Almería, where the view spans the Tabernas desert as well as the Mediterranean. Nearby, explore the volcanic landscapes and pristine beaches of the Cabo de Gata nature reserve.  
Where to stay: Right by the beach, the Parador de Mojácar has rooms with terraces overlooking the Mediterranean and a good restaurant. Doubles from £135, B&B. 
Nearest airport: Almería (51 miles).
Cantabria
At the end of the 19th century, the Marqués de Comillas brought Gaudí and other Catalan art nouveau architects to his home town in Cantabria on the Bay of Biscay to create a string of extraordinary buildings. With splendid beaches and the Oyambre nature reserve a 20-minute drive away, it is hardly surprising that Comillas is a top pick for Spaniards for their summer holidays.
Where to stay: Not fancy but by the beach with a good restaurant, the family-run Josein is friendly and good value. Doubles from £103, B&B. 
Nearest airport: Santander (32 miles).
Malaga province, Andalucía
At the eastern end of the Costa del Sol, Nerja has managed to hang onto a lot of its character despite being a popular holiday resort. Take in the view of the Mediterranean from the clifftop Balcón de Europa esplanade and don’t miss the Cuevas de Nerja, a spectacular cave complex just outside the town. A subtropical climate means it is often warm enough to eat outside in winter.
Where to stay: Overlooking Burriana beach, the modern Parador de Nerja has a friendly atmosphere and an inviting pool in the gardens. Doubles from £130, B&B. 
Nearest airport: Malaga (50 miles).
Pontevedra province, Galicia
Granite granaries on stilts – known as hórreos – border the waterfront of Combarro in the Rías Baixas, the coastline indented with deep inlets in the west of Galicia in northern Spain. Come here to eat mussels and octopus, visit wineries and drink Albariño as you watch a spectacular sunset.
Where to stay: Hotels in Combarro itself are a bit basic, so stay at the gorgeous Quinta de San Amaro, a 20-minute drive away, which is one of the top rural hotels in Spain. Doubles from £106, B&B.  
Nearest airports: Vigo (22 miles) and Santiago de Compostela (50 miles).
Alicante province, Valencia
In the Marina Alta area in the north of the Costa Blanca, Denia is a proper town that also happens to function very well as a year-round resort. With a pleasant climate, large marina, excellent restaurants, museums, a string of beaches and nearby golf courses, it has got it all really.   
Where to stay: La Posada del Mar, in an historic building overlooking the harbour, is an elegant and relaxing place to stay. Doubles from £150, B&B. 
Nearest airport: Alicante (65 miles) and Valencia (70 miles). 
Mallorca, Balearic Islands
Protected by the Tramuntana mountains in the north west of Mallorca, Port de Sóller is a chic, low-key resort with a fan-shaped bay where wafting along the prom in white linen is de rigueur. The sea is usually pretty calm here so it is a good place to have a go at yoga on a paddle board, should the fancy take you.
Where to stay: In the heart of town, with beaches, bars and restaurants on your doorstep, the Aimia mixes Mallorcan features into the contemporary decor and has a large pool. Doubles from £181, B&B.
Nearest airport: Palma (22 miles).
Asturias
Pastel-painted houses are packed onto the hillside behind the harbour in this fishing village in Asturias in northern Spain, where the lanes are lined with bars and restaurants serving superb seafood and the local cider. Some of the best beaches in Spain, such as Playa de Aguilar, are a short drive away.
Where to stay: La Casona de Pio oozes traditional Asturian charm and is right in the thick of things. Doubles from £101, room only. 
Nearest airport: Asturias (nine miles).
Vizcaya province, Basque Country
One of only a handful of official slow towns in Spain, Lekeitio in the Basque Country is a former whaling port where fishing is still an important part of daily life and women sit on the quayside mending the nets, just as they have done for centuries. Watch the day’s catch being landed then try traditional Basque dishes at a waterfront restaurant.
Where to stay: Occupying a traditional 18th-century building, the Zubieta has heaps of character and a pool. Doubles from £83, room only.
Nearest airport: Bilbao (43 miles).
Pontevedra province, Galicia
The cobbled lanes of the fishing town of Baiona are lined with Gothic and Baroque buildings but the town is a lively resort too, with plenty of tapas bars and restaurants for one superb seafood meal after another. It was here that Europe got the first news of the existence of America, when La Pinta, one of Columbus’ ships, returned to the port in 1493. Spend each day on a different gorgeous beach, take a boat trip to the idyllic Cíes Islands and walk in the lush countryside. 
Where to stay: The Parador de Baiona is dramatically located in the fortress of the Conde de Gondomar on a headland that is almost surrounded by the sea. Doubles from £115, B&B. 
Nearest airport: Vigo (19 miles).
Tenerife, Canary Islands
On the north coast of Tenerife, Garachico was the main port on the island until the Trevejo volcano erupted in 1706, pouring lava into the harbour. Grand merchants’ houses, convents, churches and elegant squares survived, however, while a lava lido was created in the volcanic rock.    
Where to stay: The San Roque, in an elegant 18th-century house and set around a courtyard pool, is one of the best hotels in Tenerife. Doubles from £218, B&B. 
Nearest airports: Tenerife Norte (32 miles) and Tenerife South (40 miles).
Alicante province, Valencia
Blue-tiled domes glitter in the sunshine and flowers tumble over white walls in the old part of Altea on the Costa Blanca. Set on a hillside but right by the Mediterranean, the town is a labyrinth of cobbled lanes and tiny squares. Come here to eat paella on a shaded terrace and buy pretty pottery and paintings – lots of ceramicists and artists have studios here.
Where to stay: The adults-only Boutique La Serena in a traditional house with a pool and spa is a smart and soothing boutique hotel. Doubles from £169, B&B. 
Nearest airport: Alicante (44 miles).
Asturias
In the east of the coast of Asturias, picturesque Llanes mixes medieval architecture with elegant mansions, painted in cheerful colours, which were built at the turn of the 20th century by emigrants who returned from the Americas with cash to splash. You have a couple of dozen beaches to choose from in and around the town, including the spectacular Torimbia and Toranda.   
Where to stay: Just outside the town in the countryside, La Posada de Babel is a stylish boutique hotel with rooms and apartments. Doubles from £85, room only.
Nearest airports: Santander (56 miles) and Asturias (80 miles).  
Malaga province, Andalucía
Estepona, at the western end of the Costa del Sol, is having a bit of a moment, with an increasing number of luxury hotels in and around the attractive town. While it has been an established resort for decades, it has lost little of its traditional character. If you find glitzy Marbella a bit much, you might like the easy charm here. Brightly-painted flower pots decorate the whitewashed houses that line the labyrinth of narrow streets, where there are plenty of independent shops and bars to keep you amused when you leave the beach. 
Where to stay: El Pilar Andalucía is right in the heart of town on the pretty Plaza de las Flores and has a roof terrace. Doubles from £164, B&B. 
Nearest airports: Gibraltar (28 miles) and Malaga (50 miles). 
Barcelona province, Catalonia
The citizens of Barcelona like to pop down to stylish Sitges for lunch by the beach at any time of year. One of Spain’s top LGBTQ resorts in summer, it is also rich in art and architecture, with museums including Cau Ferrat, which was the home of artist Santiago Rusiñol and contains paintings by El Greco and Picasso.
Where to stay: Sink into the cool Sitges vibe at the chic Sabàtic Sitges. Doubles from £160, room only.
Nearest airport: Barcelona (16 miles).
Cádiz province, Andalucía
Boho bars and boutiques line the lanes in this walled town with a Moorish castle on the Costa de la Luz on the tip of southern Spain, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic. This is one of the best places in the world for windsurfing and kiteboarding, with miles of magnificent beaches and views across to Africa.
Where to stay: Either stay in one of the handful of characterful small hotels in the centre or go for somewhere right on the beach, such as the Moorish-style Hurricane, with a pool, yoga sessions and a lovely restaurant. Doubles from £111, B&B.  
Nearest airport: Gibraltar (26 miles).
Girona province, Catalonia
Salvador Dalí was just one of many artists seduced by the dazzling light of this whitewashed harbour town on the Costa Brava. Drift around the lanes in a battered straw hat and espadrilles and you’ll fit right in. Spend your days diving or hiking around the wild Cap de Creus headland then explore the galleries, boutiques and gastrobars in the evening.
Where to stay: The Horta d’en Rahola exudes the arty, seaside style that sums up Cadaqués. Doubles from £126, B&B.
Nearest airport: Girona (52 miles).
Cádiz province, Andalucía
On the bank of the Guadalquivir river where it flows into the Atlantic, the laidback town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda is renowned for the manzanilla sherry that is made there – and only there – and the superb shellfish served in its many unpretentious bars. Devour a platter of succulent langostinos de Sanlúcar (camarote prawns) before taking the ferry across the river to the glorious stretch of golden sand that flanks the Doñana nature reserve.  
Where to stay: The Hotel Palacio Marqués de Arizón occupies a grand merchant’s house built between the 17th and 18th centuries. Doubles from £96, B&B.
Nearest airport: Jerez (21 miles).
This article was first published in April 2023 and has been revised and updated.