Eight coastlines, one standard
Every destination here earns its place on water clarity, the quality of its beach clubs and whether the town still feels like itself in August.
Marbella
Puerto Banús glamour on one side, old-town whitewash on the other — and the beach clubs that made the Costa del Sol famous.
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Monaco & Monte-Carlo
Two square kilometres of harbour, hill and hotel — the most concentrated luxury on the Mediterranean.
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Nice & the Côte d’Azur
The best-value base on the French Riviera, with Villefranche, Cap Ferrat and Antibes all inside half an hour.
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Ibiza
Two islands in one — the north is pine forest and quiet coves, the south is the beach clubs the island is famous for.
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Cabo San Lucas
Desert meeting the Pacific — dramatic, dry and lined with resorts, with the calm swimming bay at Medano.
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Miami
Art Deco, ocean-front resorts and a beach that runs for miles — the most city-like coast on this list.
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Barcelona
A great European city that happens to have beaches, and the easiest place here to combine culture with a coastal week.
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Alicante & the Costa Blanca
The value pick — long white beaches, a working Spanish city and coves within a short drive.
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