{"id":113207,"date":"2026-07-04T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=113207"},"modified":"2026-07-02T10:27:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T10:27:18","slug":"this-hidden-beach-has-overtaken-spain-greece-and-italy-it-could-become-the-must-visit-destination-of-summer-2026-25497","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/this-hidden-beach-has-overtaken-spain-greece-and-italy-it-could-become-the-must-visit-destination-of-summer-2026-25497\/","title":{"rendered":"This Hidden Beach Has Overtaken Spain, Greece, and Italy\u2014It Could Become the Must-Visit Destination of Summer 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hidden
This Hidden Beach Has Overtaken Spain, Greece, and Italy\u2014It Could Become the Must-Visit Destination of Summer 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You have probably scrolled through dozens of travel listicles promising you the most stunning shoreline on the continent. Most of those beaches, though, are the same familiar stretches of sand you already know – packed with sunbeds, blaring music and a queue for every patch of shade. So what happens when the people whose job it is to judge coastlines around the world start rewarding the opposite? The answer might reshape where you book your next summer trip, and it starts with a shore most people have never heard of.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why the hardest beaches to reach are suddenly winning awards<\/b><\/h2>\n

The World’s 50 Best Beaches<\/a><\/strong>, a ranking determined by votes from more than 1,000 travel professionals, writers and influencers, has just released its 2026 list. Judges evaluated beaches on criteria including nature, swimming conditions, crowd levels and how untouched a destination feels. What stood out this year was not a glamorous resort strip or an Instagram-famous bay. Instead, it was a remote cove on a Greek island that most tourists fly right past.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ranking reflects a broader shift that experts say is gaining real momentum. Travellers are increasingly moving away from overcrowded tourist beaches and actively searching for places that feel more natural and preserved. According to the organisers, beauty alone is no longer enough for a beach to score highly. Judges placed greater importance on environmental protection and lower crowd levels, essentially rewarding shores that resist the pull of mass tourism. Could the places that are hardest to get to actually be the ones worth getting to most?<\/span><\/p>\n

A white-sand cove on Kefalonia takes Europe’s top spot<\/b><\/h2>\n

Fteri Beach, located on the island of Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea, has been named the best beach in Europe for 2026 and the second-best beach in the world. It is known for its bright white shoreline, turquoise water and dramatic cliffs – a combination that sounds almost too good to be true. But here is what sets it apart from every other pretty coast: it is not easy to reach. Visitors must either hike down a steep trail or arrive by boat from nearby ports. There is no convenient car park, no promenade, no row of cocktail bars.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ranking’s organisers noted that this isolation is precisely what helps preserve Fteri Beach’s calm atmosphere and natural beauty. Travel experts added that the area offers the kind of peaceful beach experience that many travellers are now actively searching for. It is a destination that rewards effort with something you simply cannot find on a developed coastline.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spain, Italy and Greece dominated the European portion of the list. Cala Macarella in Menorca, Spain, and Cala dei Gabbiani in Sardinia, Italy, completed the European top three, earning their places thanks to calm turquoise waters and dramatic coastal scenery. Kaputa\u015f Beach in T\u00fcrkiye and Porto Katsiki in Greece also ranked highly. Beaches in France, Portugal and Ireland secured spots on the wider list too, a sign that travellers are increasingly looking beyond Europe’s traditional beach hotspots.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greece’s bigger plan to protect its coastlines<\/b><\/h2>\n

The spotlight on Fteri Beach arrives at a time when Greece is actively working to protect its shores from the pressures of overtourism. Earlier this year, the country announced that around 250 beaches would receive protected “untouched” status, which limits sunbeds, water sports rentals and large tourist infrastructure. Many of these beaches are part of the Natura 2000 network, a programme that protects valuable ecosystems and wildlife habitats across Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greece has also launched the MyCoast app, a tool designed to help travellers identify protected beaches before visiting. Authorities hope these measures will help preserve the country’s coastlines as more and more visitors seek quieter and more natural beach destinations. It is a strategy that pairs perfectly with the values the 2026 ranking now prioritises, suggesting that Greece is not just winning awards but actually building a framework to sustain what makes its beaches special in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

For travellers planning trips outside Europe, the global ranking also delivered compelling options. Entalula Beach in the Philippines was named the best beach in the world for 2026, recognised for its remote setting, limestone cliffs and turquoise waters. Wharton Beach in Australia ranked third globally and stood out for its surfing conditions and untouched coastline. Nosy Iranja in Madagascar and East Beach on Fiji’s Vomo Island completed the global top five. Koh Rong in Cambodia also entered the top 10, highlighted as one of Southeast Asia’s emerging beach destinations for travellers looking for less crowded coastal escapes.<\/span><\/p>\n

What this means for your next beach holiday<\/b><\/h2>\n

The message from this year’s ranking is clear. The beaches earning the highest praise are no longer the ones with the most amenities or the easiest access – they are the ones that feel genuinely untouched. If you are willing to take a boat or lace up hiking shoes, some of the most extraordinary coastlines in Europe<\/a><\/strong> and beyond are waiting with almost no one else around. That is the kind of reward no all-inclusive wristband can match.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42690,"featured_media":113208,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[3914],"yoast_head":"\nThis Hidden Beach Has Overtaken Spain, Greece, and Italy\u2014It Could Become the Must-Visit Destination of Summer 2026 - Grazia USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/this-hidden-beach-has-overtaken-spain-greece-and-italy-it-could-become-the-must-visit-destination-of-summer-2026-25497\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"This Hidden Beach Has Overtaken Spain, Greece, and Italy\u2014It Could Become the Must-Visit Destination of Summer 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You have probably scrolled through dozens of travel listicles promising you the most stunning shoreline on the continent. 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