Blanca is Playa Pinet, (Parque Natural de las Salinas, Santa Pola, Alicante), a
sandy beach backed by dunes and pines, 2.8 kms long.
Playa Calblanque (Parque Natural, Costa Calida, Los Belones, Cartagena,
Murcia) is a 1.5 kms long nudist beach with golden sand and good bathing.
See migrating birds including flamingos. Some of the best Mediterranean
beaches are those in the Parque Nacional de Cabo de Gata, Almería. Framed
by contorted rock formations and a sapphire sea, visit Genoveses and Monsul.
West of Gibraltar, Playa de Bolonia (Tarifa, Cádiz) is reached by road through
rolling farmland. A famous, long wide, sandy, crescent shaped beach with
chiringuito bar. See the remains of a Roman fish salting factory, Baelo
Claudia.
West of Barbate is Playa de Zahora (Los Caños de la Meca) with a huge
unspoilt expanse of sand running from Cape Trafalgar for miles westwards
towards Conil. Magnificent sunsets. Playa Doñana (Parque Nacional de
Doñana, Huelva), with 40 kms of virgin beach, is part of the largest wetlands
bird reserve in Europe, sheltered from the sea by dunes. Playa de Punta
Umbría (Huelva) is part of a peninsular with a great wide stretch of sand about
12 km. long with occasional restaurants and bars.
In the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura is a beach paradise but volcanic
Lanzarote is more picturesque. For example Playa de las Conchas (Teguise) is
in a protected natural park with dark sand and no buildings. Playa de
Maspalomas (South of Gran Canaria) has miles of dunes.
In the Balearic Islands, typical of Menorca’s lovely coast is Playa Ferragut (Es
Mercadal, Menorca) with wooden stairs down to this beautiful secluded virgin
beach backed by cliffs. Playa Arenal de Son Saura (Ciutadella) has two virgin
beaches divided by a rocky point. This could be the Caribbean!
Mallorca’s Platja d’Es Trenc (Campos) is a long stretch of sand beside shallow
crystalline waters with a pleasant yacht club at the southern end. Isolated Es
Caragol (Santanyi) is 500m long with enticing waters. Hedonistic Ibiza’s Playa
Las Salinas (San José) was once the Mecca of nudist hippies. Now less
exotic, the still glorious beach is edged by pines and dunes with splendid
bathing.
Finally, Formentera has glorious beaches such as Illetes, Cala Saona and
Migjorn. Quieter Playa de s’Alga in the north is famously beautiful around a
low promontory.