Beach City Breaks 2025/2026

Top Beach City Destinations

From the pebble beaches of Brighton to the famous city walls of Dubrovnik, there are some fabulous city breaks near the beach, all offering something unique, whether you want nightlife, history, restaurants or art galleries.

UK

If you can't face the thought of jumping on a flight, a beach and city break in the UK can be a great option, although best wait until the summer months. Try places like Brighton and Bournemouth on the south coast, or stay somewhere like Newcastle, Liverpool and Cardiff, which offers easy access to the coast and sandy beaches around the UK.

France

In France, for somewhere on the beach, city breaks in Nice, Cannes and Marseille can be good options. Marseille is more of a port city, although you'll still get a few sandy stretches on the outskirts. Nice and Cannes are gorgeous places but expect to pay a premium. There are cheap hotels in Nice, but even once you've booked, you should expect to pay more at bars and restaurants. On the other hand, if you're pushing the boat out and celebrating, why not get a helicopter transfer from Nice airport into Cannes?

Italy

Italy beach city breaks are a little more difficult to come by. Many of the coastal cities are ports like Genoa, Palermo and Naples, while others like Rome, Cagliari and Pisa are a bit of a distance from the sandy shores, but still do-able. You should also consider 2 or 3 nights in the city followed by 2-or 3 nights on the coast.

Spain

The classic, go-to place for a short break in Spain has got to be Barcelona, and it's so easy to see why. It's easy to get to with direct flights from across the UK with a range of airlines including easyJet, British Airways and Ryanair. There are soft, sandy beaches up and down the coast, with Barceloneta Beach being one of the most popular. There's so much to see and do. And there's a perfect mix of hotels, from budget friendly stays to luxury hotels with rooftop pools and bars.

But you're missing out. Try other cities like Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Cadiz which all offer an alternative if you've done Barcelona to death, and still want to combine the city life with Europe's best beaches. Cadiz is a much smaller city, but has some big sandy beaches, while Alicante, Palma and Malaga all have excellent restaurants and lively nightlife. Other parts of Spain to take a look at include the Canary Islands and Northern Spain.

Portugal

Although on the coast, Porto, Lisbon and Faro all have beaches on their outskirts. Faro, on the Algarve, is easy to get to with loads of direct flights from the UK, and it's just a 15 minute taxi ride into town. The beaches, however, are a little more difficult to get to, but nothing that a car ride can't handle. This is because of the Natural Park and landscape which separates the city from the ocean, but there are some great rooftop pools here.

Lisbon and Porto also offer the combination of history and culture, with cool city vibes. Why not book a twin centre, staying a few nights in the city, and then heading to the coast for a few nights in Cascais (for Lisbon), or Praia de Matosinhos or Praia Cabedelo do Douro (for Porto).

Dubai

Year round sunshine your thing? Dubai is well known for its beach holidays, with direct Emirates flights from London and regional airports taking around 6-7 hours, making it accessible. There are some classic places to stay like at The Atlantis Dubai and others on the Palm, but these can be more expensive. Cheaper options further into the city can make it much more affordable, with many hotels having swimming pools. Staying near a Metro station can make reaching the beach all the more easier as you can travel to Sobha Realty Metro and head down to JBR Beach.