Conche des Baleines, Ile de Re, France
A wild and dramatic beach in the remote north-west corner of France’s Ile de Re, it’s a favourite holiday spot for wealthy Parisians. The gently curving crescent beach, backed by sand dunes and a pine forest, is dominated by Le Phare des Baleines lighthouse, which provides spectacular views.
TOP TIP: Visit nearby villages St-Clement-des-Baleines and Les Portes-en-Re for their chic galleries and boutiques.
Where to stay: Try Jade, an artist’s studio-cum-cottage a few minutes’ walk from the beach, available through Bon Sejour en France (bon-sejour-en-france.com, 0033 60369 1606). It sleeps four, from £564 for a week self-catering.
Stunning vistas: Compton Bay on the Isle of Wight is ideal for a traditional British seaside break
Campomoro Beach, Corsica
If you like your beaches breathtaking but quiet, this is the one for you. About nine miles south-west of Propriano, this tiny seaside resort on the Gulf of Valinco is something of a time warp.
Bored of sunbathing and swimming? Then tackle the trail which runs along the coastline, from the foot of a medieval watchtower and around sandy coves and rocky outcrops.
The reward at the end is the town of Tizzano, where you can find a bar and share tales of your adventure.
TOP TIP: Take boots and a camera.
Where to stay: Hotel Campomoro, right on the beach (hotelcampomoro.com, 0033 495742089). From about £70 per night for two people.
Sweeping scenery: Blue waters lap the edge of Campomoro Beach in Corsica
Compton Bay, Isle of Wight
One of the island’s best-kept secrets, a two-mile stretch of sandy beach near Freshwater, backed by multi-coloured sandstone cliffs.
If you’re lucky, you might be able to enjoy a gentle breeze coming off the English Channel.
TOP TIP: Take a picnic – it’s secluded with not a bar or restaurant in sight.
Where to stay: A Brook House cottage (brookhouseiow.co.uk, 01983 740535). For four people, it costs from £300 a week.
Playa de ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
This Balearic island has some of the best beaches in Europe, and Playa de ses Illetes is spectacular. It’s a magnet for super-yacht owners and their jet-set friends, who find the shabby-chic seafront restaurants an ideal destination for a short cruise from Ibiza.
TOP TIP: Explore the island’s village capital, Sant Francesc Xavier.
Where to stay: The beach is accessible from any part of the island. Hostal Casbah (hostalcasbah.com, 0034 971 322595) offers double rooms from £113 a night.
Eype Beach, Dorset
This beauty is set to the west of Eype, one of Dorset’s most attractive villages.
It is part of the impressive World Heritage Coastline, so as well as the usual rock-pooling, fishing and swimming, you can also go fossil-hunting. There are few shops and cafes in Eype itself, but the nearby historic market town of Bridport has plenty.
TOP TIP: Head to the top of Golden Cap. This 191 metre-tall giant is said to be the highest cliff on the South Coast.
Where to stay: Close to the beach at the Eype’s Mouth Country Hotel, where double rooms cost from £115 a night with breakfast (eypesmouthhotel.co.uk, 01308 423300).
Mora Mora beach club, Puglia, Italy
Head for the pristine sand next to the secluded Mora Mora Bistro del Mare, near the charming little town of San Foca.
Here, you can soak up the Italian sun to your heart’s content — then cool off in the sparkling waters of the Adriatic Sea.
TOP TIP: Brush off the sand to visit the club’s popular fish restaurant — perfect for a cold glass of rose with lunch.
Where to stay: Masseria Trapana, a 16th-century farmhouse outside Lecce (trapana.com, 0039 0832 1832101).
It has just nine suites, many with original features. Double rooms from £217 per night.
Dobrec Beach, Montenegro
Accessible only by boat, this special beach has a restaurant where you can feast on whatever the local fishermen caught that day.
Doze through the afternoon in a hammock before travelling back to Boka Bay.
TOP TIP: Take a good book. The Black Mountain by Rex Stout is partly set in Montenegro.
Where to stay: At the luxurious Regent Porto Montenegro hotel on Boka Bay (regenthotels.com, 0808 234 6686), with rooms from £130 a night for two. Boats go direct to the beach from here.
Sombrero Beach, Florida Keys, America
This beach manages to stay hidden from the hundreds of holidaymakers driving by on their way up or down Highway 1 between Miami and Key West. It’s a picture-perfect sandy beach on the Atlantic Ocean.
TOP TIP: There are volleyball courts for sports enthusiasts.
Where to stay: Close to the beach, but within easy reach of decent fish restaurants, is the Sombrero Resort and Marina (sombreroresortmarina.com, 001 305 2897662) where double rooms cost from £120 ($149) a night.