The Best Secluded Beaches of Andalusia

Is it easy to find a secret beach in Andalusia? The answer is pretty straightforward: no, it’s not! Andalusia is one of the most popular regions of Spain and is visited by millions of tourists and travellers yearly. To steal a secluded beach for yourself might be hard, but not completely unrealistic! Discover the most gorgeous waters in Andalusia with our guide to some of the less-discovered beaches in this beautiful part of the world.

Just before we reveal the best secluded or less-discovered beaches, we should have a few words about Andalusian’s coast. There are 4 different ‘costas’ along the Andalusian shores: the most popular one is the Costa del Sol located around popular towns like Malaga, Marbella and Estepona. The less explored one is the beautiful Costa del Luz with long and wide beaches of white and golden sands, the least well-known is the spectacular Costa Tropicana with its rocky coastline, and the most diverse costa of the whole of Andalusia is the Costa Almeria. Therefore, if you are looking for more privacy, avoid the vibrant and busy Costa del Sol and travel either to Luz, Tropicana or Almeria.

Are you curious enough to get to know the best secluded beaches of Andalusia? Then let’s discover which are the most beautiful ‘hidden’ beaches of Southern Spain:

Punta Paloma, Costa del Luz

This white sandy beach curving through the fresh, wild turquoise waters of the Atlantic ocean is situated just directly after the famous surfers’ beaches of Tarifa: Lances and Valdevaqueros. Punta Paloma beach is a part of the Parque Natural del Estrecho at the beginning of the Costa del Luz.

The reason why it’s not covered by beach towels is the fact that it’s not the easiest place to get to. Don’t worry, it’s not overly complicated but nothing too comfortable too. If you go there by car, find some parking nearby, there should be plenty of parking spots in the Parque Natural del Estrecho, around the Valdavaqueros beach or in one of the adjacent camping spots.

When you get out of the car you have to walk for a while through some nasty green bushes but the result is well worth it! The other way to get there is to take a bus to Tarifa and then take a cab to Valdavaqueros beach or any other place in the locality. You can also walk there from the Tarifa bus station but the journey would take you almost 3 hours under a hot sun and in crazy wind! It’s worth the journey though, because Punta Paloma is close to a paradise on Earth! Tarifa, the Spanish surfers’ paradise, should definitely be on your Andalusian bucket list too.

Playa Bolonia, Costa del Luz

Alright, Bolonia might have become slightly more popular within the last few years but it’s still being overlooked if you consider the beauty it offers to the travelling universe! This stunning beach with crystal-clear water is located in the middle of a beautiful natural area, just after the Punta Paloma beach mentioned above.

The best way to get there is by car or taxi, which will leave you close enough to the beach that you won’t have to walk too far. You can also rent a bike from the Tarifa Bike shop and get there within an hour from Tarifa town.

It may seem quite troublesome to get to, but really that’s good news! If a beach is far away from a busy city and not easy to reach, it means just one thing – there are likely to be less people there, meaning that you can enjoy a more relaxing beach experience. Bolonia is at least 1,500 metres long and apart from sunbathing and swimming, there are many other things to do in the vicinity. There is a museum, pretty dunes to snap for your Instagram story, a cave (Cueva del Moro) and also a lighthouse with another pretty and secluded beach nearby – Playa Los Alemanes.

Beaches around Nerja, Costa Tropicana

Yes, Nerja is a pretty popular destination and we can’t say it doesn’t deserve to be. The combination of blue waters, white-washed houses and curvaceous hills is irresistibly charming. Apart from the jaw-dropping sunset featuring 50 shades of red and the delicious food at the local cafes and restaurants, there is something else to look forward to when heading to Nerja. And that is the lovely secluded beaches which are waiting for you just around the corner.

There are a total of five fabulous natural beaches to visit when staying in the pretty town of Nerja. The closest one is Playa de Maro, its neighbour is the Playa del Molino de Papel, but the absolute winners are Playa de las Alberquillas, Playa del Pino and Calas Torre del Pino. All of them are situated in the heart of nature, away from busy streets and promenades. You can drive there or get to them by bike. The farthest one, Calas Torre del Pino is located around 40 minutes by bike from this picturesque little coastal town.

Beaches to See in Costa Almeria

We can’t skip on these ones! Costa Almeria is a diverse coast which hides dozens of amazing water spots to escape during a hot day. One of the most special ones is Cabo de Gata, a wild rocky beach with deep blue waters and never-ending views. Just a few kilometres to the east of Cabo de Gata, there’s another sparkling beach spot called Cala de la Sirenas. If you’re more a sandy than rocky type, head to La Rijana, a beach outside the village of Castell de Ferro.

Long crowds of holiday-makers using tons of sun-cream to protect their red faces, colourful umbrellas covering the golden sands and never-ending queues to get a fresh Mojito from one of the beaches’ Chiringuitos. That’s how the ever-popular Costa of Andalusia looks from the months of June to September. Luckily, the vast 1,000+ kilometres of sandy beaches and rocky caves definitely hide a few secret gems along the Andalusian coasts. Just follow the coast and explore the beauty of this Flamenco-loving region of Spain.