Enough with the Côte d’Azurs, Amalfi Coasts, and Costa del Sols of the world: 3 of Europe’s best-known coastlines may be stunning and have a lot to offer, but I don’t know about you; I’m not exactly keen on spending $200–$550 a night on hotels, nor battling the cruise crowds for a spot in the sun.
These 4 lesser-known European rivieras have affordable hotels starting from as cheap as $50 a night, beautiful coastal towns with the kind of architectural splendor and ancient heritage that warrants UNESCO World Heritage status, and most importantly:
Higher safety levels and fewer crowds.
Now, you may be thinking, why the heck are they even putting out a European beach destination feature now when we’re just getting into fall, and those leaves are starting to turn ember?
As those of you who’ve summered in Europe will know already, the time to plan a sunny getaway is not in the weeks leading up to summer, but rather months and months ahead: that’s when you have time to hunt down the best prices, the most leeway for planning your itinerary without rushing, and the pick of the bunch.
So here’s a little 2027 inspiration for your consideration for early planning:
Albanian Riviera
Albania
Europe’s fastest-rising star, the Albanian Riviera was a decades-long secret the country’s former communist regime tried its best to keep under wraps until communism collapsed, and eventually… Instagram happened.
Stretching for roughly 80 miles from the port city of Vlorë to the lively beach town of Ksamil, home to what’s probably one of Europe’s most intensely turquoise, Maldives-like beaches, it’s a slice of paradise not yet fully overrun by the masses…
Though it’s quickly catching up with its Greek and Croatian counterparts, so you better get there soon.
While Ksamil is already almost as busy as Corfu or Dubrovnik in midsummer, the historic, mountain-backed village of Dhërmi, only 50 miles away, remains comparatively unspoiled, or as unspoiled as it could be considering the visiting Albanian holidaymakers.
The local Drymades Beach is a broad sweep of sand and pebble hugged by turquoise seas, and the hilltop Old Town feels like a miniature version of Greece, with whitewashed stone houses, bougainvillea-draped lanes, and Orthodox church domes overlooking the electric-blue Ionian.
Best Towns In The Albanian Riviera
- Dhërmi: a whitewashed village perched high above a beachfront strip, with Orthodox churches, stone lanes, and easy access to dreamy beaches
- Himarë: probably the best all-round base on the Riviera, combining a lively waterfront promenade, several beaches, and family-owned tavernas
- Qeparo: an atmospheric village split between a sleepy seaside settlement and a stone-built, hilltop ‘Old Town’
- Borsh: home to a roughly 4.3-mile beach, the longest on Albania’s Ionian coast, as well as a ruined castle offering sweeping coastal vistas
Average Prices In The Albanian Riviera
- Byrek or another bakery snack: $2–4
- Takeaway gyro or souvlaki: $4–7
- Pasta or risotto dish: $8–15
- Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant: $22–38 per person
- Coffee: $1.50–3
- Local beer: $3–5
- Budget guesthouse: $35–65 per night for two
- 3-star hotel: $55–110 per night
- Luxury or upscale beachfront stay: $140–300 per night
- Small rental car: $35–70 per day
- Two sunbeds and an umbrella: $15–40, though premium beach clubs can charge considerably more
How Safe Is Albania Right Now?
Travel Off Path Traveler Safety Index: 88/100, based on reports from recent visitors.
Black Sea Coast
Bulgaria
Mediterranean summers are great, but what about slowly toasting in the sun, snacking on kebapche, and getting lost in a storybook town on the Bulgarian Black Sea? That’s actually ‘black’ in name only, mind…
It will only take you a matter of seconds in Sunny Beach, the Bulgarian answer to Benidorm, to gawp at the bright azure waters, those sun-kissed golden sands, and the sprawling beachfront resorts, where a seven-night, all-inclusive package can set you back a mere $340 per person outside peak season.
Oh, and the weather? Just as balmy as parts of Italy in August, with average daytime temperatures hovering around 82°F.
Sunny Beach is the biggest resort in Bulgaria, due to the sheer number of hotels and water parks geared towards families, but let’s not gloss over Varna, the largest coastal city in Bulgaria and the country’s unofficial Black Sea capital.
Think of it as the Orthodox, less-polished version of Nice.
It combines lush seafront parks, colossal Roman ruins tucked between modern apartment blocks, and broad golden-sand beaches.
And then, of course, there are places like Nessebar, a UNESCO-listed peninsula town linked to the Bulgarian mainland by a causeway, literally littered with Byzantine churches and Greco-Roman remains, all framed by weather-beaten, crumbling walls, and my own personal favorite, Sveti Vlas:
Bulgaria’s answer to Monaco, this jet-setting yachting hub is as glamorous and chic as Southeastern Europe gets, and the fresh, catch-of-the-day seafood you can get here for pocket change compared with the same level of ambiance and service elsewhere on the continent? Fab.
Best Towns In The Black Sea Coast
- Sunny Beach: Bulgaria’s full-throttle resort capital, with nearly 5 miles of golden sand, nonstop nightlife, and family-friendly water parks
- Nessebar: a 3,000-year-old UNESCO-listed peninsula of cobbled lanes, Byzantine churches, wooden houses, and layer upon layer of ancient ruins
- Burgas: a laid-back, lived-in port city with a sprawling Sea Garden, a long beach, and easy access to the wild lakes and wetlands outside town
- Sozopol: pretty old fishing town of cobbled alleys, wood-clad houses, ancient ruins, and little coves surrounding the peninsula
- Sveti Vlas: the polished yacht-club option, pairing a quieter beach scene with upscale restaurants and a dramatic mountain backdrop
Average Prices In The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
- Banitsa (Bulgarian takeaway snack): $1–3.50
- Takeaway kebapche plate or döner: $4–7
- Kavarma or another mixed-grill dish: $8–17
- Fresh seafood main course: $10–22
- Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant: $18–30 per person
- Coffee: $2–3.50
- Local beer: $2.25–3.50
- Budget guesthouse: $25–55 per night for two
- 3-star hotel: $40–85 per night
- Luxury or upscale beachfront stay: $105–300 per night
- Small rental car: $35–70 per day
- Two sunbeds and an umbrella: $17–27
How Safe Is Bulgaria Right Now?
U.S. Department of State status: Level 1. Exercise ‘normal precautions.’
Travel Off Path Traveler Safety Index: 89/100, based on reports from recent visitors.
The Silver Coast
Portugal
Forget the Algarve and Madeira: if you’re keen on experiencing true laid-back, old-school Portuguese coastal life, the Silver Coast is where you should aim to land.
Stretching for a whopping 150 miles, this is a wild sweep of coastline with some truly untouched stretches that many international holidaymakers, perhaps with the exception of clued-up regulars and bleached-hair surfers, are still sleeping on.
The main draws on this coast, you ask?
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Nazaré is the obvious answer:
This traditional fishing town has a huge sandy beach, clifftop viewpoints, and some of the tallest waves in the world. Praia do Norte hosts big-wave surfing competitions when conditions allow, though you wouldn’t catch me paddling out here, unless I suddenly fancied meeting my maker.
Peniche and Baleal are alternative surfing hotspots with equally impressive sweeping beaches and dramatic rocky shores, and if sun-kissed shores alone aren’t enough to tempt you out to Europe next year, how does a ridiculously pretty, picture-perfect medieval town sound?
Lying slightly inland from the Atlantic, Óbidos is a medieval castle town with cobbled lanes, traditional Portuguese houses painted in that unmistakable Iberian chalk-white. Easily one of the prettiest towns you can visit in the country, and only a short drive from the beach.
Cutest spot on the Silver Coast, though? I’m torn between Aveiro, the Portuguese Venice, an Art Nouveau city rising from marshlands with a picturesque central canal weaving through buildings, and the adorable Costa Nova, a breezy beach town lined with colorful striped houses.
Best Towns On The Portuguese Silver Coast
- Nazaré: the surf capital of Portugal, with towering waves reaching 50 to 80 feet, and an unrivaled backpacker scene
- Óbidos: a medieval walled town with whitewashed houses, cobbled lanes and ginjinha cherry liqueur served in chocolate cups.
- Aveiro: colorful moliceiro boats, Art Nouveau façades and canals linking the city to a saltwater lagoon
- Costa Nova: striped fishermen’s houses between the lagoon and the Atlantic
- São Martinho do Porto: a seaside town overlooking a sheltered, shell-shaped bay, ideal for a gentler beach day
Average Prices In The Portuguese Silver Coast
- Portuguese takeaway snack, such as a pastel de nata: $1–3.50
- One main Portuguese dish (maybe bacalhau): around $12–20
- Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant: around $23–41 per person, excluding drinks
- Coffee, such as a cappuccino: around $2–3.50
- Local draught beer: around $2.50–4.50
- Budget guesthouse: $55–100 per night for two
- 3-star hotel: $80–150 per night
- Luxury or upscale beachfront stay: $150–350 per night
- Small rental car: $35–70 per day when booked in advance, though peak-summer rates may exceed $100
- Two sunbeds and an umbrella: $18–30 per day
How Safe Is Portugal Right Now?
U.S. Department of State status: Level 1. Exercise ‘normal precautions.’
Travel Off Path Traveler Safety Index: 86/100, based on reports from recent visitors.
The Curonian Spit
Lithuania
The small Baltic nation of Lithuania is probably the last place on your mind as far as European beach getaways go, but maybe you just haven’t heard of the Curonian Spit before.
An incredibly narrow ribbon of land, so slender it almost disappears into the water that surrounds it, extending for 61 miles and split between Lithuania in the north and Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad in the south, it’s a wonderland of towering sand dunes, fragrant pine forests, and little fishing villages with colorful wooden houses.
The whole spit is a UNESCO-protected cultural landscape, and there’s certainly no shortage of natural wonders to be found here, from the Great Dune Ridge, home to some of Europe’s tallest moving dunes, to Nagliai, a reserve crossed by a designated nature trail.
The Curonian Spit’s star attraction, however?
That has to be Nida, the absolute charmer on this side of the Baltics, with brightly painted fishermen’s houses arranged dollhouse-style along a lagoon-front promenade, and sweeping beaches lying only a short cycle away across the pine forest.
Juodkrantė, a sleepy village lined with historic villas and the eerie Hill of Witches, a whimsical forest sculpture trail inspired by Lithuanian folklore, is not to be missed either, and if you’re looking to mingle with locals and get a taste of Lithuanian beach culture, Smiltynė is your best shot at a laid-back, local Baltic summer.
Best Towns On The Curonian Spit
- Nida: the main event, with colorful fishermen’s houses, lagoon-front cafés, Parnidis Dune, and a wide Baltic beach across the forest
- Juodkrantė: a quieter, villa-lined village home to the Hill of Witches and within easy reach of the Grey Dunes
- Preila: a tiny fishing settlement known for smoked-fish shacks, lagoon sunsets, and nearby Vecekrugas Dune
- Pervalka: the smallest and most peaceful of the four, with pine-backed lanes, a little harbour, and views towards its red offshore lighthouse
Average Prices On The Lithuanian Curonian Spit
- Lithuanian takeaway snack (kibinas is a strong pick): $2–5
- One main Lithuanian dish (try cepelinai or the locally smoked fish): around $12–23
- Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant: around $25–47 per person, excluding drinks
- Coffee in a Nida coffeeshop: around $3–5
- Local draught beer: around $4–7
- Budget guesthouse: $50–100 per night for two
- 3-star hotel: $75–160 per night
- Luxury or upscale hotel: $175–400 per night
- Small rental car: $35–70 per day, plus around $85 in return ferry and seasonal entry fees during peak summer
- Beach access: free; sunbed-and-umbrella rentals are limited and not standard across the spit
How Safe Is Lithuania Right Now?
U.S. Department of State status: Level 1. Exercise ‘normal precautions.’
Travel Off Path Traveler Safety Index: 85/100, based on reports from recent visitors.
Stay Up To Date With Europe’s New Entry Requirements
Going to Europe in the near future?
Make sure you’re up to speed with the continent’s new border and travel regulations.
Americans visiting for a short stay are now required to register their fingerprints and facial image when crossing an external border into the Schengen Area, a passport-free travel zone comprising 29 countries, including 3 of the countries mentioned above, excluding Albania.
This is designed in part to ensure tourists comply with the Schengen Area’s rules, specifically the (infamous) 90-day limit.
Head over to the Entry Requirement Checker, type in your destination, and check what entry rules apply as a U.S. passport holder.
