But don’t despair: there are still plenty of nicely priced options for Cheapos who crave a bit of sand and surf on their European vacation, and there are even ways to save at some of the most popular beaches in Europe.

Related beach tips:
• Best affordable seaside escapes in Spain
• Beating the heat in Rome: 4 Beaches easily accessible by train
• Four beach trips close to Lisbon

Our favorite budget beaches in Europe

Below we’ve listed six of our favorite budget beaches in Europe, with plenty of tips to help you save.

Montenegro

With its beautiful coastline, Montenegro is becoming popular with the Russian jet set, with yachts galore docking in the fancy new Porto Montenegro marina in Tivat. However, the area remains largely undiscovered by Western tourists, and there are still plenty of bargains to be had.

Some great places to check out are the town of Herceg Novi, located at the entrance of the Bay of Kotor, and Ulcinj, which has a lovely old town with a distinct Ottoman flair.

Budget Tips

• Hotels: Hotel rooms with easy beach access can go as low as $30 a night for a double room. Search and book over 5,300 hotels in Montenegro.

• Eating cheap: Food and drink, including excellent local beer and wine, is very cheap throughout the country.

• When to go: If possible, try to visit during the warm shoulder seasons from May to June and September to October, with an average high of around 70 degrees. The area gets very crowded in July and August and prices can easily double in some places.

The beautiful sands of Algarve, Portugal. Photo: Ricardo

Algarve, Portugal

Located in the southernmost area in Portugal, Algarve is very popular with beach-loving tourists from Europe and beyond. Besides frolicking in the waves and lounging in the sand, tourists in Algarve can indulge in a little lively nightlife, some of it directly at the beach, like Restaurante Bar | Caniço, a lively hangout which is nestled between two cliffs in a seaside cove in Portimão.

If you need a break from the beach, Algarve also has many charming villages such as Santa Luzia, famous for its octopus fishermen, who still use traditional fishing methods to catch “polvo” (Portuguese for octopus), a popular delicacy in the country. Algarve is also well-known as a family-friendly destination, so feel free to bring along the tots and sand toys.

Budget Tips

• Hotels: Algarve does have a number of hotels catering to budget tourists. If you want to splurge, there are vacation homes available with a swimming pool, so you can still take a quick dip even if you decide not to trek out to the beach every day. Search over 5,000 hotels in Algarve

• When to go: July and August are busy and pricier months to visit, so if you would like to visit during this time, make sure and book well in advance or the best deals will be gone.

Playa Jardín en Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. Photo: Jaume

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

The largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, Tenerife is also the most popular with tourists, catering to everyone from the luxury traveler to the bare-bones backpacker. With nearly 7.5 miles of beautiful coastline stretching from Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas, and Los Cristianos, beach lovers have plenty to choose from.

However, choose your beaches wisely, as the price for sun lounger rentals varies greatly. To save, make sure you choose a beach in the yellow zone, not the green zone, where sun loungers cost 20 percent more. Better yet, spread a towel out on the sand old-school style for an absolutely free experience.

For day trips, check out the old town and African market in the island’s capital city, Santa Cruz. And make sure to pack your hiking boots along with your sandals: No trip to Tenerife is complete without a visit to Mount Teide, the world’s third largest volcano, which you can reach easily by bus.

Budget Tips

• Getting around: One of the best ways to explore the island is by car, and luckily rental cars on Tenerife are inexpensive. However, be sure and book before you go to snag the best deals. Use CheapoSearch to find rental car prices.

• When to go: Although Tenerife belongs to Spain, the island is located off the coast of Morocco, so you lots of sunny days and warm temperatures throughout the year. The average high dips down to 68 degrees from December to February, stays in the mid-70s in spring and late fall and rises to around 80 degrees from July to September.

• Off-season: Because of the weather, the island is perfect for off-season budget travelers in search of warmth throughout the year as well as high season summer travelers who prefer the thermometer to stay well below 100 degrees.

• Meals: To save on dining, do as the Spanish do and eat your larger meal at lunchtime when prices are lower.

• Hotels: Search more than 2,800 hotels in Tenerife

Antalya, Turkey

Located in the Gulf of Antalya, Antalya boasts a beautiful stretch of Mediterranean coastline in southwest Turkey, an area known as the Turkish Riviera. Although technically in Asia, this area is incredibly popular with tourists, and many cheap flights are available from across Europe. The place is famous for mega-resorts, with a network of pools and gigantic buffets, which can be booked at a variety of different price classes.

Be sure and take a break from the beach to have a stroll through Antalya’s old town to take a walk through history. Many of the city’s winding streets and buildings hail from the Ottoman Empire and there are also many Roman Era highlights, like Hadrian’s Gate, which was built in the 2nd century.

Budget Tips

• When to go: Although highs in Antalya from July to September usually range in the mid-80s, the water also matches the temperature outside at this time, so don’t expect a swim to cool you down.

• Politics: The current political situation in Turkey these days has reportedly been very hard on the Turkish tourism industry, so this likely a good time to find some truly great deals. However, be sure to keep abreast of political tensions and travel warnings before you do.

• Hotels: If you’d prefer something in town, check out White Garden Hotel or Hotel Twenty, a budget hotel located six minutes from the beach. Want more options? Search over 500 hotels in Antalya.

Diving into the sparkling waters of Cala d’Or in Mallorca. Photo: Adria

Mallorca Island, Spain

Mallorca is particularly popular with British and German tourists, with hotel high-rises catering to their sun-starved populations since the 1960s. For Germans, it’s also a popular place to retire; in some places, you’ll be just as likely to see signs in German as in Spanish.

Unless you’re in the mood for some spring break-like partying, be sure and avoid places like El Arenal and Cala d’Or. However, if you are in the mood for lively nightlife to mix in with baking in the sun, Cala d’Or is the better choice.

Make sure and take a stroll through the old town in the island’s capital, Palma de Mallorca. A ride on the old wooden train to Soller and Valldemossa is also a fun outing and well worth the price.

And if you rent a car, be sure to check out the island’s east coast, where German jet-setters dock their yachts and have million dollar homes tucked away in the cliffs. This side of the island has some of the most breathtaking views as well as many less crowded, rocky beaches favored by locals.

Budget Tips

• Getting around: Like Tenerife, one of the best ways to see Mallorca is by car, and thanks to the great tourist infrastructure on the island you should be able to rent one with ease for a nice price. Check rates for rental cars.

• Hotels: Many budget priced hotels are available in the area. If you prefer to avoid the crowds, try for a place on the less touristy northern side of the island, like Sa Boronia in Banyalbufar, which is a five-minute walk from the beach.

• Search hotels: Know your dates? Search over 5,000 hotels in Mallorca.

Related: Beyond the beaches in Mallorca and Sun, sea & schnitzel in Mallorca

The sun sets over a beach on Kos Island. Photo: Mycatkins

Kos Island, Greece

A European beach guide is simply not complete without a shout out to Greece, so here we go. Famous for its sparkling blue, gentle Aegean sea, Greece has many options for beach-loving budget travelers.

Budget Tips

• Just ‘Kos: Our favorite Greek island beach? Kos Island. Some recommended and budget-friendly places to stay include Ilios and Irene and Philippos Studio & Apartments, which is located almost directly on the beach and is less than five miles from Kos International Airport.

• Ferry tickets: If you decide to do some island hopping, be sure and book your ferry ticket in advance to save.

• Choosing islands: Although Santorini and Mykonos are among the most beautiful of the islands, they are also the priciest, and therefore better for short day trips.

• Day to avoid: If you can, try to avoid traveling to Greece on August 15. This is a major holiday in the country, and prices always skyrocket.

• Search hotels: Know your dates? Search over 375 hotels on the island of Kos.

Your favorite budget beaches in Europe?

Have an affordable beachy escape to add to our list? Tell us about your favorite budget beach in the comments section below!

The post Our 6 favorite budget beaches in Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

UNESCO World Heritage

But think again. For Mallorca, the fourth most populous island in the Med (after Sicily, Sardinia and Cyprus), has a feast of fine mountain country and a remarkable mix of cultural landscapes. So much so that in 2011 UNESCO inscribed the Serra de Tramuntana—the hills that parallel the north-west coast of the island—on the List of World Heritage Sites.

The island of Mallorca with places mentioned in the post. Photo: © hidden europe

Everything the poet might dream of

The UNESCO-designated area takes in old Moorish gardens, ancient agricultural terraces and water management systems, plus some dramatic mountain scenery around Mallorca’s highest summit at Puig Major. Europe’s literati discovered long ago that the Serra de Tramuntana is Mallorca’s trump card. It was 175 years ago this year, from fall 1838 until spring 1839, that George Sand and Frédéric Chopin overwintered in the hills. In her Un hiver à Majorque, Sand recalls that “Everything the poet or painter might dream of has been created here by nature.”

Another side of Mallorca

Drive the tortuous coast road out to the wild headland at Formentor (at the north-east extremity of the island), and you will surely agree with George Sand’s appraisal of Mallorca. For, yes, there is a redemptive Mallorca, a place apart from the tacky beach communities favored by the sun and sangria set. There are hilltop monasteries, fine country houses and excellent local markets—like the one held at Sineu every Wednesday morning.

The island boasts a vibrant wine industry too. Make for Binissalem to taste wines made of grape types that will probably be totally new to you: manto negro, callet or prensal blanc. And from there, head into the hills.

The village of Orient in the shadow of the Serra de Tramuntana. Photo: © hidden europe

Slow down in Orient

Places on main roads, like Sóller, inevitably pull the crowds. So our favorite Mallorca hill community is Orient, in a remote valley on the edge of the mountains. There are apple orchards and olive groves, neat stone walls and elaborate tiers of terraces. The village is dedicated fair and square to tourism. The farmers have gone, so too has the priest, and most of the houses are now holiday homes. But it is a fine spot to slow down, relax, breathe in fresh mountain air and remind yourself that, despite the woeful spreads of dreary concrete beachfront hotels, Mallorca is still very much worth a visit.

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For 25 years, Brits went to Mallorca to party (in time shifting their allegiance to neighboring Ibiza). For Germans, it remains a top holiday spot, much favored by those who can recognize Z-List celebs. Sun, sea, schnitzel and sangria are the essentials for German visitors to the island who irritate their Spanish hosts by provocatively calling Mallorca “Germany’s seventeenth federal state.” Europeans generally take exception when Germans talk about annexing their territory, even in jest.

Counting celebs

For those German visitors, most of whom jet in on all-inclusive packages, the poolside chat is about football, what’s going on back home and the tacky scene that German media companies have shaped around Mallorca. Minor stars like Daniela Katzenberger brighten the seaside circus, fueling speculation as to whether she really is as “naturally blond” as she claims and quite how much silicone is tucked away in her extravagant curves. True devotees of Katzenberger flock to her café in Santa Ponça, just along the road from the Kultbistro run by Jürgen Drews — a German singer, now way beyond pension age, whose hits apparently still command affection. Drews styles himself “The King of Mallorca” while Katzenberger is evidently “Top Model of the World Mallorca”.

This parallel world of Teutonic fantasy goes unnoticed by most inhabitants of Mallorca. Even the Brits who visit Santa Ponça are bemused by these German antics on the holiday island. “Who is Katzenberger?” they ask. The Jürgen Drews phenomenon is even harder to unpack for non-Germans who stumble into the Kultbistro.

Clinging to the coast

German visitors have colonized parts of the Mallorcan coast, with the greatest concentration of hotels aimed at those visitors in Cala Millor on the east coast. Elsewhere there are other resorts favored by Germans. The platja de Palma has acquired a particular notoriety with the local authorities this year imposing a night-time drinking ban (curbing the excesses of Germans who party till late in venues like the Oberbayern and the Bierkönig).

Stick to those resorts, and you might be forgiven for thinking that Germany really has annexed Mallorca. The reality is rather different. The German imprint is only modest on a large island. There is a very small year-round German population (Katzenberger and Drews perhaps among them). Quite what those residents do in the wet winter months when the resorts are deserted is a mystery.

Visitors to Mallorca who venture inland, whether to the hills of the north-west, the vineyards of Binissalem or the market at Sineu will find landscapes of delicate beauty. Some day we’ll tell you about them, but now we’re off to the beach with a beer and a bratwurst.

You can read our second article about Mallorca published in January 2014 here on EuroCheapo.

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The only thing that lets Menorca down when it comes to being Cheapo-friendly are the flight prices. I was traveling from London and could easily have been swayed to book flights to other more popular Spanish sun-soaked destinations for half the price, but I stuck to my guns and paid £150 on return flights to Menorca’s capital, Mahon.

Where to sleep

When it comes to accommodation, there are a lot of different options across the island, but the north is the least touristy area. I opted for a pretty whitewashed apartment in the small resort of Son Parc. An apartment with two double bedrooms here—complete with terrace—will set you back around £350 per week and sleeps up to four people (just £87 per person per week), with access to a communal pool, fantastic views and the stunning Son Saura beach just a five minute walk away. Alternatively, you can opt for the Son Parc Hotel from around £47 per room per night, based on two sharing.

The one thing worth investing in, especially if you’re staying in the north of the island, is a rental car. I paid £120 for a week between four people with BK Rent a Car.

Explore the cities and beaches of Menorca and you’ll find some picturesque spots like this one.

Eating and drinking

Menorca, in addition to great cheap sleeps, offers tasty local food at low prices—if you know when, where and what to eat. Here are some tips:

Hit the supermarket for breakfast and dinner

If you decide to hire an apartment, you should stock up on tasty breakfasts and barbecue dinners from Mercadona near the airport. The supermarket in Son Parc is useful for the essentials, but you’ll get much better value elsewhere. Then, make like the locals and eat out at lunch, when you can enjoy some delicious Menus del Día (three course menus) for as little as €10 per person. This is definitely the best way to enjoy the local produce for less.

Charming lunches in Ciutadella and Fornells

The city of Ciutadella is not to be missed. Get lost in the rabbit warren of tiny streets, drink some traditional pomada (Menorcan gin with lemon) in a pretty plaza, or lap up the atmosphere (and the fancy yachts) along the waterfront. Most of the restaurants along here serve typical fare with menus at similar prices—a slightly inflated €15 for three courses—but the fantastic view is more than worth the extra few euros.

Fornells, in the north of the island, also makes for a tasty lunch stop. The seafront is lined with restaurants boasting identical menus, all vying for the visitor’s attention and you can get a three-course lunch for €10-€12 along here with no difficulty at all. Sa Rumbada was my personal favorite; the stuffed aubergines and grilled hake were especially good. Walk off lunch with a brisk stroll up to Fornells Tower, where you’ll enjoy fantastic views of the town and the coastline.

The Menorcan dish Arroz Caldoso de Marisco is a perfect—and Cheapo—taste of the island. Help yourself!

Cheapo meal tip

Caldereta de Langosta (Lobster Stew) is Menorca’s most traditional dish, but the prices can be astronomical. Equally tasty is a hearty pot of Arroz Caldoso de Marisco—rice and lashings of seafood cooked slowly in a delicious sauce for a fraction of the price.

Don’t forget about wine!

Menorcan’s are also very proud of their locally produced vinos, so stop by Binifadet Bodega and Restaurant for a really informative tour and the chance to taste a few different wines. The tours run every day until 7 p.m. and they’re completely free— though the wine is so good you may find it hard to leave without buying a bottle or two!

Free spa treatments

Yes, that’s right Cheapos, get down to Cala Cavalleria and take a right when you get to the beach to access the natural mud baths. The kind of clay skin treatment that other destinations charge hefty entrance fees for, is here free to “do it yourself.” You’ll see plenty of other people sunning themselves while caked in the purifying goodness of Menorca’s red clay. Cover your skin evenly and let it dry for around 15 minutes before washing it all off in the sea for incredibly soft skin.

Megalithic Monuments

Menorca is scattered with over 2,000 megalithic monuments, the smaller of which you can often visit for free, while the larger sites don’t charge more than €3.50 per person. Erected in the Bronze Age, these towering stones punctuate the landscape, standing tall and proud on hilltops.

There are several different types of monuments. The Navetes were used as burial chambers, while nobody is 100% sure of the meaning behind The Talaiots, the most impressive of which are the Taules. These enormous T-shaped stone structures leave you gasping in disbelief at how on earth it was possible to position one stone on top of the other. They are normally surrounded by smaller stones believed to have been for deities or offerings but the meaning behind the Taules themselves is still disputed.

With more beaches than Ibiza and Mallorca put together, excellent value food and accommodation, intriguing cities and free or very cheap cultural offerings, Menorca really did turn out to be a Cheapo summer paradise. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

For more information on Menorca, visit the Menorca Tourist Office.  If you have any questions about Menorca or anything else, feel free to post them on the comments board below.

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That latter stretch (shown as a solid green line on our map) skirts the south coast of Mallorca, affording good views of Cabrera along the way. Cabrera is nowadays a nature reserve, but during the Napoleonic Wars it had a terrible reputation as a prison island. Those who were sent there were condemned to live like savages on the barren terrain of Cabrera.

Map © hidden europe

Later in the journey, the ship runs up the great inlet that signals arrival in Maó. This really is the way to arrive in Menorca. It is splendid.

Exploring the Balearic Islands

We rate that Sunday journey from Palma to Maó as one of the finest short ferry routes in the Mediterranean. It is just a pity that it runs but once a week. The operator is Acciona Trasmediterranea, the leading shipping company on routes from the Spanish mainland to the Balearics and Canary Islands.

From Maó, it is possible to continue with another Acciona Trasmediterranea ship back to the mainland at Barcelona. On the Valencia to Palma and the Maó to Barcelona sections (both shown as green dashed lines on the map), sailings are several times each week. It is merely Palma to Maó that runs only weekly.

Back to the mainland

The journey we commend here (effectively from Valencia to Barcelona via the islands) is one of many creative itineraries available to travelers around the Balearic islands. Maó is a great place to stop over for a couple of nights. So we suggest taking that Saturday evening sailing from Valencia on the Albayzin which will have you in Maó by early afternoon Sunday. Then take the mid-morning boat Tuesday from Maó on to Barcelona to arrive back on the mainland that evening.

It makes a perfect 72-hour island tour, and a fine chance to relax in the middle of a longer European trip. The one-way fare for the full circuit from Valencia to Barcelona via the islands is €138.50.

Other options

Other ferry routes around and between the islands are shown on our map as dotted lines. There is another useful shipping operator apart from Acciona Trasmediterranea. That is Balearia, who use the port of Denia on the Costa Blanca as the mainland hub for their operations.

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The picturesque old train, comprised of half a dozen wooden cars dating back to the railway’s opening in 1912, was the island’s first electrified railway. It was constructed to connect Mallorca’s largest city, Palma, with the then-booming town of of Sóller, located about an hour’s tug away, over the mountains on the northwest side of the island.

What awaited on the other side of the mountain shouldn’t be missed. Here are five reasons that Sóller makes a great day trip (or escape) from Palma:

Boarding the train to Sóller.

1. The train ride from Palma

The vintage train is reason unto itself to visit Sóller. Originally constructed to transport olives and oranges (and their growers) between the town and the city, the train today serves mostly tourists. Still, it’s a worthwhile endeavor, offering interesting views of Palma as you pull out of town, before climbing the nearby Sierra de Tramuntana mountains. Winding its way up, crossing bridges, and heading through tunnels, the hour-long train ride offers great views and plenty of photo-ops.

The ride costs €19.50, per person, round-trip. Seven journeys a day run between the two towns during high season. (Read more on the train’s Web site.)

Sóller’s main square, anchored by the cathedral.

2. Medieval town.

The train depot, constructed in 1912, is situated just steps away from the city’s medieval place of worship, the Cathedral of St. Bertholomew, named after the patron saint of this town of 15,000. The cathedral, which celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2010, offers three distinct styles in one building: Medieval (the original structure), Baroque (the church’s ornate interior and extension), and Modernist (the curvy, Gaudi-esque facade).

Once outside, wander the narrow, Medieval streets, with buildings constructed closely together to block the powerful summer sun. Indeed today, the streets, nearly always in shadows, offer a cool respite.

As you walk, smell: The air carries a floral scent. The town is surrounded by orange groves and mountainsides packed with olive trees. This sweet smell seems to settle far below along the Sóller’s narrow streets.

Inside the Modernist Museum.

3. Art Nouveau / Modernismo

It’s not all Medieval in Sóller’s old center. During difficult economic times during the 19th century, many Mallorcan’s fled the island, seeking opportunities elsewhere, including in the United States. Some of these former residents of Sóller (and their descendents) made their fortunes and returned to Sóller, bringing with them great wealth and in interest in constructing new homes in the “hot” style of the day, Catalan Modernism (Art Nouveau), a look made famous by Gaúdi.

Walking through the center of Sóller, modernist facades sit comfortably next to structures constructed 400 years prior. Interestingly, the modernist style was so en vogue 100 years ago that many of these tell-tale elements (fanciful, curving doorways, windows, staircases), were standardized and picked out of a catalog. A student of Gaudi’s even spent time in the city, working on the cathedral’s facade.

Fans of art nouveau architecture shouldn’t miss the Ca’n Prunera, an early 20th-century mansion that opened as the city’s Modernist Museum in 2009. The museum lets visitors wander through a painstakingly restored modernist residence, and offers a selection of modern paintings, photographs and sculpture.

Hopping on the train to Sóller’s port.

4. Another tram!

There’s more to Sóller than the old town, of course. A few kilometers away beckons the port, with its beach and harbor. To get there, you can walk it, or hop on another wooden tram (again operated by the Ferrocarril de Soller). The tram departs every 30 minutes (in high season / 60 minutes during the winter) from the street just outside the train station. Round-trip tickets are €10 per person.

This ride, passing along the city’s main street, past stores and residences, is less thrilling than its mountain climbing sibling, but it still offers a pleasant 15-minute stroll. Things get more interesting, of course, when it makes a final turn, pulling along…

Pulling into the Port of Sóller.

5. The Port de Sóller

Arriving into the Port de Sóller by tram is a bit of a thrill, as you cruise straight down the main drag, hugging the harbor, easing past couples flopped onto blankets and children frolicking in the calm waters of the bay, which stretches out into the Mediterranean. And wrapping around its shores, the purple-green mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana look down.

To the right side of the tram, a line of hotels and restaurants offer a respite from the sun. Indeed, I recharged with a favorite, local drink: freshly squeezed orange juice. Enjoy a glass, while contemplating the role that this sweet fruit played in the town’s history.

Getting there: This post is part of a series sponsored by airberlin, which now offers flights between New York and Palma de Mallorca. Find rates and special offers on airberlin.com.

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