Explore 30 of the World’s Best Hidden Beaches
Secret Beaches in the US, Caribbean, Europe, & Africa
Looking to take a beach vacation in a charming, more secluded area that that isn’t jam packed? Check out these 30 amazing hidden beaches in 7 different locations in the U.S., Caribbean, Europe, and Africa. We’re including secret beaches that have multiple activities at them, including surfing, snorkeling, hiking, boating, and of course, a good cocktail.
For these hidden beaches, think… 🤿 Scuba diving in Zanzibar, a boat day trip to Greece from Albania, 🍷 wine tasting in South Africa and California, 🥾 hiking in magical state parks on California’s central coast, and drives with phenomenal mountain views in Montenegro.
Punta Bandera in Luquillo is one of the best hidden beaches we’ve been to. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved.
1. Hidden Beaches in Puerto Rico: Great beaches less than an hour from San Juan
🏖️ 🏄 Hidden surfing beaches & calm beaches: Just 40 minutes east of San Juan, the charming town of Luquillo has both a surfing beach and two relaxing beaches with calm waters. All three are hidden beaches, but particularly the first two, and especially on weekdays. They are a short 5-minute drive away from each other.
🏄 Surfing Beach: La Pared. La Pared is a great beginner/intermediate surfing beach because it’s all sand. Boogie boarding and body surfing are great here as well. It’s a secret beach for surfing. There are a few options to rent surf boards there or take lessons.
🔥 Hot tip: It’s best to call in advance to reserve your surf board ($20/hour). The main rental spot is Surfing Puerto Rico, and their lessons are good. You can also rent from the local coconut seller “Capitan” if he’s on the beach.
🏖️ Calm Water Hidden Beaches: Punta Bandera, Balneario Luquillo, Playa Escondida. Punta Bandera is a small, hidden beach with very calm water and virtually no one on it on weekdays. You can sit with your drink in the water if you want to. Balneario Luquillo also has calm water, is charming, and is great for families or relaxing.
🏖️ Playa Escondida is in nearby Fajardo and is a fantastic, natural spot with great views of El Yunque National Park. It’s a 15 minute walk from the popular Seven Seas beach. You can also do a fantastic bioluminescence tour there.
🌊 Rip tides: there can be dangerous rip tides here, so check the wave forecast carefully before you go out, and don’t go too far out. That said, we surfed and boogie boarded here with our son on rip tide days, and it was completely fine as long as we stayed very close to the shore.
Boardriders bar in Luquillo is a great place to watch surfers at this hidden beach. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved.
Overall, Luquillo is a quiet, relaxing beach town, but one with TONS of things to do. We recommend it for a relaxing Caribbean vacation but one with many activities if you want them (see below).
Go to Luquillo if you like: Surfing, rainforest hikes, Caribbean, hidden beaches, local vibes, Jamaica, Bahamas.
🍹🍸 Cocktails: Part of what makes Luquillo magical is that it’s not crowded, & there’s only one relaxed bar on the water, Boardrider’s (pictured above). They make great mojitos (& piña coladas) & the food is decent (fish tacos, burgers). There’s karaoke on weekends & good happy hour specials. Cocktails were $10 each as of October 2023, with happy hour discounts.
🍽️ Where to eat. Our top restaurant recommendations in Luquillo are:
🦞 La Parrilla: Great cocktails just next to the Balneario Luquillo beach at the end of Kioskos. It specializes in lobster, which is quite good. Just note that it’s the most expensive restaurant in the area.
La Fonda: Cool, funky atmosphere in Luquillo town, with very good Puerto Rican food, especially mofongo and trifongo (mofongo with sauce on top, which we recommend a lot). Has cocktails and beer as well. Moderately priced.
🐟 Ernestina’s: Great lunch spot with fresh, local seafood. Located in Luquillo town.
🏖️ Alternative hidden beach area: Patillas. Patillas is another lovely hidden beach town in Puerto Rico, if you’re looking for something even more remote. It’s on the south coast about 1 1/2 hours from San Juan. See From Tent to Take Off’s blog.
One of the best parts of Luquillo is that it’s 10 minutes away from El Yunque National Forest, a fantastic area to hike in an actual rainforest. There are a number of waterfalls and hikes there. You can do several on on your own for free.
🥾 We recommend the Mt. Britton Trail and then continuing to El Yunque Peak. It takes about 3 hours and is about 5 miles.
La Coca Waterfalls are fantastic & by the roadside. You can climb right up next to them and get sprayed.
Go zip lining: there are several options for zip lining. Have a look at the reviews and see which one looks best for you.
Zanzibar has long, shallow beaches. Great for relaxing, families, snorkeling, etc. Photo by Humphrey Muleba
2. Hidden Beaches in Zanzibar, Tanzania: Long, Gorgeous Beaches & Fascinating Culture
Go to Zanzibar if you like: Kenya, South Africa, safaris, Caribbean, Hawaii, mountain climbing, Ecuador, secret beaches.
Zanzibar is a wonderful place to just relax on the beach. But there are tons of activities as well (see below).
Overall, it’s is one of our favorite islands in the world — we’ve been 4 times and those won’t be our last. It has fine sand, long beaches with a spectacular azure water color, a fascinating local Swahili culture that mixes African and Arabic influences (it was an Arab colony under Oman for 200 years), fresh seafood mixed with local spices, jungle tours, scuba diving…
Plus it’s in Tanzania, which means you’re close to some of the world’s best safaris and Mt. Kilimanjaro. And it’s less touristy than Kenya. There are many things to do on Zanzibar.
Best hidden beaches in Zanzibar:
🏖 Mtende beach: The top hidden beaches in Zanzibar are on the southeast coast. Mtende beach is a fantastic secret beach. Here’s a great place to stay there.
🏖 Paje: Paje in the east has a long beach with many small spots/bungalows rather than big resorts. It’s charming, not very touristy, and has gorgeous water. There is lots to do in Paje as well.
🔥 Hot Tip: I highly recommend staying and/or eating at Paradise Beach Bungalows, which has AMAZING fresh sushi. It’s a once in a lifetime experience. When we stayed there, they asked us in the morning, “what kind of sushi do you like? We’ll try to catch it today and serve it you for dinner.” I’ve stayed there twice.
🏖 Nungwi: Alternatively, Nungwi is another lovely beach in the northeast of the island. There are larger hotels there but it has more infrastructure as well. It’s a good spot for scuba diving.
Take a sunset cruise on a dhow. Photo by Camilla Frederiksen
Activities on the beach: There’s plenty to do on Zanzibari beaches besides swim.
🚴 Rent a bike and ride down the flat beach. Hawkers there will rent you one.
🤿 Go snorkeling or scuba diving. The scuba diving is world class here, and at certain times of the year you can see whale sharks (not dangerous) and sea turtles. There are several dive shops in Paje, Nungwi, and other beach towns. These two shops have some of the best reputations: Ocean Wonder Dive Center & Pole Pole Divers.
🌊 Wade out into the water during low tide for up to a mile. Observe how locals harvest & collect seaweed — totally fascinating.
Get a henna tattoo done by a local artist on the beach.
🌅 🍸 Take a sunset cruise on a dhow, a local sailboat. And… enjoy a rum cocktail while listening to Marley…
More things to do in Zanzibar & Tanzania:
Explore Zanzibar town (aka Stone town): is fascinating, with small, windy streets & fascinating old doors (yes, they really are a highlight).
Take a spice tour, a 1 to 2 hour tour where you see & sample the plants that make spices such as cloves, lemongrass, etc. Sensory memory of a lifetime.
🛏️ Stay at the charming Emerson on Hurumzi hotel (formerly Emerson and Green). It’s one of the most memorable hotels we’ve ever stayed at in in the world, with completely unique rooms done in Zanzibari style.
🦁 🗻 Safari or mountains. Combine your beach trip with safari and/or hiking Kilimanjaro. You can hike Kili without prior mountaineering experience. It takes 5 to 7 days to climb (and don’t rush it or you risk getting altitude sickness). Tanzania has arguably the world’s best safari park in the Serengeti. Read more about both options on our Tanzania blog.
✈️ Getting there/visa: International flights go to Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, or Kilimanjaro International Airport. If you do go to Zanzibar, we recommend the short flight, which is only 40 minutes and cheap, as the ferry docks are not fun arrival points. You need a Tanzania visa but can get one online easily.
Albania has some some of the best beaches in Europe. This is Ksamil Island. Photo by Bleron Salihi
3. Hidden Beaches in Southern Albania: Gijpe, Sarandë, some of Europe’s Top Hidden Beaches
Cliffs surrounding a hidden beach, gorgeous warm, blue waters... Enjoy these hidden beaches before Albania becomes too “discovered.”
Go to Albania’s beaches if you like: Italy, Croatia but at half the price, beautiful beaches, grilled meats, European history, friendly Balkan culture.
Albania has a long coastline and some of Europe’s best beaches that nearly as crowded or commercialized as other countries. The best beaches are in the south of the country, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours from the capital Tirana. Albania offers much of what Croatia does (and in some ways more) but at a fraction of the cost.
Albania is also quite friendly and a place where you feel like you could stay in for a long time, between the beaches, mountains, and very affordable prices. Some of our friends moved there and others immediately wanted to buy property there after a first visit. And it definitely has a hidden gem feeling: Albania receives less than half the number of tourists of Croatia.
Top hidden beaches & beach vacation spots in Albania:
🏖 Gijpe is a hidden beach & is gorgeous. It’s a bit more remote than most — you have to walk 45 minutes to the beach from the spot you park your car. But it’s worth it if you’re able to, with cliffs surrounding the beach & a nice restaurant.
🏖 Sarandë has excellent food and rocky cliffs along with a good beach. You can even take a ferry to the Greek island of Corfu for the day! There is lots to do in Sarandë — here are a few options.
🏖 Dhërmi has both excellent beaches and a charming Byzantine town.
🏖 Ksamil (pictured) is a popular island with world class beaches. Fresh seafood restaurants & a special vacation spot.
🏖 Beach 1 hour away from Tirana: If you’re focusing on the capital Tirana, a nice beach nearby is Golem, about an hour away. It’s popular but charming, and the water is shallow, so it’s a good fit for families.
The Llogara pass is an amazing mountain drive in Albania. Photo by Elion Jashari.
Other things to do in Albania:
🚗 Go for a scenic drive: The Llogara Pass is world-class drive in the mountains through the Llogara National Park.
🥾 Go hiking: Our top tips for hikes are in the Valbona Valley National Park and the famous Valbona-Theth hike, both of which offer spectacular views.
Hot Tip: Albania is NOT in the EU Schengen Zone, so it’s perfect to visit if you’re doing long-term travel in Europe and need to get out of the Schengen for 3 months.
✈️ 🚗 Getting there & visa: There are direct flights from New York to Tirana, Albania. You can also either 1) fly to Dubrovnik, Croatia and drive 2 hours from Dubrovnik to Budva; or 2) Fly to another major European city and take a discount airline — several offer cheap flights to Budva, including Wizz Air, Ryan Air, Easy Jet, and others. You need a car to explore the country when you get there.
No visa is needed U.S., U.K., or E.U. member country citizens.
Pismo Beach is a long, sandy beach and great for relaxing, surfing, or sunsets. There are several hidden beaches just nearby. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
4. Hidden Beaches on California’s Central Coast: Great for surfing, hiking, & relaxing
There’s a great variety of beaches on California’s central coast, centered around the small, charming city of San Luis Obispo. SLO, as it’s known locally, is a lovely area with long beaches, charming towns, world class wineries, and beautiful nature. The best part about it is that it’s far enough away from major cities to still be low-key, have a relaxed vibe, and not be as uber expensive as Santa Barbara. We lived here for a month and have visited several other times, and here are our top picks.
Hidden beaches on the California Central Coast:
🏄♂️ Morro Rock Beach, a great hidden beach for surfing (pictured below). Morro Rock Beach in Morro Bay is a fantastic beach for surfing or relaxing. This is one of the best surfing spots in all of California because of the consistent wave that breaks along the rock, and it’s much less crowded than southern California.
There are actually two beaches for surfing: Morro Rock (north of the rock) and Widow Rocks (south of it). Morro Rock is great when the waves are not huge, and Widow Rocks is a calm area when the waves are bigger at Morro Rock. Park right under Morro Rock for free, and paddle out to whichever beach is best that day.
🏄♂️ Cambria: Cambria has a great surfing beach that is more of an intermediate/expert surfing spot. Cambria is also a charming town that we recommend visiting.
The hidden beaches at Morro Rock are just to the left and right of the rock. Never crowded. Photo by Sasha Lezhnev.
🏖 Pismo Beach is a fantastic, long beach to swim at or surf, and a beach/surf town that resembles Southern California.
Walk along the wonderful pier and people watch (there’s plenty to be had)
See the fantastic Monarch butterfly grove.
You can even drive your 4x4 on the south side of the beach at Oceano Dunes (enter at Grover Beach).
Pismo Beach State Park is excellent for camping as well — we camped there for 2 weeks.
🏖 Shell Beach is a hidden beach just north of Pismo is where many locals go, is much quieter, and has a surf spot that’s a bit calmer than Pismo. It’s a special place to explore the cliffs as well, especially at sunset.
🥾 Explore beach hiking at stunning Montaña de Oro state park: Spectacular walks & hikes for all levels along the coast, with tide pools to explore for kids and adults, seals, and endless ocean views. Hidden gem: check out the Monarch Grove and sled down the giant sand dune. It’s a great hidden travel gem.
Shell Beach, just north of Pismo, is a hidden beach that’s great for sunsets. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do on California’s Central Coast:
Stroll around and dine in charming San Luis Obispo: SLO, as its known to locals, was rated as America’s happiest place to live a few years ago. It’s very charming, with gorgeous tree-lined streets and excellent farm-to-table restaurants and high quality bars. Our top picks are amblind along the creekwalk and seeing the Mission, Neapolitan pizza or pasta at the Flour House, and the wine bar Region, which showcases regional wines.
🦭 See the elephant seals: It’s endlessly entertaining to see the giant elephant seals who stop for the winter to breed and relax at San Simeon (we’ve been 4 times). It’s fascinating to see them take care of newborn babies, grunt, do battle, and more.
🍷 Go wine tasting: Two wine regions are just next to SLO - Paso Robles and Edna Valley. Paso is home to full bodied wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, and Edna specializes lighter bodied wines like Pinot Noir. Our top picks for wine tasting are:🍷 RN Estate (Burgundian style wines),🍷 Écluse (personal experience), 🍷 Turley (world class Zinfandel), 🍷 Kynsi (unique, good Pinot), and 🍽 Dining at Il Cortile.
🦭Explore sea life in Morro Bay: Stroll around the fishing town of Morro Bay or kayak around the bay. You’re almost guaranteed to see seals, sea otters, and maybe a leopard shark (harmless) if you’re lucky.
✈️ 🚗 Getting there: You can fly to San Luis Obispo. Alternatively, SLO is roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, approximately 4 hours from each, depending on traffic.
Sveti Stefan is a great day trip from Budva and has wonderful hidden beaches nearby. Photo by Miljan Mijatović
5. Montenegro’s hidden beaches: Stunning scenery & calm water
🏖 Montenegro’s beaches have crystal clear water and stunning mountain backdrops, are great places to swim, and are less crowded/touristy than neighboring Croatia.
📍Just south of Croatia, Montenegro is still a hidden gem in the Balkans. It has beautiful nature, with mystical fjords, mountains just next to the sea, charming historic towns, and importantly…. lovely beaches. It isn’t as cheap as Albania (but still less than Croatia), but it is charm, friendly people, much smaller crowds, and gorgeous nature make it a lovely place to vacation or spend an extended period. There are many parts of Montenegro that are still hidden travel gems.
Top hidden beaches in Montenegro:
🏖 Morinj: this is a lovely pebble hidden beach that’s off the beaten path. It has calm water and hammocks all around to lie in. It’s great for swimming and relaxing. Morinj is located in the Bay of Kotor and is surrounded by mountains, making the scenery stunning.
🏖 Kamenovo: a great hidden beach that’s located between the popular beach town of Budva and the famous island of Sveti Stefan (pictured above). It’s less crowded in the summer than Budva, and you can have it virtually to yourself in the shoulder seasons of May-June/September-October. Photo below by Elen Yatsenko on Unsplash.
🏖 Trsteno: a great beach for families that’s close to Budva. It has calm water, isn’t as crowded as Budva, and the water is crystal clear.
Other things to do in Montenegro:
Ulcinj is a lovely old town with cobblestone streets and isn’t as crowded as other cities.
🏖The famous beach town of Budva is awesome for nightlife, partying, and restaurants if you are looking for that, and has beautiful, if busy, beaches at Jaz and Becici.
Gorgeous Lake Kotor in the mountains is a highlight, with an wonderful walking area in the old city of Kotor and water activities such as boating and paddleboarding on the lake.
🥾 Durmitor National Park is a spectacular destination for hiking and exploring nature, or white water rafting.
Hot Tip: Like Albania, Montenegro is NOT in the EU Schengen Zone, so it’s practical to visit if you’re doing long-term European travel and need to exit the Schengen for 3 months.
✈️ 🚗 Getting there & visa: There are 3 options to get to Montenegro: 1) Fly directly (to the capital, Podgorica). 2) Fly to Dubrovnik, Croatia and drive 2 hours from Dubrovnik to Budva; or 3) Fly to another major European city and take a discount airline — several offer cheap flights to Budva, including Wizz Air, Ryan Air, Easy Jet, and others. You need a car to explore the country when you get there.
No visa is needed for for citizens of the U.S., U.K., or E.U. countries.
Hermanus, where the mountains meet the sea on South Africa’s Western Cape. There are great secret beaches nearby. Photo by Tayla Kohler on Unsplash.
6. South Africa’s Hidden Beaches at Hermanus: Just 90 minutes from Cape Town
Everyone knows Cape Town or Durban in South Africa with their crowded beaches, but Hermanus is the hidden gem. It has has several good beaches, including hidden beaches, and is a world class surfing spot because of the waves. Overall, it’s a stunning area where the mountains meet the sea, and where whales mate in the bay. Hermanus is known by some as the Malibu of Southern Africa. But the best part is that it’s a far more affordable version. Hermanus is only a 90 minute drive from Cape Town on the Western Cape, but is much quieter.
Hidden Beaches in/near Hermanus:
🏖 Grotto Beach for relaxing: is the calmest beach. It stretches for 11 miles, and is good for families because of the calmer water.
Lovers Cove, the hidden beach nearby. Just head to the end of Grotto, take the steps down, and find the gorgeous, secluded section known as Lovers Cove that’s surrounded by cliffs. It’s the secret beach of the area.
🏄♂️ Onrus Beach and Voelklip Beach for surfing. These are world-class surfing spots, with Onrus hosting an annual surfing competition in December.
🏖 Langbaai Beach (Long Bay): This is a quiet, secluded beach that is much smaller than Grotto or Onrus. You get to the beach via steps that are formed from the rocky cliffs. A gorgeous area. This is a lovely cottage to stay at there.
Explore old town Hermanus, a hidden beach town in South Africa. Photo by Devon Janse van Rensburg on Unsplash.
Other things to do in Hermanus:
🐋 Whale watching: Hermanus is known as the whale capital of South Africa. Right whales migrate from Antarctica to Hermanus from June to December. They congregate in Walker Bay, and there’s even a whale festival in Hermanus.
See the whales via one of these cool whale watching boat tours. Or you can see them from a bit of a distance at a coastal spot: Hermanus Cliff Path (which is also a nice little hike) and Gearing’s Point.
🍷 Wine tasting: Hermanus is close to several wineries. We recommend: Bouchard Finlayson (about 20 minutes away, wonderful views, good Pinot Noir & Chardonnay), Spookfontein Wines (very good restaurant in the winery, modern vibe), Newton Johnson Family Vineyards (see photo — stunning setting with a view of the mountains, personal experience). Photo credit: Newton Johnson, and Creation (excellent wines plus tasting menu).
🍽 Dining at farm to table restaurants: Hermanus is close to the amazing Hemel en Aarde (Heaven and Earth) Valley, so it has farm fresh food at several good restaurants.
The Wine Glass (restaurant) has a fantastic wine selection (including flights) and good food pairings.
The Pear Tree Bistro just nearby has fresh seafood (their poke bowl is just wow) as well as vegan options.
The Saturday farmers market, the Hermanus Country Market, is worth checking out.
🔥 Hot tip: June to December is the best time to see the whales. Just remember, it’s the southern hemisphere, so June/July will be the coldest months, and December the warmest ones.
✈️ Getting there/visa: The best way to get to Hermanus is to fly to Cape Town and rent a car to drive the 90 minute journey to Hermanus. U.S., U.K., Canadian, or European Union citizens do not need a visa to visit South Africa for up to 90 days.
7. Hidden Beaches around San Diego
San Diego is one of the best spots for beach vacations in the US year-round because of the weather. You can enjoy the beach almost the entire year, with an average high of 66 degrees in January and 76 in July. We’ve lived in this area for over six months at different times and love it — it’s one of our favorite places to be in the US.
Best hidden beaches around San Diego:
🏖 Oceanside (pictured, photo by Sasha Lezhnev) is 45 minutes north of San Diego city and has wonderful hidden beaches that are much less crowded than those in the city.
🏄♂️ It’s great for beginner surfers (or learning how to surf), as it’s a sandy beach, but there is also more advanced surfing with bigger waves at the pier.
💰 Oceanside is also the most affordable beach town in the area. Here are some places to stay in the area.
🏖 Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, about 25-30 minutes north of San Diego, is a lovely, relaxed beach with spectacular sunsets and a nice playground for kids. Also, check out the gorgeous & free Swami Self-Realization gardens nearby.
🍦 Hot tip: Some of the best ice cream we’ve ever had is at Gelato 101 in downtown Encinitas.
🏖 🏄♂️ Carlsbad: Carlsbad, about 40 minutes north of San Diego city, is a quiet, charming town with a German/Danish feel and has two fantastic hidden beaches. Here are some other great things to do in Carlsbad.
🏖 South Carlsbad State Beach. This is a wonderful nature beach that is not crowded at all. It has a very long sandy beach, great for relaxing, surfing, walking, etc. We camped at this park for several weeks and loved it.
🏖 Carlsbad State Beach: a great city park, so it’s kept natural. Sandy beach, has a great boardwalk for taking long walks, short break surfing or skim boarding.
🏖 🥾 Explore a gorgeous beach cliff park: Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in Ocean Beach (San Diego city) is a hidden beach gem. Walk along the cliffs, explore the tide pool areas and mini sea caves down below, or go at a particularly low tide and find the spectacular sea cave.
San Luis Rey is the largest Spanish mission in California. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
Other things to do in San Diego County:
🌮 Eat some of the best tacos of your life. Taco Tuesday is king in the San Diego area, and don’t forget the margaritas. Our top picks are: The Taco Stand in Encinitas, Sancho’s Tacos in Oceanside, and the famous $1 fish tacos at El Pueblo in Del Mar or Cardiff.
Visit the largest Spanish Mission in California (pictured above). Oceanside is home to the “King” of Spanish Missions, San Luis Rey, which makes for a lovely visit to see history in a beautiful setting. It dates from 1798 and has a gorgeous old church and museum.
✈️ 🚗 Getting there: Most carriers offer direct flights to San Diego. The beach towns are a short drive up Interstate 5 from San Diego (Oceanside being the furthest at 45 minutes in non-rush hour). Check out a flight here.
We recommend getting off Interstate 5 in Encinitas and driving up Highway 1 along the beach to take in the views and explore each town one by one.
Did we miss any hidden beaches? Send in yours & get featured
Hi! We’re Sasha & Megnote
We’ve traveled to 50 countries on 5 continents & have been full-time travelers for the past 2 years with our now 5-year-old son. He now teaches us how to skateboard…
We got engaged in Bolivia, started a nonprofit in Uganda, and love outdoor adventures (& a good pisco sour).
We’re writing the book Travel More, Spend Less to help people get to full-time travel.
We’re passionate about finding hidden travel gems & off the beaten path destinations, and we want to share our tips with you.