On the Swedish Riviera in Skane, you will find white, powdery sand that stretches for miles at the country's best beach Sandhammaren, an enormous sandpit that is perfect for playing on the beach or in the water on hot summer days, or for fantastic walks. Located in Osterlen on the southeast tip of Skane, the beach was historically known for its reef where ships of old often sank. Today it is famed for its fine white sand that is so soft it squeaks underfoot. Stay at the stylish Ystad Saltsjobad, one of Sweden’s top spa hotels just a 25-minute drive west of Sadhammaren for SEK 1945 (£171) per person, including overnight accommodation in a Superior Room, a three-course dinner, breakfast and spa access.

The Wadden Islands on the Dutch coast are little known to visitors from the UK. Away from the narrow houses and canal-lined streets of Amsterdam, the long, sandy shores of the islands are one of the country’s best-kept secrets. One picturesque spot is the island of Texel, its lighthouse and the 30 kilometres of sandy beaches. Here you can cycle through the dunes, spot seals at the Ecomare seal sanctuary and enjoy relaxing on the sands or beachcombing. Stay at Hotel de Branding, located just minutes from the beach in the town of De Koog, from £167 for two nights. Get there from the UK by ferry with Stena Line, which offers seven-hour crossings between Harwich and the Hook of Holland starting at £49 one way for an adult and car.

The glorious golden beach of Zambujeira do Mar on the Atlantic is undeveloped and crowd-free, bordered by rugged cliffs in the well preserved region of Alentejo. Even in the height of summer it is possible to find a secluded spot, while the pretty seaside town plays host to popular music festival, Festa do Sudoeste. The beach offers excellent facilities for water sports and nature tourism is popular in the region. Sunvil offers a seven-night holiday at the charming Herdade do Touril, only a couple of kilometres away, on a bed and breakfast basis from £537 per person, including flights and car hire.

Europe’s answer to California, Hosssegor, is a beautiful beach resort featuring 250 kilometres of sand and pine forests. Still relatively unknown among Brits, Hossegor is loved by those in the know as an alternative to the crowded beaches of the Med and is an outdoor playground full of surf heritage, offering plenty of opportunities for activities and immersing yourself in French culture. Alternative Aquitaine has a selection of self-catering holiday rentals in Hossegor, such as Villa Seignosse Ocean, which provides a private setting and heated pool for up to 12 people from £2,758 per week.

It may not have the temperatures of the Mediterranean but Ireland has many fabulous beaches, most of them pretty empty and unspoilt. When the sun shines, the powder-soft sands and turquoise seas could fool you into thinking you were on Sardinia or Corsica. Coral Strand, or Tra an Doilin as it's known to the Irish, near Carraroe in County Galway, is noted for its very fine 'coral'. Contrary to the English name, the beach is actually made of coralline algae known as maerl. It is rare and of great conservation importance. Stay at family-run bed and breakfast Carraroe House from €38 per person per night. Irish Ferries offers return trips for two people and one car from Holyhead to Dublin starting at £213.

Jurmala’s 25-kilometre-long beach is not only unique for it fine, sugar-like quartz sand but also its spaciousness. There are 11 developed swimming areas along the beach, five of which have been awarded Blue Flags. The nearby pines provide plenty of shade and natural aromatherapy for sunbathers, while the comparatively low salinity of the Baltic Sea decreases the need for a shower after every swim. The water at Jurmala becomes deep gradually and evenly, allowing swimmers to wade towards the horizon for almost a hundred metres in some places. Stay at the Lighthouse Jurmala Hotel, located on the beach with exclusive views of the Riga Gulf from €210 euros per room per night.

Sculpted by the wind and the sea, the Curonian Spit is a long, thin stretch of sand bordered on one side by the Baltic Sea and the other by the Curonian Lagoon. Its fragile landscape of shifting dunes and pine forest is protected by National Park status and it is a wonderful alternative to the Mediterranean for families who wish to escape the sweltering heat. Visitors can stay at the Kursmariu Vila in the sleepy fishing village of Preila from £29 per night. The guesthouse is owned by a fishing family who offer guests bream which has been smoked in their own smokehouse.

For long stretches of unspoilt beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters and natural fauna and wildlife, look no further than the dreamy Cies Islands on the Atlantic coast of Spain. The southernmost island Isla de Monteagudo and the Isla de Montefaro (the Lighthouse Island) in the middle are connected by a long stretch of sand known as Rodas beach. The only way to get to the islands is by sea and visitors are limited to 2,200 per day. Spain-Holiday offers a three-bedroom villa with private pool in Cangas, overlooking the Rio Vigo with views to the Cies Islands, from £631 per week. Casa Cangas is a family-friendly beachfront villa that sleeps six people and has its own private pool and Jacuzzi.

Sopot, otherwise known as 'The Pearl of the Baltic Sea', attracts a real mixture of visitors from all over the world. Known for its golden sand, beach bars and ice cream, Sopot Beach offers holidaymakers the chance to walk down the longest wooden pier in Europe, checking out the crooked house and visiting the open-air amphitheatre in the forest. Exeter International offers three nights at historic boutique Hotel Rezydent Sopot, including airport transfers and half a day with a guide for £500 per person.