Escape for a day to a hidden beach in Andalusia, especially if you’re looking for a tranquil day out on the coast in Southern Spain. Away from the crowds, most of these secret beaches in Andalusia are set in exotic bays where you can experience the sun and sea of both the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

One thing for sure is that you don’t need to fight to be first on the beach in the middle of August when you can relax with ample space among nature as you swim or sunbathe. Here are the top picks of the best secret beaches in Andalusia where you can escape the summer crowds.

  • 1

    Cala de Enmedio, Almería

    Go snorkelling in the crystal-clear waters of Cabo de Gata

    Cala de Enmedio, Almería
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    Cala de Enmedio is one of the beaches in Almería's Cabo de Gata Natural Park that has a special charm. This owes to it being a protected region – all you’ll see when you visit is the natural world through the park's desert landscape. Cala de Enmedio is a bay with shallow, crystal-clear waters and is backed by white cliffs. This is the perfect place to take your goggles and fins and go snorkelling.

    To get there, you’ll have to drive down a dirt road to Cala del Plomo and then walk for about 20 minutes along the path that leads from the car park. We recommend you wear suitable footwear and bring your own food and drink (there are no facilities on the beach) and try to avoid walking the path during the hottest hours of the day.

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  • 2

    Calas de Roche, Cádiz

    Cliffs that shelter you from the easterly Levant wind

    Calas de Roche, Cádiz
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    Calas de Roche is one of the many beautiful and idyllic beaches in Cádiz. Even so, it’s not your typical local Cádiz beach like Bolonia, Valdevaqueros, and Caños de Meca which share the southwestern coastline. The Calas de Roche are small bays sheltered by reddish cliffs with strong tides at times, depending on the wind.

    These bays are a great option when the Levant blows and even when it doesn't, they’re much quieter than the ones mentioned above. The only downside is that when the tide is high, there isn't much space to lay your towel and sunbathe.

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  • 3

    Playa de Doñana, Huelva

    A perfect beach for endless walks by the Atlantic

    Playa de Doñana, Huelva
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    At Playa de Doñana in Huelva and all along the Costa de la Luz, you can enjoy long walks on the sand without the large crowds. This beach, in particular, was named after the famous National Park. You can reach it from the much busier Matalascañas Beach.

    There no showers, beach bars or facilities on Playa de Doñana, so come prepared by packing your own food and drink. What you will find here is peace, quiet, and plenty of space to go for a pleasurable swim in the waters of the Atlantic.

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  • 4

    Cala Barranco de Maro, Málaga

    Black sand and crystal-clear waters near Nerja

    Cala Barranco de Maro, Málaga
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    Cala Barranco de Maro is a small pristine bay in Maro, a much quieter village than neighbouring Nerja in Malaga. What the beaches in these 2 places have in common are their crystal-clear waters, which tend to be cooler when compared to other Mediterranean beaches, and the little pebbles that dot their black sand.

    To get there, you have to go by car, though access is more difficult than in the case of Nerja's town beaches – you’ll need to walk for 10–15 minutes until you reach it. The peace and quiet you’ll find once on the sand make it all well worth the effort. That said, there are no beach bars here, so it’s a great idea to pack a picnic if you're going to spend the day here.

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    photo by Anacalde (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 5

    Playa El Cambrón, Granada

    A small beach that's big on tranquillity

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    Playa El Cambrón in Salobreña is one great example of Granada’s charming coasts that have not yet been overrun by the beachgoing crowds. Indeed, Granada is not just the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada mountain range and its beaches aren’t the typical Andalusian coastal destinations like Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz.

    The beach of El Cambrón is about 80 metres long and 20 metres wide and offers a great sense of tranquillity for any relaxing day of sun and sea. We recommend you wear suitable footwear as it has small pebbles instead of sand which are typical of the beaches in this area.

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Ana Garcia Mellado | Contributing Writer