If you’re lucky, you’ll be spending some time on a beach in the coming weeks.
But the cost of a seaside jaunt can add up, from purchasing a sun bed to a beverage or two at the bar – and that doesn’t include the money spent on flights and accommodation if you’re jetting off to warmer climes.
If you’re looking for a budget beach, however, new data has listed the 10 most affordable spots in Europe – and while there are some strong contenders from the likes of Italy, Portugal and Spain, there’s one destination you’ve likely never heard of.
Plaża Jastarnia in Poland, nestled just north of Gdynia, is located on a peninsula that juts off into the Gulf of Gdansk – and it just squeezed in at number 10 on the cheapest beaches.
For one day, a sun lounger in Plaża Jastarnia costs just £11.16, while an ice cream will set you back a mere £1.81 – a delicious bargain.
When it comes to tipples, a pint of beer comes with a price tag of £3, an Aperol Spritz £4.89 and a bottle of water a teeny tiny 45p. Who said holidays needed to be expensive?
Elsewhere in the data by Omio, taking the top spot was Playa de Las Canteras in Gran Canaria, Spain, where a sun lounger costs as little as £2.57 per day and an ice cream £1.80.
Kleopatra Beach in Alanya, Turkey, came in third place, while Playa de la Concha ranked third.
Another unlikely winner came in the form of Warnemünde Beach in Germany, found in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region on the Baltic Sea.
Things to do in Jastarnia and Gdansk
Located on the Hel Peninsula, Jastarnia is a small town with plenty of charm.
Aside from a visit to the beach, there’s the Hel Biking Trail to provide a fun escape into nature, as well as Gora Libek, which provides breathtaking views of the Gulf of Gdansk.
If you’re up for a day trip or even fancy incorporating a few extra nights into your stay, Gdansk is a gorgeous port city with a fascinating history.
The centre of the city was reconstructed after World War II, and it’s now famous for its colourful Long Market, Neptune Fountain, and its scenic river embankment.
If you’d like to learn more about the city’s backstory, you can do so at the Museum of the Second World War or even the National Maritime Museum, which narrates the story of Gdansk’s extensive shipping history.
How to get to Jastarnia
The easiest way to get to Jastarnia is to fly to Gdansk, which is just under 2 hours away by car. There are also links via train, which similarly takes between 2 hours and 2 hours and 15 minutes.
There’s a direct route available via Wizz Air from London Luton airport, with return flights available for as little as £35. The route takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes – which is more than enough time to binge your favourite Netflix show.
When to visit Jastarnia
While Poland isn’t necessarily known for its sky-high temperatures, there’s inevitably more sunshine to look forward to in summer than in winter.
In the Gdansk region, the mercury generally dips up to highs of 22C in July and August, and down to a slightly balmy 18C in September.
That’s not to say there’s no joy to be found in a winter stroll along the beach though, as in January temperatures can get as low as a frosty -3C.
This European beach beat the Maldives to claim the world’s bluest sea
In search of sparkling waters this summer? Europe dominates the list of beaches with the world’s bluest water, and one hidden gem in Albania has claimed the top spot.
Pasqyra Beach, around 13 minutes’ drive from the resort of Sarandë in the southwest, beat out the likes of Bondi Beach, Bora Bora and even the Maldives in securing the title.
It’s nicknamed ‘Mirror Beach’, thanks to its clear, turquoise water that visitors say has a ‘magical’ quality.
Meanwhile, nearby Greece occupied both second and third place, featuring seven times in the top 30, the most of any country.
Determined by the travel experts at CV Villas, the research took unedited Google Maps screenshots of 200 beaches across the world and used a colour dropper tool to find the RGB code of each body of water.
This was then cross-referenced with the world’s bluest shade of blue to work out which location’s water had the closest match.
Albania’s Pasqyra Beach was just 12.4 points off, with its mirror-like appearance widely considered to be a highlight of the country’s coastline.
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