Skip the Amalfi Coast crowds. These 6 European seaside towns offer coastal scenery, historic streets and more breathing room.
From Sicily to the Albanian Riviera, these coastal escapes deserve a spot on your radar.
Italy's Amalfi Coast has pastel-colored villages built on the mountainsides, centuries-old streets leading to beaches and harbors, and sunsets from ocean-view terraces. And while there's a good reason it's a sought-after destination for summer vacations, it's also become very, very crowded.
If you're looking for a more underrated coastal experience, there are alternatives that combine several of the qualities that make the Amalfi Coast so appealing, like beautiful scenery, swimmable beach coves, traditional architecture and enough cultural and outdoor attractions to warrant settling in for several days.
As a travel writer with more than 15 years of experience, my goal is to catch destinations before they garner all the hype — and the crowds that follow. While some of these recommendations are already known in their own countries or regions, they haven't necessarily reached the same level of international tourism as the Amalfi Coast. From a cliffside wine town in Croatia to a historic maritime center in Greece, here are six European coastal towns to consider instead.
Maratea, Italy
In Maratea, split your days between the mountains, the old town and the sea.
(Eyal Malki via Getty Images)If you're looking for an Italian alternative to Amalfi without leaving southern Italy, start with Maratea. Located in Basilicata between Campania and Calabria, the town occupies a rugged stretch of Tyrrhenian coastline where forested mountains drop toward coves, sea caves, cliffs and small beaches.
The historic center sits inland and uphill, while beaches are scattered below. The old town is a maze of narrow lanes, small piazzas and many churches, chapels, monasteries and other religious buildings. Above town, the 72-foot Christ the Redeemer statue stands atop Monte San Biagio, overlooking the coast.
Down at sea level, travelers can swim, snorkel, dive, explore the coast by boat or visit a variety of beaches, including the black-sand Spiaggia Nera.
Scopello, Sicily
The small Sicilian village is an easy base for exploring one of the island's most scenic stretches of protected coastline.
(Gary Yeowell via Getty Images)On Sicily's northwestern coast, Scopello combines clear Mediterranean water with a landscape of limestone cliffs, rocky coves and low mountains covered in Mediterranean scrub. The village itself sits on a hillside above the coast, centered around a stone baglio, a group of buildings arranged around a central courtyard.
One of Scopello's main landmarks is the Tonnara di Scopello, a former tuna fishery set beside the water beneath the Faraglioni sea stacks. The complex preserves boats, anchors, warehouses and other remnants of the traditional tuna-fishing industry that operated here for centuries.
North of town, the Zingaro Nature Reserve protects roughly four miles of largely undeveloped coastline, with hiking trails connecting small coves where visitors can stop and swim. The surrounding coast can also be explored by boat, while beaches near Scopello provide easier access to the water.
Galaxidi, Greece
Galaxidi delivers the feel of a Greek island port — without the ferry ride.
(Lefteris_ via Getty Images)Galaxidi sits on a small peninsula along the Gulf of Corinth, where two natural harbors are surrounded by mountains and olive-covered hills. Although it's connected to mainland Greece, the tiled roofs, waterfront tavernas, fishing boats and neoclassical houses give the town the appearance of a small Greek island port.
Those houses are tied to Galaxidi's maritime history. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the town developed into an important maritime and commercial center, with a thriving local shipping industry. Sea captains built many of the mansions that still line the streets. Today, visitors can walk the waterfront or swim from pebble beaches and rocky coves around the peninsula.
Galaxidi is a good base for exploring inland Greece on day trips to places like Delphi, where the ancient Sanctuary of Apollo sits on the slopes of Mount Parnassus.
Himarë, Albania
Himarë is a natural jumping-off point for exploring the Albanian Riviera.
(Michael Dowling via Getty Images)Himarë sits between the Ionian Sea and the Ceraunian Mountains along the Albanian Riviera, a stretch of coastline where steep slopes descend toward clear water, rocky coves and beaches. The modern town runs along the waterfront, but Old Himarë occupies a hill several miles inland, where stone houses, churches, narrow lanes and the remains of a fortified settlement overlook the coast.
Along the water, Spile Beach is directly in town, while Potami and Livadhi offer additional places to swim nearby. Travelers can explore the coastline by boat or head north to Gjipe, where a beach sits at the mouth of a steep-sided canyon. South of town, Porto Palermo Castle occupies a small peninsula projecting into a sheltered bay.
Himarë has become increasingly popular during the summer, but it still receives far less international attention than many of Europe's best-known Mediterranean resort towns.
Vrbnik, Croatia
This medieval Croatian town offers so much more than Adriatic views.
(Tatiana Gnuchykh via Getty Images)Vrbnik occupies a limestone cliff above the Adriatic on the eastern side of Krk, an island connected to the Croatian mainland by bridge. Below the cliffs, small beaches and coves provide access to the Adriatic, while hiking and cycling routes extend through the surrounding countryside.
In the medieval town, stone houses cluster around a bell tower atop a steep limestone cliff roughly 160 feet above the sea. Inside the old center, narrow lanes and stairways wind between closely packed buildings, including Klančić, which is often cited as one of the narrowest streets in the world.
The town's history is closely connected to the Glagolitic alphabet, the oldest known Slavic alphabet, which survived in parts of Croatia for centuries after it had disappeared from widespread use elsewhere. Vrbnik became an important center of the tradition, and visitors can explore Vrbnik's Glagolitic heritage at the Vitezić Family Library.
Vrbnik is also closely associated with wine. Vineyards spread across the fields outside town and are planted heavily with Žlahtina, an indigenous white grape. Visit producers such as Katunar Estate Winery in the vineyards outside town, or duck into a local konoba (a type of rustic tavern) for a glass or two.
El Port de la Selva, Spain
El Port de la Selva remains tied to fishing, and boats still operate from its harbor.
(Musat via Getty Images)For the most adventurous alternative on this list, head to El Port de la Selva, a small fishing town on the northern Costa Brava near the French border. The town sits between the Mediterranean and the rugged mountains of Cap de Creus, where rocky headlands and small coves make up the coast.
A beach runs alongside the town, but travelers willing to explore can follow coastal trails to smaller swimming spots tucked among the rocks. Cala Tamariua is close to town, while a rugged coastal trail continues from there to Cala Fornells, passing quieter coves along the way.
Much of the surrounding landscape can be explored on foot, including the GR92 coastal trail, which passes coves and the S'Arenella lighthouse on its way toward neighboring Llançà. Trails also climb into the Serra de Rodes above town to Sant Pere de Rodes, a medieval Benedictine monastery overlooking the Mediterranean.
From there, hikers can continue uphill toward the ruins of Sant Salvador de Verdera for more views across the peninsula and sea. Down below, the coast offers plenty of opportunities for kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling and diving. The French border is also close enough for a day trip, with the colorful harbor town of Collioure roughly an hour away by car.
