Compare cheap beach holidays

Short-haul beach holidays

Jet off to the Balearics, Spain’s sunny coast or the golden shores of the Algarve and you can be flopped on the beach in less than three hours. Plus, with brilliant beach weather from spring to autumn and a huge array of cheap beach holidays available on TravelSupermarket, it’s no wonder these fly-and-flop destinations have dedicated fans.

Book sizzling sun holidays in Majorca, the beautiful Balearic where sun, sea and sand come as standard, and combine your break with shopping in Palma, all-out family fun in Alcudia, or wild summer beats in resorts such as Magaluf and Palma Nova.

On mainland Spain, you’ll find some of the nation's best beach holiday destinations: the Costa Brava, the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca.

Quiet and cultured beach holidays are available on the Costa Brava, which captured the heart of surrealist painter Salvador Dali. There's nightlife if you want it in Lloret de Mar, while family frolics are covered by laidback Platja Gran in Tossa de Mar.

Then, the Costa del Sol. No prizes for guessing what this stunning stretch of coast is famed for. From the superyachts and super clubs of Marbella and Puerto Banus to family holidays in Torremolinos, beach holidays on the Costa del Sol are every bit a sun-seeker’s dream.

On the Costa Blanca, Benidorm is the major destination for sunny holidays, though Torrevieja and Alicante also boast huge sandy beaches and scenic mountain backdrops. With doorstep attractions that include Terra Mitica and Aqualandia, this is a prime family-fun zone and a great option for cheap beach holidays.

And if you can’t settle between a beach holiday or city break, you don’t have to in Spain. Take Catalan capital, Barcelona. Its seafront setting means you can wake up with a dip in the Med, spend days soaking up the culture in world-class museums and swap siestas for sunbathing on soft sands by the afternoon. San Sebastian, Valencia and Cadiz are also top picks for a city-meets-sea holiday.

Elsewhere, Portugal’s Algarve region is a serious contender for the best cheap beach holidays in Europe. All golden sands and sun-drenched resorts, with water parks, spa hotels and golf courses galore, the Algarve makes holiday dreams a blissful reality.

Mid-haul beach holidays

Sure, the holiday resorts of the Canary Islands are fantastic, and yes, the beaches that circle the Cape Verde islands have that Caribbean vibe going on.

And, certainly, Spanish hospitality doesn’t come friendlier or much more genuine than it does in the Canaries. But really, who doesn’t relish the sweet sensation of slipping on a t-shirt in winter and strolling along a seafront promenade with bare, sun-kissed arms? Ooh, can you feel it already?

With flight times of just four to five hours and a wide choice of beach breaks – from budget getaways to five-star beach holidays – let’s Travel Super on a tour of TravelSupermarket’s top mid-haul picks for chilled-out beach holidays.

Tenerife is the tourism star of the Canary Islands, which dot the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa. Chic, boutique getaway at the edge of the ocean? It’s yours. Action-packed family break (with a water park nearby)? You got it. Wild party nights and lazy beach days? Sure thing. In Tenerife, there are holidays to suit every type of visitor.

Lanzarote is quieter than Tenerife and its beaches are sublime (check out Papagayo, for starters). Known for the volcanic landscape around Timanfaya and the sculptures of Cesar Manrique, Lanzarote’s main resorts are Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise.

Within sight of Lanzarote is neighbouring Fuerteventura. Quieter again, with sand dunes that appear to roll on forever near the main resort of Corralejo, Fuerteventura is the perfect place to have a go at water sports. More dunes make sandy waves on the horizon of Maspalomas, in Gran Canaria, while DJs spin tunes in the resorts of Playa del Ingles and Puerto Rico.

Taking a pinch of scenery from the Canary Islands, a dash of Portuguese culture and more than a generous slice of Caribbean-style beaches (think white sands and turquoise seas), the islands of Cape Verde are another hot pick for mid-haul beach breaks, with flights taking just five hours from the UK.

Long-haul beach holidays

Are you dreaming of luxury all-inclusive beach holidays, where glittering seas of aquamarine fold gently on to snow-white sands and palm trees offer shade to gently swinging hammocks? Already imagining barefoot strolls along a deserted beach under the light of a million twinkling stars? If you weren’t, you probably are now!

On Mexico’s dazzling Yucatan Peninsula is the lively resort of Cancun. Hot and sunny year-round, peak season arrives with the best of the weather in November and runs until early April. Whether you’re after a luxury break or a budget-friendly getaway, if you like your beach days shook up with evening drinks, Cancun is a hot contender.

Sizzling and scintillating, Cuba might not jump out as an obvious beach destination, but its pillow-soft white sands and calm Caribbean waters never fail to impress. And close to its gorgeous shores is the Dominican Republic. Sensational coastal scenery? Check. Fantastic hotels and golf courses? Check. Cheap all-inclusive beach holidays? Ka-ching! The Caribbean can be yours for less on the Dominican Republic’s sun-kissed shores.

Elegant and exciting, with plenty of local seasoning and, of course, beautiful beaches, Barbados is a celeb favourite, especially in December and January. Adults-only beach holidays, meanwhile, are the domain of upmarket Antigua. Head to the tranquil west coast to find plenty of child-free stays, where you can meet like-minded travellers, enjoy a romantic beach holiday with your other half or simply bliss-out without any distractions.

And if you’re looking for a luxury beach holiday, the Indian Ocean islands of the Maldives are just the ticket. More than a thousand islands make up this heavenly archipelago, some of which host just one resort for the ultimate in secluded luxury. Whichever island you stay on, choose an over-water villa for direct access to aquamarine waters – your early-morning dip has never looked so good.