Is the sea in Cyprus still warm in October?

Visit Cyprus says the open sea hovers above 22°C from June to November, climbing to 27°C in August. Checked on 6 November 2026.

How long does the sea stay warm in Greece?

Visit Greece says the Greek seas stay warm until November and that September and October are renowned for their pleasant temperatures. Checked on 6 November 2026.

How many Blue Flag beaches does Türkiye have?

Blue Flag lists 580 beaches in Türkiye for 2026 and says Türkiye is third in the world for Blue Flag beaches. Checked on 6 November 2026.

What passport rules apply to Türkiye?

GOV.UK says you can visit Türkiye without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for business or tourism. Your passport needs an expiry date at least 150 days after you arrive and at least 1 blank page. Checked on 6 November 2026.

Are the beaches in Malta safe for swimming?

Visit Malta says the coastal waters are usually clean and safe for swimming, with no dangerous currents, but some bays face north and north-east winds can sometimes cause strong undercurrents. Checked on 6 November 2026.

Do I need a visa for a beach holiday in Portugal, Italy or Croatia?

GOV.UK says you can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes Portugal, Italy and Croatia, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Check the GOV.UK page for your country before you go. Checked on 6 November 2026.

Best beaches in Europe for UK travellers: where to go and when

A. FruchardCo-founder & CEOLast updated: 11 November 2026

Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Türkiye and Malta all have beaches within reach of the UK. This guide does not rank them: it gives what each country's official sources say about the sea, the season and the passport rules, with the date each was read. A British passport needs no visa for a short stay in any of the five.

The Blue Flag programme announced awards to 5,274 sites in 53 countries for 2026, and 4,371 of them were beaches (Blue Flag, 2026 awards). That announcement gives no country figures, so the only one used here is Türkiye's own. This guide names no price: this site is a guide, and does not sell holidays, flights or hotels.

How we work

Every guide on hellosafe.co.uk is written from official sources: GOV.UK and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the embassies and immigration services of each destination. Each fact is checked on the date shown under its table, and the page is updated when a rule changes. No airline, tour operator or visa service pays for a place in our guides.

Learn more

Each tourist board describes its sea in its own terms, so the table gives its wording rather than a score. Where a board gives no figure for the sea, none is shown.

Spain
What the official source says about the beaches
Costa del Sol: a mild climate when the rest of Spain is rather cold. Costa Blanca: a warm Mediterranean climate all year round. Canary Islands: an average temperature of 22°C and more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. Cabo de Gata-Níjar: an average annual temperature of around 20°C.
Passport rules (GOV.UK)
No visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Passport issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expiring at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area.
Greece
What the official source says about the beaches
The seas stay warm until November. September and October are renowned for their pleasant temperatures. In summer the dry hot days are cooled by the seasonal meltemi winds.
Passport rules (GOV.UK)
No visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Passport issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expiring at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area.
Cyprus
What the official source says about the beaches
The open sea hovers above 22°C from June to November and climbs to 27°C in August. From January to March it averages 16 or 17°C.
Passport rules (GOV.UK)
No visa for up to 90 days. Passport expiring at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave.
Türkiye
What the official source says about the beaches
580 beaches flew a Blue Flag in 2026, which Blue Flag says keeps Türkiye third in the world for Blue Flag beaches.
Passport rules (GOV.UK)
No visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Passport expiring at least 150 days after you arrive, with at least 1 blank page.
Malta
What the official source says about the beaches
Coastal waters are usually clean and safe for swimming, with no dangerous currents. Some bays face north, and north-east winds can sometimes cause strong undercurrents.
Passport rules (GOV.UK)
No visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Passport issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expiring at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area.

Country	What the official source says about the beaches	Passport rules (GOV.UK)
Spain	Costa del Sol: a mild climate when the rest of Spain is rather cold. Costa Blanca: a warm Mediterranean climate all year round. Canary Islands: an average temperature of 22°C and more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. Cabo de Gata-Níjar: an average annual temperature of around 20°C.	No visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Passport issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expiring at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area.
Greece	The seas stay warm until November. September and October are renowned for their pleasant temperatures. In summer the dry hot days are cooled by the seasonal meltemi winds.	No visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Passport issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expiring at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area.
Cyprus	The open sea hovers above 22°C from June to November and climbs to 27°C in August. From January to March it averages 16 or 17°C.	No visa for up to 90 days. Passport expiring at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave.
Türkiye	580 beaches flew a Blue Flag in 2026, which Blue Flag says keeps Türkiye third in the world for Blue Flag beaches.	No visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Passport expiring at least 150 days after you arrive, with at least 1 blank page.
Malta	Coastal waters are usually clean and safe for swimming, with no dangerous currents. Some bays face north, and north-east winds can sometimes cause strong undercurrents.	No visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Passport issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expiring at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area.

Sources: Spain.info, beaches outside summer, Visit Greece, Eternal blue, Visit Cyprus, climate, Blue Flag, Türkiye 2026, Visit Malta, swimming and sunbathing, and GOV.UK entry requirements for Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Türkiye and Malta. Checked on 6 November 2026; GOV.UK passport rules for Spain, Greece and Malta re-read on 9 November 2026.Rules and sea conditions can change: read the page for your country before you book.

Only Cyprus and Greece give months for the sea, so only they get them here. Spain's source gives sunshine and average temperatures instead, and for Malta and Türkiye no official month-by-month sea figure was found, so none is given. If you want warmth in winter, see our guides to where is hot in December and where is hot in January.

Cyprus
The open sea hovers above 22°C from June to November, climbing to 27°C in August, and averages 16 or 17°C from January to March. Source: Visit Cyprus, climate, checked on 6 November 2026.
Greece
The seas stay warm until November, giving an extended summer, and September and October are renowned for their pleasant temperatures. Source: Visit Greece, Eternal blue, checked on 6 November 2026.
Spain
The coasts of Andalusia and the Canary Islands have 300 days of sunshine a year, with warmer temperatures than the rest of Spain. Source: Spain.info, beaches in autumn, checked on 6 November 2026.

GOV.UK says you can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes Spain, Greece and Malta, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive and expire at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. The EU's Entry/Exit System is being brought in, so you may be asked for your fingerprints and a photo at the border (GOV.UK, read on 9 November 2026). Cyprus and Türkiye have their own rules, set out in the table above, and our entry requirements guide and UK passport guide cover passports in more detail. If you drive to your beach, our guide to driving in Europe from the UK covers the documents.

The date of issue: For Spain, Greece and Malta, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive. A passport renewed before 1 October 2018 can fail this rule, GOV.UK warns.
The expiry date: At least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area or Cyprus, and at least 150 days after you arrive in Türkiye, with 1 blank page.
The bay you pick: Visit Malta warns that north-facing bays can have strong undercurrents in north-east winds.
The border: The EU's Entry/Exit System may ask for your fingerprints and a photo on arrival in the Schengen area, so allow time at passport control.

Not for a short stay. GOV.UK says you can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes Spain and Greece, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expire at least 3 months after you leave. Checked on 9 November 2026.
Visit Cyprus says the open sea hovers above 22°C from June to November, climbing to 27°C in August. Checked on 6 November 2026.
Visit Greece says the Greek seas stay warm until November and that September and October are renowned for their pleasant temperatures. Checked on 6 November 2026.
Blue Flag lists 580 beaches in Türkiye for 2026 and says Türkiye is third in the world for Blue Flag beaches. Checked on 6 November 2026.
GOV.UK says you can visit Türkiye without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for business or tourism. Your passport needs an expiry date at least 150 days after you arrive and at least 1 blank page. Checked on 6 November 2026.
Visit Malta says the coastal waters are usually clean and safe for swimming, with no dangerous currents, but some bays face north and north-east winds can sometimes cause strong undercurrents. Checked on 6 November 2026.
GOV.UK says you can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes Portugal, Italy and Croatia, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Check the GOV.UK page for your country before you go. Checked on 6 November 2026.