This heavenly beach with unique pink sand has just won the first place in the TripAdvisor 2026 ranking.
Spring is here and with it the irresistible desire to prepare for your summer vacation. If France, Italy or Spain usually monopolize the top of the ranking, the most beautiful beach in Europe is hidden elsewhere. According to the prestigious “Best of the Best” label of Travelers’ Choice 2026 by TripAdvisor, this place, even ranked 2nd in the world, has just won them all.
The beach looks like it came out of an Instagram filter, and yet everything is very real. Its pink sand is not due to artificial lighting, but to the decomposition of millions of microorganisms and red-pigmented shells that have been mixed with the white sand for millennia. The clarity of the water makes it feel like swimming in a giant pool. An observation shared by visitors such as Elliot Perry on TripAdvisor: “Elafonissi Beach is one of those places that is as beautiful in real life as it is in photos. We are immediately struck by the color of the water: clear, shallow, and oscillates between turquoise and light blue depending on the sunlight. In places, the sand has a soft pink tint…”
This treasure is Elafonissi Beach, located on the southwestern tip of Crete, Greece. Just over a 3-hour flight from France, this wild lagoon offers a complete change of scenery without crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
In its shallow lagoons, young children can explore the seabed in complete safety, while swimming and snorkeling enthusiasts venture a little further offshore to admire the underwater fauna. For those looking for peace and quiet, the secret lies in timing: “Despite our visit out of season, we had a wonderful stay. We loved having the entire beach to ourselves,” confides irinalines.
The platform’s experts are unanimous: “Prefer a visit in the morning to avoid traffic jams and secure a deckchair and an umbrella before the crowds arrive. Or come in the evening to admire a magnificent sunset, once most of the tourists have left.” And the show continues beyond the coast: TripAdvisor recommends walking to the nearby cedar reserves. Finally, just a 10-minute drive away, you won’t want to miss the Chrissoskalitissa Monastery perched on a rock.
With a rating of 4.4/5 based on more than 16,500 reviews on Tripadvisor, Elafonissi confirms its status as a European must-see in the rankings Best of the best beaches Travelers Choice Awards. This Cretan pearl proves that you don’t have to go to the ends of the earth to find paradise. All that’s left is to book your direct flight to Chania, the magnificent city closest to this pink lagoon!