Island of Sylt, Germany
Fancy staying in a thatched cottage on a 40km-long sand dune? Head for Germany's northernmost island. Even in the busy season, you'll be able to find your own length of beach. One of the prettiest of the island's 11 villages is Keitum, which has characterful Frisian-style cottages. Rent bikes to explore, and head into Westerland, the island's main town, to eat out – Sylt takes its food seriously and has several Michelin-starred restaurants.
The Benen-Diken-Hof hotel (+49 465 193830), Keitum, is a luxurious house in large grounds, with doubles from €172. The Hotel Aarnhoog (+49 4651 3990), also in Keitum, is slightly smaller; from €99pp "including breakfast, coffee and cake"
Salema, Vila do Bispo, Portugal
This quiet working fishing village sits on the south-west tip of the Algarve. Set between Sagres and Lagos, in the Costa Vincentina national park, Salema is a relaxed collection of houses set above a sandy beach. Rent a room from a local (look for signs advertising quarto), visit the town's morning market, and explore the beaches and villages nearby, such as pretty Burgau. Drive down to Cape Sagres to watch the sun set over what was once thought to be the edge of the flat earth – now the locals cast their fishing lines precariously over the cliff edge.
Hotel Residencial Salema (+282 695328) has doubles from €65; or rent a room from a local
Kotor bay, Montenegro
With almost 200 miles of coastline, pitted with medieval walled towns, Montenegro is a treasure trove of hidden coves. Its largest inlet – Kotor bay – is not actually a bay but a fjord: four connected straits surrounded by cliffs. The main town, Kotar, is worth a visit, but stay in one of the quiet fishing villages dotted around the shores nearby, such as Orahovac, which overlooks a white pebble beach.
Hotel Amfora (+382 32 305857) in Orahovac has doubles from €120
Gargano coast, Puglia, Italy
Part of Italy's longest coastline, the Gargano peninsula is a huge mountainous promontory jutting into the Adriatic, punctuated by faraglionis (sea stacks). There are dozens of hidden coves, many accessible only from the sea, so hire a boat and hop from beach to beach. The small town of Peschici is a good base for exploring the coast and hiking in the mountains. If you're seeking even more remote beaches, take a trip to the Tremiti islands, part of a marine park 22 miles from the Gargano coast.
The Baia Scirocco B&B (+39 088 496 2474) in Peschici has a broad terrace overlooking the sea; doubles from €39pp. La Locanda della Castellana B&B (+39 088 496 3020), is in the hills outside the town; from €32pp
Dhërmi, Vlora, Albania
The drive down Albania's Ionian coast, from Vlora to Saranda, through the 1,027m-high Llogaraja pass, is both impressive and hair-raising. It will be worth it when you reach Drymades, which has one hotel with wooden cabins set in an olive grove near the 5km of sandy beach – and a blissful lack of activity. If you want some excitement, the nearby village of Dhërmi has restaurants – as well as concrete bunkers on the beach, a legacy of the communist regime.