Europe's most popular tourist destinations are either too expensive for budget travelers or fully booked for the season, at least until September. Travel Off Path has named five alternative European seaside towns that rival popular tourist hubs for beauty but cost far less to visit, whether in summer or during quieter months.
Alghero, Italy
Alghero, on the island of Sardinia, is presented as a strong alternative to Barcelona. The walled town was founded by Catalans in the Middle Ages, and older residents still speak a Catalan dialect called Algherese, according to Travel Off Path.
The compact Old Town, ringed by medieval walls, is compared to a miniature version of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, with narrow arched streets, historic facades and golden-stone churches. The site notes the town also has some of Sardinia's best beaches without the crowds of the Costa Smeralda.
Spiaggia di Mugoni is described as a huge crescent-shaped beach with white sand and clear water, while Spiaggia di Maria Pia is known for its large dunes and pine forest. Both are about 15 and 10 minutes by car from the town center respectively.
Average prices in Alghero run $3-6 for coffee and pastry, $8-15 for pizza, $15-25 per person for a simple lunch, $35-70 per person for a seafood dinner, $3-6 for gelato and $7-10 for an Aperol Spritz or cocktail. A beach umbrella with two sunbeds costs $20-35 a day, a local bus ticket $1-2, and a mid-range hotel $120-200 a night.
Nafplio, Greece
Nafplio is described as one of the most beautiful towns on mainland Greece, resembling an Italian seaside town with a waterfront, cobbled streets lined with neoclassical mansions, and elegant squares with bougainvillea-covered balconies.
The Palamidi fortress, one of the most impressive in Greece, overlooks the town. Venetians built it after conquering Nafplio in the 18th century, according to the article.
The fortress sits on a hill about 700 feet high, with views over the Argolic Gulf and its fortified islets. The famous 999 steps leading to the top are tough to climb in summer, the site notes, but the views from the top are said to be among the best on the Peloponnese peninsula.
Unlike famous Greek islands such as Mykonos and Santorini, Nafplio offers beaches without cruise-ship crowds, according to Travel Off Path. Arvanitia beach sits right next to the town, while Karathona, described as the site's favorite, is a long stretch of golden sand surrounded by pine-covered hills.
Average prices: coffee and pastry $3-6, pizza $8-15, a regular lunch $15-25 per person, a seafood dinner $35-65 per person, gelato or dessert $3-6, and a cocktail $7-12. A beach umbrella with two sunbeds costs $15-30 a day, a local bus ticket $1-3, and a mid-range hotel $100-180 a night.
Varna, Bulgaria
Varna, Bulgaria's maritime capital, has the feel of a lively seaside city, with summer temperatures typically between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius. It has green boulevards, elegant buildings, seafood restaurants and a promenade that comes alive in the evenings, according to Travel Off Path, which describes the city as a distant relative of the Mediterranean.
The city's centerpiece is the Sea Garden, a huge park running along the Black Sea coast with palm-lined alleys, flower beds and summer cafes overlooking the water. The site calls it one of the most pleasant city parks in Eastern Europe.
Varna may surprise those who picture Bulgaria mainly through Sofia. Its center is filled with colorful 19th-century buildings, grand Orthodox churches and ornate facades that Travel Off Path says resemble Austro-Hungarian architecture more than the Balkans.
Sandy Black Sea beaches with lively beach bars and restaurants are a few minutes' walk from the center. The site also points to a McDonald's near Knyaz Boris I Boulevard, built directly above the ancient Roman baths of Odessos.
Average prices in Varna: coffee and pastry $2-5, pizza $7-12, lunch $10-20 per person, seafood dinner $25-50 per person, dessert $2-5, and cocktails up to $10. A beach umbrella with two sunbeds costs $10-25 a day, a local bus ticket $0.50-1, and a hotel up to $140 a night.
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena, in the quieter Costa Calida region, has been a strategic Mediterranean port for more than 2,000 years. Carthaginians, Romans, Moors and Spaniards all fought over the city, and each left behind historical landmarks, according to Travel Off Path, which notes that the sites are concentrated in a compact, walkable center.
At the heart of the colorful Art Nouveau Old Town stands the Roman Theatre, a 2,000-year-old monument not discovered until the 1980s. Nearby are grand squares with summer terraces, mansions with wrought-iron balconies and elegant pedestrian streets.
Cartagena also has a hilltop castle, the Castillo de la Concepcion, offering a panoramic view of the busy port. The site notes that the crystal-clear coves of Cabo Tinoso are a short trip from the city, and La Manga, a resort strip squeezed between the turquoise Mediterranean and the shallow lagoons of the Mar Menor, lies about 25 miles away.
Average prices: coffee and pastry $3-6, pizza $10-16, lunch $15-25 per person, seafood dinner $35-70 per person, gelato or dessert $3-6, and cocktails $8-12. A beach umbrella costs $15-30, a local bus ticket $1-2, and a hotel $90-170 a night.
Petrovac na Moru, Montenegro
Travelers wanting to see Montenegro without the crowds of Kotor or Budva should head to Petrovac na Moru instead, according to Travel Off Path. The town has the mountains-to-turquoise-sea scenery, stone houses and hidden coves that draw travelers to the Adriatic, but without the heavy nightlife.
The town's main landmark is the Venetian-built Kastio fortress, which overlooks the harbor. Nearby is Lucice beach, a secluded cove with golden pebbles reachable on foot from town, surrounded by pine-covered hills and water the site describes as almost unreal in its clarity.
The Old Town has winding cobbled streets between ochre-colored houses, green shutters and small squares lined with family-run taverns. Travel Off Path recommends Konoba Orada, a local tavern known for its seafood, suggesting the grilled squid or the fresh catch of the day served with chard.
Average prices: coffee and pastry $3-5, pizza $8-14, lunch $12-25, seafood dinner $30-60 per person, dessert $2-5, cocktails $6-10, a beach umbrella $15-30 a day, a bus ticket $2-4, and a hotel $90-170 a night.
