Keen to bag the best spot at Europe’s most beautiful beaches this summer? Then you’ll likely need very deep pockets and a reservation weeks in advance.
Many of the most enticing stretches of sand around the Med – from Italy’s shimmering Amalfi coast to sultry coves on Ibiza – are now privately owned, and securing a patch on them can cost as much as your whole holiday.
Even a basic pair of sun loungers, with a parasol between them, on an unremarkable beach in Europe in high season can cost from around £20 to £50 a day – with more luxurious resorts and beach clubs elevating prices to hundreds of pounds.
The most expensive rental the Daily Mail found this summer was at Costa del Sol favourite Club La Cabane, where a day bed can cost up to €1,200 (£1034).
Attached to the Los Monteros Spa and Golf Resort outside Marbella, the beach club’s loungers and parasols are adorned with striking blue Dolce & Gabbana prints.
Included in the price is a €200 voucher that can be redeemed against Champagne – but, even for the well-heeled traveller, it’s still an extravagant sum for what is essentially a lie-flat chair with a sea or pool view.
Location is everything and day beds – which can usually fit three people – at Club La Cabane are more expensive if you’re next to the shoreline or close to the swimming pool.
Meanwhile, loungers on the front row at the Arienzo Beach Club in glamorous Positano on Italy‘s beguiling Amalfi Coast are also notoriously pricey.
Designer lounging: Reclining on a day bed dressed in Dolce & Gabbana linen doesn’t come cheap at Costa del Sol favourite Club La Cabane
A large bed for three people on the shoreline costs €1,200 (£1034), with higher charges attributed to beds that are poolside or by the water
Only the second row back from the lapping waves ‘located just behind the Elite section’ is currently available this month but it still comes with a hefty price tag.
A ‘Perfect Beach Day’ package costs around the same price as a night in a very luxurious hotel, with a day rental for two costing €600 (£517) on a Saturday in August.
What do you get? Two comfy-looking loungers and a parasol, a two-course lunch, a signature bottle of Champagne, ‘plush’ beach towels, and bottles of chilled water.
Just three minutes up the road, and another Amalfi resort is offering loungers a deux with a view of the winsome Li Galli Islands for an even more expensive €848 (£733) per day.
Voted the Best Beach Club Location in 2024, La Scogliera charges bathers checking in for a day of luxury from €550 (£474) for two loungers and an umbrella in the cheapest area, with prices rising to €848 (£733) for one of the nicest spots on the shore. Food and drink isn’t included.
While beach clubs offering a taste of the high life for a few hours have become increasingly common at destinations across the Med, Italian beaches have a disproportionately high number of them.
Many stretches of Italy’s premium coastal spots are increasingly privately operated, meaning locals and tourists often have to pay to hire a lounger even on less impressive beaches.
According to research by an Italian consumer group, the last four years has seen the average cost of two loungers and a parasol leap from around €180 (£154) to around €210 (£180) per day – with Italians furious at the price rises for a day by the sea.
Nikki Beach on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda offers a refined setting on Cala Petra Ruja bay, with loungers costing €400 (£344) – but there are much cheaper options available on similar nearby beaches
At Gran Folies on Mallorca, guests can arrive for a day of pool and sea heaven if they’re willing to spend €340 (£293) for a pair of loungers
At the vibrant One Fire club on Italy’s Amalfi coast, a pair of orange loungers is €318 (£274) for a day’s rental. Right, a rustic looking bed overlooking sparkling waters is
Rising costs have sparked an exodus from popular resorts, with officials reporting visitors at beaches in the regions of Calabria and Emilia-Romagna down by 15 to 25 per cent for June and July, compared to figures for 2024.
Research, reported by the Independent, suggests the price of renting an umbrella and a parasol at the country’s 213 beach resorts has leapt by 5 per cent on last summer – but prices have gone up around 17 per cent in the last four years, according to consumer group Altroconsumo.
Altroconsumo found that the resort of Alassio on the Ligurian coast had the most expensive prices for a pair of loungers at €340 (£292) a day, with Gallipoli not far behind with €295 (£253) prices, and Alghero costing €240 (£206).
President of the Italian Beach Resorts Syndicate (Sib), Antonio Capacchione, said the prices, coupled with rising living costs, has meant many Italians have put off their traditional retreat to the beach.
He raged: ‘Even with two salaries, many families struggle to reach the end of the month.
‘In such circumstances, it’s natural that the first expenses to be cut are those for leisure, entertainment and holidays.’
At exclusive party resort Nikki Beach on balmy Cala Petra Ruja bay on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda, guests checking in for the day can expect to pay €400 (£344) for a pair of loungers, although the price includes a redeemable €230 (£198) against the resort’s bottle service menu.
The fanciest beach clubs require a reservation in advance, with prices tiered according to the beds position at La Scogliera in Italy
Beaches elsewhere on the Costa Smeralda are more down-to-earth though, with a pair of loungers at Playa Esmeralda typically around €15 (£13) a day in peak season – proving it pays to shop around before splashing out.
Plum spots on Mallorca and Ibiza are also increasingly expensive.
A bed for up to three at UM Beach House in Calvia on Mallorca costs €700 (£603), although there is a €450 (£387) food and drink credit and guests get a bottle of the best fizz to enjoy.
On the White Isle, where drinks in Ibiza’s famous clubs can cost around £20 for a G&T, there are similarly high charges for trendy cabanas and loungers with plumped up cushions.
Day guests reclining on rustic beds at Atzaro Beach in Cala Nova on Ibiza will need to splash out €350 (£301) – although the price also includes a €125 (£107) food credit.
In Monaco, an oh-so-chic striped lounger with a view at the the Monte-Carlo Beach Club sees no change from €350 (£301), while upmarket La Réserve à la Plage in Var, France charges €250 (£215) for a brace of sun loungers.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .