Where to Find the Most Beautiful Coastal Scenery
Our planet’s coastlines offer some of the most breathtaking and soul-stirring scenery you’ll ever witness, where the raw power of the sea meets the solid permanence of land. There’s something about standing on a cliff edge with the endless ocean stretching toward the horizon that reminds you of your small place in the world whilst simultaneously making you feel incredibly alive.
From dramatic volcanic shores with black sand beaches to gentle lagoons backed by snowy mountains, coastal landscapes showcase some of our planet’s most spectacular scenery. These aren’t just pretty places to snap photos for social media; they’re destinations that challenge you to hike rugged headlands, kayak through hidden coves, and immerse yourself completely in environments where nature still calls the shots.
Ready to discover where the world’s most stunning shores are waiting to take your breath away? Here are some of the best places to find the most beautiful coastal scenery.
Majorca – Cap de Formentor
Majorca is perhaps most famous for its beach resorts and package holidays. But the island’s northernmost point tells a completely different story of wild, untamed beauty that rivals any Mediterranean coastline.
Cap de Formentor juts out into the sea like a magnificent stone ship, with limestone cliffs that plunge dramatically into the water. These vistas have inspired poets and painters for centuries, especially the view of the winding road to the lighthouse at the peninsula’s tip.
Hiking trails snake along the clifftops, offering opportunities to explore hidden coves and rocky promontories. The contrast between the rugged northern coastline and Majorca’s gentler southern beaches creates perfect conditions for adventurous travellers who want both dramatic scenery and comfortable accommodations within easy reach.
Corsica – Gulf of Porto
The Gulf of Porto on Corsica’s western coast delivers scenery so spectacular that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site. Red granite cliffs rise like ancient cathedrals from waters that shift from deep blue to brilliant turquoise depending on the light.
This rugged stretch of the French island’s coastline showcases nature’s artistic abilities through the famous Calanques de Piana, where wind and water have sculpted the rocks into incredible shapes. Hiking enthusiasts can enhance a Corsica villa holiday by tackling sections of the GR20 trail that pass nearby, offering elevated perspectives of the gulf where the interplay between mountain and sea creates some of Europe’s most dramatic coastal views.
Adventure seekers will find endless opportunities for rock climbing, sea kayaking, and coastal hiking, all set against a backdrop that feels more like a fantasy landscape than reality. The Gulf of Porto proves that Corsica earned its reputation as one of the Mediterranean’s wildest and most beautiful islands, where the scenery seems designed to remind visitors of nature’s incredible creative power.
Zanzibar – East Coast
While Zanzibar’s Stone Town tends to get most of the attention from tourists, the island’s east coast reveals a different kind of magic. If you’re looking for a polished coastline then you’ll find it here, where pristine beaches stretch for miles beneath coconut palms and traditional dhows sail past as ghostly reminders of ancient trade routes.
Jambiani and Paje offer some of the most spectacular beach walking on the planet, where low tide reveals vast expanses of sand dotted with starfish and bordered by coral reefs. Kite surfing has discovered this coast in recent years, drawn by consistent trade winds and shallow lagoons that provide perfect conditions for both beginners and experts to harness the wind.
The absence of large resorts in Zanzibar means that the island’s coastline retains its natural character, making it a great place to engage with Tanzanian culture. The coast combines postcard-perfect beauty with authentic experiences, creating the kind of coastal adventure that feeds both the soul and your eyes.
Iceland – Snæfellsnes Peninsula
On the opposite end of the scenery scale, Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula serves up coastal drama of epic proportions. Black volcanic beaches meet glacier-capped mountains and the Northern Lights dance over landscapes that seem almost otherworldly.
The peninsula’s crown jewel is the Snæfellsjökull glacier, which sits atop a dormant volcano, creating a mystical backdrop for coastal adventures. Kirkjufell mountain rises directly from the sea, its distinctive peak reflecting in tidepools while the surrounding coastline offers some of Iceland’s most accessible yet spectacular hiking opportunities.
Adventure photographers will find endless inspiration along this coast, where every season brings different moods and lighting conditions to capture. The Snæfellsnes Peninsula delivers the kind of raw, elemental beauty that reminds visitors why Iceland has become synonymous with natural wonder and adventure travel.
Devon – Jurassic Coast
England’s Jurassic Coast might not have the tropical allure of more exotic destinations. But this UNESCO World Heritage stretch of southern England delivers geological storytelling on a scale that spans 185 million years of Earth’s history.
The coastline between Devon and Dorset reveals layer upon layer of different geological eras, where fossil hunting becomes a treasure hunt through time and every beach walk might reveal ancient marine creatures preserved in stone. Adventure seekers can combine coastal hiking with fossil hunting, rock climbing, and sea kayaking, while the area’s network of coastal paths provides endless opportunities for multi-day walking adventures.
A single day on the Jurassic Coast might include cream tea in a thatched village, fossil hunting on a pebble beach, and sunset viewing from the clifftops. What makes this part of the UK so special isn’t just its beauty, but its ability to connect visitors with the deep history of our planet.
Venice – Venetian Lagoon
You might be a bit caught off guard by this final suggestion. And yes, it’s not your typical coastal landscape. But the Venetian Lagoon transforms the traditional concept of coastal scenery into something entirely unique, where centuries of human creativity intertwine and adapt to natural geography.
Beyond Venice’s famous canals and piazzas, the broader lagoon encompasses dozens of islands that are best explored by boat, either on a water taxi or a variety of luxury river cruise lines in Europe. Paddling through the lagoon’s quieter reaches reveals a side of the city that few tourists experience, where sandbanks emerge and disappear and traditional fishing methods continue in waters that have supported human communities for over a thousand years.
The island of Burano delivers coastal charm through its rainbow-colored fishermen’s houses reflected in tidal channels, while nearby Torcello offers glimpses of Venice’s origins among the marshlands. There’s a remarkable harmony here achieved between human ambition and natural forces, proving that sometimes the most beautiful landscapes are those where people and nature come together rather than compete.
Get Ready to Explore the Coast
The beauty of coastal exploration lies not just in the views but in how these environments can be enjoyed, whether that’s hiking clifftop paths, kayaking through lagoons, or simply sitting and watching the sea reflect the sky. These coastal destinations prove that our planet’s most beautiful scenery often lies where land meets sea, and there’s plenty of it waiting for you to get out and discover it.
