Cala Cantalar (Alicante)

Cala Cantalar sits inside Cabo de las Huertas, the rocky headland that separates the Albufereta and San Juan beaches on the north side of Alicante city. It's tiny — barely a hundred metres long — and mixes sand with rock, with open views back toward the city and out to sea. One of its flanks borders a protected micro-reserve of native flora.

There's no driving down to the water: a small car park sits at the top of the headland, from where it's a few minutes on foot along a well-marked path. There are no beach bars or sunbed rental here, and it has carried a naturist tradition for decades, though people in swimsuits use it just as normally. A solid pick for anyone after something different from the nearby city beaches without straying far from town.