Eight up-and-coming beach resorts you’ve probably never heard of
FORGET fighting for a sunbed in Benidorm – some of Europe’s best-value beach holidays are hiding in resorts most Brits couldn’t point to on a map.
They’ve got all the essential boxes ticked: guaranteed summer sun, proper hotel pools and beaches within flip-flop-walking distance – and because they aren’t popular tourist traps, you can enjoy the peace and quiet, too.
This is because they’re tucked away in Albania, Montenegro, Poland and lesser-known corners of Croatia, so they haven’t yet attracted the overwhelming crowds – or the eye-watering price tags – of the Mediterranean’s usual suspects.
I’ve been digging through our live On the Beach booking data to track down eight overlooked resorts quietly cleaning up with savvy British travellers.
Some serve as much better-value alternatives to Croatia’s expensive hotspots, while others offer five-star luxury for less than you’d pay for a basic three-star elsewhere.
Here are the eight resort names to get on your radar – before everyone else catches on…
1. Durres, Albania
If you’ve heard anything about Albania’s coast recently, it was probably about Ksamil and the increasingly trendy Riviera down south.
But Durrës, sitting on the Adriatic coast, is so much easier to reach and feels much more like a classic, hassle-free package resort.
Its coastline is lined with wide sand, beach bars and modern hotels, while the town itself packs in a Roman amphitheatre, Byzantine walls and a 15th-century Venetian tower.
This means there’s actual culture to explore when you’re not working on the tan.
Plus, it sits just 30km from Tirana Airport, so you don’t waste half your first day stuck on a transfer bus crawling across the mountains.
Our booking data shows holidaymakers paid an average of just £382pp for a five-night stay here over the last 12 months – working out to an absolute steal at £76 per person, per night.
A standout hotel to book is the four-star Bleart Hotel, a family-run beachfront spot featuring its own private sand, a massive outdoor pool and sea-view rooms.
And I found a deal here for a five-night B&B stay from £235pp, flying direct from London Luton on September 30.
Albania deal
Bleart Hotel, Durres
- Five nights
- Bed & Breakfast
- Return Luton flights
From £235pp. BOOK HERE
If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
2. Tucepi, Croatia
You can be forgiven if you haven’t heard of Tucepi before, let alone know how to pronounce it (full disclosure, I had to Google it twice).
Tucked along Croatia’s Makarska Riviera, this little gem is sandwiched between the crystal-clear Adriatic and the towering Biokovo mountains.
It gives you the exact same views people spend an absolute fortune chasing down in Dubrovnik, minus the cruise-ship crowds and extortionate bar tabs.
You get a long, pine-shaded promenade, waterfront konobas (local tavernas) and an immaculate pebble beach, with the livelier hub of Makarska sitting just down the coast.
Our numbers show that, in 2026, Brits paid an average of £469pp for a six-night holiday here over the past year (£78 per person, per night).
If you fancy it, look at the four-star Bluesun Hotel Alga, which sits just 100 metres from the sea with mountain views behind it.
It boasts five separate swimming pools, a kids’ club and two playgrounds, making it one of the best value family setups on the coast.
And I clocked a five-night B&B stay here from £330pp, flying from London Luton on September 30.
Croatia deal
Blueson Hotel Alga, Tucepi
- Five nights
- Bed & Breakfast
- Return Luton flights
From £330pp. BOOK HERE
If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
3. Golem, Albania
Golem is what happens when you take Albania’s dirt-cheap local prices and pair them with a fully loaded, modern beach-resort strip.
Sitting six miles south of Durres, it serves up miles of soft sand backed by beach clubs, seafood spots and modern hotel blocks.
The water is remarkably shallow and calm, making it a dream for families with young kids.
Even better, Tirana Airport is a painless 40-minute transfer away.
It’s livelier than Albania‘s smaller fishing villages, but that just means you’ve actually got options once you step outside the hotel gates.
Our booking data shows guests spent an average of £335pp for a four-night break here over the last year, making holidays just £84 per person, per night.
The four-star Albanian Star Hotel sits right on Golem Beach with its own private lounger section, an outdoor pool and sea-view balconies.
You can grab a five-night B&B package from £285pp, flying direct from London Luton on September 30.
Albania deal
Albanian Star Hotel, Golem
- Five nights
- Bed & Breakfast
- Return Luton flights
From £285pp. BOOK HERE
If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
4. Herceg Novi, Montenegro
Herceg Novi sits right at the entrance of Bay of Kotor, where the mountains drop straight into deep blue water and a historic old town tumbles down to the coast.
It looks like an ultra-exclusive luxury hideaway, but the price tag tells a completely different story.
You’ve got waterfront restaurants, hidden swimming coves, and the long Pet Danica promenade linking it to neighbouring resorts.
You can easily catch boat trips around the bay or explore the famous Kotor without paying the eye-watering hotel rates in the centre.
Despite the high-end views, our average booking here came in at £455pp for five nights – just £88 per person, per night.
To do it in proper style, check out the five-star Carine Hotel Kumbor Superior.
It sits right on the water with a private beach, indoor and outdoor pools, a luxury spa and a full all-inclusive setup – meaning those five-star views won’t come with a terrifying bar bill at check-out.
You can book a five-night all-inclusive break here from £425pp, flying from Manchester on October 23.
Montengro deal
Carine Hotel Kumbor Supeior, Hercig Novi
- Five nights
- All inclusive
- Return Manchester flights
From £425pp. BOOK HERE
If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
5. Gdansk, Poland
Gdańsk is famous for its cobbled streets, colourful townhouses and craft beer spots along the Motława River – but almost nobody in the UK realises it doubles as a proper beach resort in the summer.
The city boasts long, wide Baltic sand beaches like Brzezno and Jelitkowo, reachable via a quick tram ride from the historic centre.
It delivers a brilliant holiday hybrid: spend your mornings exploring medieval architecture, your afternoons lounging on the beach and your evenings eating fresh seafood by the river.
From May to September the weather gets really warm, while prices remain almost absurdly cheap compared to the Med.
Our booking data has Gdansk averaging just £246pp per trip, making it one of the single cheapest destinations in our database.
A great base is the three-star Hotel Number One by Grano.
It puts you right near the Old Town and gives guests access to the Grano Life wellness centre, complete with an indoor pool, jacuzzi and saunas.
You can secure a five-night room-only stay here from just £220pp, flying from London Stansted on September 19.
Poland deal
Hotel Number One by Grano, Gdansk
- Five nights
- Room only
- Return Stansted flights
From £220pp. BOOK HERE
If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
6. Sopot, Poland
If you think Poland is only good for a winter city break, Sopot completely dismantles that myth.
Sitting just down the coast from Gdańsk, this is a proper, glamorous Baltic seaside resort featuring grand spa hotels, wide beaches and Europe’s longest wooden pier stretching out into the sea.
The main pedestrianised boulevard, Monte Cassino, is packed with open-air cafes, cocktail bars and restaurants, giving it a buzzing, high-end atmosphere after dark.
You can easily hop on the local coastal train to explore Gdansk, giving you a beach break and a world-class city break in one go.
And Brits paid an average of just £190pp for a break here, taking the absolute lowest price crown on our board.
To go all-out, look at the five-star Haffner Hotel & Spa.
It sits 250 metres from the sand with an indoor pool, spa and a private beach area in summer.
You can bag a five-night room-only stay at this luxury hotel from £395pp, flying direct from London Stansted on September 28.
Poland deal
Haffner Hotel & Spa, Sopot
- Five nights
- Room only
- Return Stansted flights
From £396pp. BOOK HERE
If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
7. Igalo, Montenegro
Sitting right next door to Herceg Novi, Igalo swaps the historic fortress vibe for a much more relaxed, traditional beach-resort atmosphere.
It’s known for being a wellness hub thanks to its natural mineral waters and therapeutic mud flats.
The resort itself has a long, managed beach with warm, shallow water, backed by a flat promenade lined with family-run cafes.
You can stroll along the coastal path into Herceg Novi’s old town or use the harbour as a launchpad for boat trips around the Bay of Kotor.
Our booking data shows holidaymakers paid an average of £563pp for a five-night stay here, which equates to a very reasonable £110 per person, per night.
If I were booking, I’d go for the four-star Palmon Bay Hotel & Spa.
It has its own private beach club, two outdoor pools and an indoor pool filled directly with natural mineral water.
A five-night B&B package starts from £370pp, flying from London Stansted on September 28.
Montengro deal
Palmon Bay Hotel & Spa, Igalo
- Five nights
- Bed & Breakfast
- Return Stansted flights
From £370pp. BOOK HERE
If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
8. Split, Croatia
Split itself isn’t a secret obviously, but far too many travellers treat it as a hub to visit the islands – despite that being a massive missed trick.
Stay a while and enjoy ancient Roman palaces in the morning before cooling off with a swim in the Adriatic (chased by a cocktail on the palm-lined promenade).
The newly redeveloped Znjan seafront has given the city a proper beach-resort complex, complete with landscaped pebble bays, lounge bars and playgrounds.
While it came in as the highest-priced destination in this data group – averaging £744pp for a five-night stay (£155 per night) – it still delivers a premium combination of culture and coast that few places can match.
The four-star Amphora hotel sits directly on Znjan Beach, boasting three swimming pools, a spa and a rooftop lounge bar overlooking the sea.
And you can lock in a five-night B&B stay here from £430pp, flying direct from London Luton on October 17.
Croatia deal
Amphora Hotel, Split
- Five nights
- Bed & Breakfast
- Return Luton flights
From £430pp. BOOK HERE
If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
