Søndervig, Denmark

Sun-seekers and sea-dippers have been heading to Søndervig – known as the Gateway to the North Sea – for more than a century, drawn to its silver-gold sand and grass-tufted dunes. There are good facilities – mini-golf, tennis, trampolines and Segways are all available close to the beach, with a clutch of excellent fish restaurants in the town. The town’s biggest draw is the extraordinary sand sculpture festival, which runs from May until October, with a wild animal theme this year. Stay at Fjordgaarden, a stylish spa hotel 10 minutes’ drive (or a regular bus connection) from the beach.
Doubles from £143 B&B; fjordgaarden.dk

Sola Strand, Norway

Fifteen minutes’ drive out of Stavanger, this gem of a beach plays host to kiters and surfers on windy days, with families flocking to the broad stretch of sand when it’s calm. The only development is the golf course and hotel at the northern end, with the dunes behind home to such a rich variety of birdlife that the whole beach is a protected area. Walkers can follow the five-mile hiking trail through the Jæren conservation area to Vigdel, a small, picturesque bay ideal for swimming. Stay at the Sola Strand Hotel, a low-rise, century-old establishment with a lively bar and restaurant right on the sand.
Doubles from £124 B&B; solastrandhotel.no

Blokhus Beach, Denmark

If you’re looking for a beach with a buzzy resort attached, Blokhus – on Denmark’s west coast – is the one to choose. The beach is a belter: over 100m wide, backed by sand dunes, with plenty of space for ballgames and sandcastle-building and excellent conditions for wind and kite-surfing. The town has an almost English seaside feel, with ice-cream shops, bucket-and-spade emporiums and a mini-golf course. There’s also the Fårup Sommerland waterpark – one of Denmark’s biggest attractions – right on the doorstep. The Strandhotellet has comfortable rooms – a touch small, but the restaurant is excellent and staff super-friendly.
Doubles from £172 B&B; strandhotellet-blokhus.dk

Sandhammaren, Sweden

An award-winning beach with more than a touch of the Caribbean, Sandhammaren lies on the southeastern tip of Skåne province, with powdery white sand and a nature reserve behind the beach, home to elk and a wide range of birdlife. The 19th-century lighthouse is open for tours, there’s a kiosk for drinks and snacks and a small café near the car park, but otherwise the beach is wonderfully unspoilt. Nearby Löderups Strandbad has an excellent beachfront location with white clapboard cottages and simple but comfortable rooms.
Doubles from £104 B&B; loderupsstrandbad.com

Hoddevik Beach, Norway

Hoddevik is the kind of beach that launches brochure covers; white sand against bottle-green fields, aquamarine water rolling in between two mountainous headlands. Just reaching Hoddevik is a spectacle; the road snakes over a high mountain pass before descending to the beach, where Neoprene-clad surfers bob in the waves. This is an adventure beach rather than a family strand – the Stad Surfing school offers lessons for all levels (and it’s recommended not to surf alone). The Stad Hotell is 13km away, but it’s the best option, apart from camping, with sleek rooms and a spectacular waterfront setting.
Doubles from £117 B&B; stadhotell.no

Sjøsanden, Norway

One of a handful of unspoilt beaches in the Furulunden nature park on Norway’s southern tip, this 800m stretch of sand is separated from the town of Mandal by a thick sweep of forest, latticed with walking trails. Its southerly location means a fairly mild climate (by Norwegian standards) and the beach shelves gently, making it ideal for young families. Mandal itself has a charming old town with cobbled streets and a wide range of cafés and restaurants, while Topcamp Sjøsanden has comfortable cabins, apartments and camping.
From £118, sleeps four, topcamp.no

Yyteri Beach, Finland

Most Finns would agree that Yyteri’s 6km of unspoilt sands are the best in the country, with safe bathing zones, stretches for surfing and beach volleyball nets on the sand. Ideal for families, the beach is also popular with walkers on the Yyteri Nature Trail, which takes in some of the highest dunes in Europe – and birders, who come for the wide range of rare species found in the surrounding Bothnian Sea National Park. The Yyteri Hotel & Spa is a stone’s throw from the beach, with gorgeous views from many of the rooms and especially the sauna suite on the seventh floor.
Doubles from £118 B&B; virkistyshotelli.fi

Tofta Beach, Gotland, Sweden

Stretching for 3km on the western side of Gotland, Sweden’s largest island, there’s little at Tofta apart from a clutch of cafés, some basic campsites and a great shimmering swathe of the Baltic Sea. Locals come for blustery walks and lunch or sunset drinks at the hip Tofta Beach House (toftabeachhouse.com), a striking slice of contemporary Scandi design set right on the sands. Most visitors stay in Visby, linked to Tofta by a 20km flat cycle trail (or twenty minutes by car), where the Kalk Hotel has crisply comfortable rooms.
Doubles from £139 B&B, kalkhotel.se

Böda Sand, Sweden

Fringing the northeastern tip of Öland island, just off Sweden’s east coast, Böda’s 20km stretch of sand is a dream for families. Backed by low dunes and pine forest, the southern end has all the necessary facilities – showers, toilets and cafes – while the further north you walk, the quieter the beach becomes. The Böda Sand Beach Resort offers kids’ activities, playgrounds along with several foodie outlets. Cabins are more comfortable than camping, but pick Type 4 or above if you don’t want to sleep in bunkbeds.
From £135, sleeps four; camping.se

Marielyst Beach, Denmark

Part of the 10km stretch of beach along the southeast coast of Falster island, Marielyst was once the summer holiday spot of choice for the Danish royal family, and its calm sea and sandy shore are still a perennial family favourite. Bring bikes and walking shoes to hike the Bøtø Nature Area or explore part of the coast-to-coast cycle trail, with Marielyst’s clutch of cafés, restaurants and farm shops offering plenty of pre- or post-excursion fuel. Stay at the Hotel Nørrevang, a half-timbered, thatched inn dating back to 1906, with a modern resort built around it.
Doubles from £112 B&B; hotelnorrevang.dk.

• This article was amended on 21 July 2024. Tofta beach and the island of Gotland are in Sweden, not Denmark as an earlier version said.