A new study by CV Villas puts a price on the world’s most loved beaches, valuing each stretch of sand as if it were the coastal land beneath it.
Most of us carry a favourite beach around long after the holiday ends: a photo, a shell on the windowsill, a scoop of sand in a jar to bring a little of it home when real life kicks back into gear. But what if you didn't have to settle for the jar, and could buy the whole beach instead?
To help those dreaming of a never-ending summer, luxury villa holiday specialists CV Villas did the maths, revealing the world's most valuable beaches, and exactly what it would cost to own one.
One French beach stands out: Pampelonne. This three-and-a-half-kilometre stretch of sand just along the coast from Saint-Tropez is crowned Europe's most valuable beach, with an eye-watering estimated land value of €843 million.
Hannah Marshall, luxury travel destination expert and marketing manager at CV Villas, comments: “Everyone has a beach that means something to them, so there’s something fun about seeing what those stretches of sand might be ‘worth’ if you valued them like the land behind them. What comes through is how much location drives the figure: a beach in St-Tropez or on Siesta Key carries a value that a quieter shore - even just as beautiful - simply won’t. It’s a good reminder that the pull of a favourite beach comes down to how it makes you feel.”
1. Pampelonne Beach, France
2. Praia da Falésia, Portugal
3. Playa Bolonia, Spain
4. Ölüdeniz, Türkiye
5. Alzada Beach, Spain
6. Palombaggia, France
7. Jaz Beach, Montenegro
8. Cala Brandinchi, Italy
9. Positano Beach (Spiaggia Grande), Italy
10. Lotu Beach, France
