Wind from the north
- Evros18 of 18 beaches sheltered
- Rodopi17 of 17 beaches sheltered
- Salamis17 of 17 beaches sheltered
- South Athens16 of 16 beaches sheltered
- Sifnos12 of 12 beaches sheltered
Where's the sea flat today?
On a windy day some beaches get rough while the ones facing away stay flat. We rank the beaches you can reach by how sheltered they are from today's wind.
Pick as few or as many as you like. Every step is optional.
Plan your dive
Flat water for swimming, or wind for sports?
Wind and waves: how still should the sea be?
What do you like under your feet?
Only beaches whose ground type is known.
How far will you go today, and how?
Which part of the forecast should we read?
Where to?
Your location stays on your device. It is never sent or stored.
- Photo: George E. Koronaios · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Wilfredor · CC0
- Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Pedro Kümmel · CC0
- Photo: Donald Judge · CC BY 2.0
- Photo: Anton Zelenov · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Felix König · CC BY 3.0
- Photo: Arild Vågen · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Photo: Marcin Konsek · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Zalasem1 · CC BY 4.0
Where we cover
Find your country on the map
Countries in colour are live now, more are on the way. Point at any country for details, click a live one to see which of its beaches are sheltered today.
Live now
Coming soon
And this is just the start: country by country, we're working our way around the whole globe.
Pick a place
Sheltered beaches by island and coast
Which side is sheltered from today's wind in Greece, place by place.
Islands
- Crete393, 393 beaches
- Peloponnese383, 383 beaches
- Evia176, 176 beaches
- Corfu120, 120 beaches
- Lemnos120, 120 beaches
- Rhodes112, 112 beaches
- Lesbos100, 100 beaches
- Kefalonia93, 93 beaches
- Thasos70, 70 beaches
- Kassandra67, 67 beaches
- Kos63, 63 beaches
- Karpathos62, 62 beaches
- Samos60, 60 beaches
- Andros49, 49 beaches
- Milos49, 49 beaches
- Chios47, 47 beaches
- Ios47, 47 beaches
- Kythnos45, 45 beaches
- Lefkada45, 45 beaches
- Zakynthos45, 45 beaches
- Paros44, 44 beaches
- Kythira42, 42 beaches
- Tinos42, 42 beaches
- Mykonos41, 41 beaches
- Alonissos39, 39 beaches
- Naxos38, 38 beaches
- Kea35, 35 beaches
- Skiathos34, 34 beaches
- Ithaca28, 28 beaches
- Paxos27, 27 beaches
- Ikaria26, 26 beaches
- Serifos26, 26 beaches
- Kalymnos25, 25 beaches
- Astypalea24, 24 beaches
- Skopelos24, 24 beaches
- Skyros24, 24 beaches
- Syros22, 22 beaches
- Kimolos20, 20 beaches
- Patmos20, 20 beaches
- Tilos20, 20 beaches
- Aegina19, 19 beaches
- Santorini19, 19 beaches
- Amorgos18, 18 beaches
- Gavdos17, 17 beaches
- Lipsi17, 17 beaches
- Salamis17, 17 beaches
- Folegandros16, 16 beaches
- Anafi15, 15 beaches
- Antipaxos15, 15 beaches
- Agios Efstratios14, 14 beaches
- Antiparos13, 13 beaches
- Samothraki13, 13 beaches
- Symi13, 13 beaches
- Ammouliani12, 12 beaches
- Sifnos12, 12 beaches
- Spetses12, 12 beaches
- Fourni11, 11 beaches
- Hydra11, 11 beaches
- Koufonisi11, 11 beaches
- Leros11, 11 beaches
- Kato Koufonisi10, 10 beaches
- Poros10, 10 beaches
- Agistri9, 9 beaches
- Schinousa9, 9 beaches
- Kastos8, 8 beaches
- Oinousses8, 8 beaches
- Pano Koufonisi8, 8 beaches
- Elafonisos7, 7 beaches
- Psara7, 7 beaches
- Gyaros6, 6 beaches
- Kalamos6, 6 beaches
- Meganisi6, 6 beaches
- Rinia6, 6 beaches
- Sikinos6, 6 beaches
- Telendos6, 6 beaches
- Agathonisi5, 5 beaches
- Iraklia5, 5 beaches
- Kasos5, 5 beaches
- Nisyros5, 5 beaches
Mainland coasts
- Halkidiki297, 297 beaches
- East Attica98, 98 beaches
- Laconia93, 93 beaches
- Messenia88, 88 beaches
- Magnesia78, 78 beaches
- Pelion76, 76 beaches
- Aetolia-Acarnania63, 63 beaches
- Athens Riviera61, 61 beaches
- Corinthia56, 56 beaches
- Kavala56, 56 beaches
- Thesprotia49, 49 beaches
- Achaia47, 47 beaches
- Argolis43, 43 beaches
- Elis41, 41 beaches
- Thessaloniki35, 35 beaches
- Arcadia32, 32 beaches
- Phthiotis31, 31 beaches
- Pieria29, 29 beaches
- Larisa27, 27 beaches
- Phocis27, 27 beaches
- Preveza21, 21 beaches
- Evros18, 18 beaches
- Rodopi17, 17 beaches
- South Athens16, 16 beaches
- West Attica15, 15 beaches
- Boeotia14, 14 beaches
- Euboea10, 10 beaches
- Troizinia-Methana8, 8 beaches
- Piraeus6, 6 beaches
Which side is sheltered from today's wind in Italy, place by place.
Islands
- Sardinia600, 600 beaches
- Sicily462, 462 beaches
- Elba115, 115 beaches
- Ischia21, 21 beaches
- Isola di Ponza15, 15 beaches
- Caprera14, 14 beaches
- La Maddalena13, 13 beaches
- Sant'Antioco13, 13 beaches
- Isola di Lipari11, 11 beaches
- Isola di Stromboli11, 11 beaches
- San Pietro (Carloforte)10, 10 beaches
- Isola di Procida9, 9 beaches
- Isola di Salina8, 8 beaches
- Asinara7, 7 beaches
- Isola di Vulcano7, 7 beaches
- Spargi7, 7 beaches
- Pantelleria5, 5 beaches
- Tavolara5, 5 beaches
Mainland coasts
- Riviera di Ponente159, 159 beaches
- Gargano115, 115 beaches
- Versilia & the Tuscan coast113, 113 beaches
- Cilento112, 112 beaches
- Genoa106, 106 beaches
- Amalfi Coast102, 102 beaches
- Salento98, 98 beaches
- Tropea & Costa degli Dei95, 95 beaches
- Livorno93, 93 beaches
- Cosenza88, 88 beaches
- Maremma76, 76 beaches
- Venice Lido & Veneto74, 74 beaches
- Savona73, 73 beaches
- Latina72, 72 beaches
- Cinque Terre & Levante71, 71 beaches
- Rome & the Lazio coast67, 67 beaches
- Bari63, 63 beaches
- Crotone61, 61 beaches
- Reggio Calabria61, 61 beaches
- Romagna Riviera52, 52 beaches
- Roma Capitale50, 50 beaches
- Brindisi42, 42 beaches
- Chieti42, 42 beaches
- Conero & the Marche coast40, 40 beaches
- Naples38, 38 beaches
- Friuli & Lignano35, 35 beaches
- Barletta-Andria-Trani34, 34 beaches
- Pesaro e Urbino32, 32 beaches
- Taranto32, 32 beaches
- Catanzaro25, 25 beaches
- Caserta23, 23 beaches
- Trieste23, 23 beaches
- Teramo22, 22 beaches
- Pescara21, 21 beaches
- Potenza17, 17 beaches
- Campobasso16, 16 beaches
- Viterbo14, 14 beaches
- Rovigo13, 13 beaches
- Ascoli Piceno11, 11 beaches
- Ferrara11, 11 beaches
- Matera9, 9 beaches
- Foggia7, 7 beaches
- Fermo6, 6 beaches
By the numbers
Mapped beach by beach, country by country
Every figure is counted from the map data, not estimated. And the map keeps growing.
- 7,823
- Mapped beaches
- 265
- Islands and coasts
- 2
- Countries
- 2
- Languages
Live now · 2
Coming next · 8
SpainSoon
FranceSoon
CroatiaSoon
CyprusSoon
MaltaSoon
TürkiyeSoon
MontenegroSoon
AlbaniaSoon- And more to come
And this is just the start: country by country, we're working our way around the whole globe.
Photo: Spain: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 · France: Pedro Kümmel, CC0 · Croatia: Donald Judge, CC BY 2.0 · Cyprus: Anton Zelenov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Malta: Felix König, CC BY 3.0 · Türkiye: Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Montenegro: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Albania: Zalasem1, CC BY 4.0
Three steps
A sheltered swim, planned in a minute
The same planner works in every country we cover. It is free and needs no sign-up.
Pick a country or share your location
Click a country on the map or in the carousel, choose an island or coast, or let the planner find the beaches near you.
Say when, and how flat you want the sea
Now, later today, tomorrow or the weekend. Flat water for small children, or a little life in the sea for snorkelling.
Go where the wind is not
Every beach within reach is scored for the wind forecast at that hour, so the sheltered ones come first.
Wind and shelter
Why is one beach flat while the next one has waves?
Waves are made by wind blowing across open water. The longer the stretch of open sea upwind of a beach, the bigger the waves that reach it. It works the same on an island and on the mainland: the coast facing the wind takes the waves, and a beach with land close by on the windward side stays flat, even when the next bay is rough.
- 1. Island, north coast.It faces the wind across open sea, so the waves have had plenty of room to grow and break on the beach.
- 2. Island, south bay.The island itself stands between the bay and the wind. The water stays flat a few minutes' drive from the waves.
- 3. Mainland, behind the island.The wind has only the narrow strait to blow over, so the waves have no room to build.
- 4. Mainland, open coast.Nothing but open sea upwind: on the mainland too, the coast facing the wind gets the waves.
How we score every beach
- Measure the open sea For every beach, how far the open water reaches in 16 compass directions, from coastline map data.
- Apply the forecast The wind forecast for the hours you plan to swim: its direction, strength and gusts.
- Score every beach From 0 (rough) to 100 (glassy), refreshed every 2 hours.
The shelter score is about waves, not about safety. Swell from distant storms is not in the forecast, so always follow lifeguard flags and local warnings.
The map is an example, not a real place; the scores show what the planner would give each beach in this wind. Data: beaches and coastlines from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), wind forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), monthly climate from NASA POWER, visitor levels from Eurostat (CC BY 4.0).
Sea temperature
Where is the sea warm, month by month?
The average sea temperature near the beaches of each country, from 30 years of satellite measurements (1991–2020). This month is outlined.
The warmest sea in the table: Italy in August, at 26 °C on average.
Sea temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1, average of 1991–2020 (public domain). Close to the shore the water can be a degree or two warmer or cooler.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers about sheltered beaches, wind, water temperature and when to go.
Find a sheltered beachHow do I find a sheltered beach near me?
Allow your location in the planner at the top of the page, or pick a place, then choose how far you are willing to travel and when. We rank the beaches within reach by how flat the sea is for those hours. It is free, needs no sign-up, and your location stays in your browser.
How do you know which beaches are sheltered?
For every beach we measured how much open sea lies in each of 16 compass directions, using OpenStreetMap coastlines. Waves build over open water, so a beach with land close by in the direction the wind comes from is sheltered. Today's wind forecast from MET Norway is then applied, and the result is refreshed every 2 hours.
Which side of an island is sheltered today?
The side that faces away from the wind. With a north wind the south-facing beaches are sheltered, with a west wind the east-facing ones. The planner ranks every beach for today's real wind, in every country we cover.
Which countries do you cover?
Greece and Italy: 7,823 mapped beaches on 265 islands and coastal areas. Coming next: Spain, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, Türkiye, Montenegro, and Albania.
Are the forecasts reliable?
They are estimates. The model does not include swell from distant storms, and local gusts can be stronger than forecast. Always follow lifeguard flags and local warnings.
Is todaysbeach free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no app to install.
By the numbers
Beach data at a glance
Counted from the map data we use, not estimated.
- 4,136
- Mapped beaches
- 170
- Islands and coasts
- 1,016
- Sandy beaches
- 1,981
- With a bar or taverna close by
- 358
- Secluded beaches
- 40
- With a lifeguard
Shelter by wind direction
Where is the sea sheltered in each wind?
The wind direction decides which beaches are sheltered. Waves build over open water, so a beach with land upwind stays flat. These are the places where the largest share of beaches stay flat in a strong wind (6 Bft) from each direction. Today's forecast is applied live in the planner at the top of the page.
Wind from the east
- Preveza21 of 21 beaches sheltered
- South Athens16 of 16 beaches sheltered
- Elis40 of 41 beaches sheltered
- Thesprotia47 of 49 beaches sheltered
- Syros21 of 22 beaches sheltered
Wind from the south
Wind from the west
Beach guides
Find the right kind of beach
A guide for every kind of beach, each one re-ranked live for today's wind.
Photo: Dkoukoul · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Wouter Hagens · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Vadim Indeikin · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Karel Macalik from Prague, Czech republic · CC BY 2.0
Photo: Nikater · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ellibah · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: NiTenIchiRyu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sea temperature
How warm is the sea, month by month?
The average temperature of the sea near the beaches of each place, from 30 years of satellite measurements (1991–2020).
Warm-water seasonJun – Oct≥ 22 °C
Warmest sea27 °CThessaloniki · August
Average in August25 °CIslands and coasts: 170
Pahia Ammos Nudist Beach, Crete · Photo: Maurizio Ceol · CC BY 3.0
| Place | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mykonos | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 17 |
| Naxos | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 17 |
| Paros | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 17 |
| Santorini | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 |
| Milos | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 17 |
| Crete | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 18 |
| Rhodes | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 19 |
| Corfu | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 17 |
| Athens Riviera | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 17 |
| Peloponnese | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 18 |
| Halkidiki | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
| Evia | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 16 |
From June to October the sea is 22 °C or warmer on average, comfortable for most people to swim in. The warmest is Thessaloniki in August, at about 27 °C. In August the coolest sea is at Lesbos, about 23 °C.
Sea temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1, average of 1991–2020 (public domain). Close to the shore the water can be a degree or two warmer or cooler.
Best time to go
When is the best time to go?
The busiest month is August. In May and October there are about half as many visitors, or fewer. For a flat sea and fewer people, most places are at their best in June and October.
- Visitors
- Sea temperature
- Best
Typical visitor levels by month, averaged over every place we have statistics for: nights spent in tourist accommodation (Eurostat, CC BY 4.0), compared with each place's busiest month. They show when an area is busy, not how crowded one beach is on a given day.
By the numbers
Beach data at a glance
Counted from the map data we use, not estimated.
- 3,687
- Mapped beaches
- 95
- Islands and coasts
- 1,178
- Sandy beaches
- 103
- With a lifeguard
Shelter by wind direction
Where is the sea sheltered in each wind?
The wind direction decides which beaches are sheltered. Waves build over open water, so a beach with land upwind stays flat. These are the places where the largest share of beaches stay flat in a strong wind (6 Bft) from each direction. Today's forecast is applied live in the planner at the top of the page.
Wind from the north
- Savona73 of 73 beaches sheltered
- Cinque Terre & Levante71 of 71 beaches sheltered
- Rome & the Lazio coast67 of 67 beaches sheltered
- Roma Capitale50 of 50 beaches sheltered
- Friuli & Lignano35 of 35 beaches sheltered
Wind from the east
- Versilia & the Tuscan coast113 of 113 beaches sheltered
- Roma Capitale50 of 50 beaches sheltered
- Caserta23 of 23 beaches sheltered
- Potenza17 of 17 beaches sheltered
- Viterbo14 of 14 beaches sheltered
Wind from the south
- Barletta-Andria-Trani34 of 34 beaches sheltered
- Pesaro e Urbino32 of 32 beaches sheltered
- Teramo22 of 22 beaches sheltered
- Pescara21 of 21 beaches sheltered
- Campobasso16 of 16 beaches sheltered
Wind from the west
- Venice Lido & Veneto74 of 74 beaches sheltered
- Savona73 of 73 beaches sheltered
- Chieti42 of 42 beaches sheltered
- Conero & the Marche coast40 of 40 beaches sheltered
- Barletta-Andria-Trani34 of 34 beaches sheltered
Beach guides
Find the right kind of beach
A guide for every kind of beach, each one re-ranked live for today's wind.
Sea temperature
How warm is the sea, month by month?
The average temperature of the sea near the beaches of each place, from 30 years of satellite measurements (1991–2020).
Warm-water seasonJun – Sept≥ 22 °C
Warmest sea27 °CIsola di Lipari · August
Average in August26 °CIslands and coasts: 95
Photo: Maurizio Ceol · CC BY 3.0
| Place | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicily | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 17 |
| Sardinia | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 16 |
| Elba | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 16 |
| Amalfi Coast | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 17 |
| Cinque Terre & Levante | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 16 |
| Salento | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
| Gargano | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 15 |
| Riviera di Ponente | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 15 |
| Versilia & the Tuscan coast | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 16 |
| Cilento | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 17 |
| Genoa | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 16 |
| Tropea & Costa degli Dei | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 17 |
From June to September the sea is 22 °C or warmer on average, comfortable for most people to swim in. The warmest is Isola di Lipari in August, at about 27 °C. In August the coolest sea is at Riviera di Ponente, about 25 °C.
Sea temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1, average of 1991–2020 (public domain). Close to the shore the water can be a degree or two warmer or cooler.
Coming next to the map
Spain, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, Türkiye, Montenegro, and Albania