The map makes it look like a simple choice: one road hugs the north edge, one traces the south, and both end at water. Then the details arrive. The north route might promise long empty sand and a lighthouse at the end; the south might offer a string of coves, a village lunch, and a bus every half hour. Neither is better in the abstract. The right coast depends on how you want to move, how much crowd you can tolerate, and whether your ideal beach day ends with a shower and a seat at a table or sand in the car and one last swim.
Start With the Shape of Your Day
Before comparing beaches, compare the day you actually want. A north coast route is usually a linear run: you commit to a direction, stop where the road allows, and often retrace your steps in the evening. A south coast route is more naturally broken into short hops—cove, village, another cove—so it suits travellers who like options and dislike the feeling of being stranded.
Ask two questions. Do you want one long beach day or several stops? Will you have your own transport? If the answer to the second is no, the south route is often the easier first choice because settlements, bus stops and lunch places tend to sit closer together. If you are driving and happy to carry water, shade and a picnic, the north route rewards that self-sufficiency with more space.
Access: The First Filter
Access is not just distance; it is the last kilometre. On the north coast, the main road may be fast, but the turn-off to a beach can be unmarked, the parking area sandy, and the final walk a hot ten minutes over dunes. On the south coast, you may trade speed for convenience: a bus that drops you near the steps, a village square where you can leave the car, a shorter walk to the water.
Check three things before you choose: road surface, parking, and the walk from the car or bus to the sand. A beach that looks close on a map can be a different proposition with a cool bag, a toddler and no shade. If you are travelling with older parents or young children, favour the route with shorter, clearer access and more places to sit down. If you are confident driving on narrow roads and have a full day, the north route is less about convenience and more about payoff.
Crowds: Same Island, Different Clock
Crowds follow access, not coastlines. The north coast often concentrates people at the first easy car park or the one beach with a bar; walk twenty minutes beyond it and the scene can change completely. The south coast, with its villages and frequent buses, tends to spread people out but also refresh them throughout the day. Midday can feel busier there because new arrivals keep coming.
Use timing rather than guesswork. Arrive before the late-morning rush or after the early-afternoon peak. Take a long lunch when the sand is fullest, then swim again at four. On weekends and public holidays, assume local day-trippers will do what you are doing, and choose the route with more alternative stops. A south coast village beach may be busy, but you can usually move on to the next cove. A north coast beach is quieter once you are past the main access—but only if you have planned how to get back.
Scenery and Swimming: Long Views vs Small Coves
The north coast usually gives you the big picture: long beaches, open horizons, wind-carved rock, and light that changes fast. It is the route for walkers, photographers and anyone who likes the sea to feel like weather. Swimming can be excellent, but it can also be more exposed. Check the wind direction, ask locally about currents, and respect flags and lifeguard advice. A beach that is calm in the morning can be choppy by afternoon.
The south coast tends to give you the small picture: sheltered coves, clear water close to shore, shade at the back of the beach, and short swims between rocks. It is often the better choice for snorkelling, paddling and families who want to retreat from the sun. The trade-off is texture—pebbles, sea urchins, a steep entry—so pack reef shoes and check the tide. A north beach can be the better photograph and the worse swim; a south cove can be the better swim and the worse parking. Decide which compromise you mind less.
Logistics: Transport, Food, and the Return Trip
The north route rewards preparation. Fill the tank, carry more water than you think you need, and do not assume there will be a beach bar, a cash machine or a taxi when you want one. Download an offline map, note the last fuel stop, and tell someone where you are going if the road is remote. A simple picnic and a sunshade can turn a thin beach day into a good one.
The south route rewards flexibility, but it has its own traps. Buses may be frequent in the morning and packed in the late afternoon. Beach bars may close between lunch and dinner. Parking in a village can be harder than parking at the beach. Before you leave, check the last return bus, the ferry timetable if you are crossing water, and the closing time of the place you plan to eat. Take a photo of the schedule; it is faster than searching for signal in a cove.
Which Route Fits Which Traveller
Most travellers do not need to choose one coast for the whole trip. They need to choose the right coast for the right day. Use this as a quick filter:
- Choose the north coast route if you have a car, start early, like long walks and open views, and are happy to carry your own food and shade.
- Choose the south coast route if you are relying on buses, travelling with children or older companions, want several short stops, and prefer a village lunch within reach of the sand.
- Split the trip if you have two clear days: take the south coast first to learn the island’s rhythms, then give the north coast a full day without a return deadline.
If you only have one beach day, pick the coast that matches your transport, not the one that looks best on a postcard. The postcard does not show the last bus, the walk over the dunes or the queue for parking.
Practical Closing: Build Your Beach Route
Start with the return journey, then work backwards. Confirm how you will get back, what time the last bus or ferry leaves, and where you can refuel or eat on the way. Pack for the coast you have chosen: extra water and a wind layer for the north, reef shoes and a dry bag for the south. Leave a margin for a slow lunch and a final swim. And keep one alternative beach in reserve—weather, crowds and closed roads can rewrite a route in an hour. The best island beach route is not the most ambitious one; it is the one you can still enjoy when the day does not go to plan.
Photo: Pexels / Pixabay
