The poet TS Eliot once wrote: ‘At the beach, time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted.’ Never were truer words said. You know how it goes: you pitch up to the seaside, straw bag in one hand, airport bestseller in the other. You set up camp on a parasol-shaded sunlounger or, if you’re feeling fancy, a curtain-draped cabana. You order a glass of Whispering Angel. You might have a dip in the water. And repeat, all day, every day, for a week.
If you like your beach experience to be a hedonistic blend of luxury and laissez-faire, you should probably point those flip-flops towards the beach club. Sumptuous cabanas, less crowded seas, club sandwiches at your fingertips and enough Piña Coladas to do things you might regret – nothing says R&R like a day spent at the beach club.
Some are sanctuaries of chic minimalism, where the only thing more impressive than the view is the celebrity clientele. Others are riotous celebrations of excess, with champagne showers, DJs, and debaucherous pool parties galore. Whether it's the better-known beach club destinations of Ibiza, Miami, and Mykonos or lesser-known haunts in Cartagena, Malta, or Bodrum, we've scouted out the best beach bars to head to this summer. Dive in.
The best beach clubs around the world
Tipsy Unicorn
Singapore
Less of a beach club, more of a mini-festival by the sea, Tipsy Unicorn sprawls over 19,000sq ft on Siloso beach on Sentosa Island. With a stage hosting live music and DJs, a main pool featuring a VIP zone offering ocean views, and outdoor workout sessions led by dynamic trainers and fitness influencers, there’s really no reason to leave. Particularly not when the on-site restaurant features an array of delicious dishes from plates of jamon iberico to katsu sandos, lobster spaghetti, and ribeye steak (order the ‘Mystical Unihorn’ dessert, a ridiculous chocolate and hazelnut concoction just perfect for the ‘gram). Choose from daybeds, beach loungers or cabanas - and don’t forget that inflatable unicorn for the pool.
Café Del Mar
Malta
The legendary Ibiza beach bar has landed in St Paul’s Bay in Malta, bringing its trademark blend of Balearic beats and laid-back vibes. With a half-moon-shaped pool looking out over the sea, the view from your sun lounger includes the islands of Gozo and Comino. Things hot up as the sun starts to set, with a pool party every Thursday, a variety of events throughout the summer, and DJs constantly making sure the crowd get going. You can dine from your lounger or in the chic restaurant, where the menu includes the likes of sushi, pan-fried seabass, and vegan halloumi burgers.
Standard sunbed starts at £17 per person; cafedelmar.com.mt
Scorpios
Bodrum
Known as the St Tropez of Turkey, the chic resort town of Bodrum always attracts the A-list (Kate Moss was seen here recently on the arm of Bob Marley’s grandson, while Mick Jagger, Beyonce and Prince Harry have all visited). Befitting its bouji status, Mykonos’s so-stylish-it-hurts beach club Scorpios is opening here for the first time this summer, so bag that sunbed while you can. Scorpios is about more than just colourful cocktails and hedonism; within its community spaces you’ll also find artist residences, immersive live performances, and healing rituals (ommmm).
Bijou Plage Experimental
France
The design-led Experimental Group have lent their inimitable style to the adorably named Bijou Plage, which is tucked away at the end of Cannes’ Croisette, with its own stretch of beach. Facing the Lérins Islands with the Esterel Massif on the horizon, sunset here is spectacular, but by day you’ll be soaking up all the cute touches such as the yellow- or orange-and-white striped changing cabins, the long, oval, wood-framed mirrors, and the gorgeous, hand-painted crockery at the restaurant which is run in collaboration with renowned chef Olivier Gaïatto. Tuck into grilled octopus, red prawn carpaccio, or a hearty bowl of bouillabaisse, and imagine you’re a 1960s movie star.
SantAnna
Mykonos
Greece One of the biggest on an island which already rivals Ibiza, Miami or Dubai in the beach club stakes, SantAnna sits on the sun-kissed shores of Paraga. You won’t (can’t) get bored: it’s got four pools (one of them is the largest saltwater pool in the Med), an entertainment stage, restaurant, massage area, private beach and shops. It takes its music seriously, too, with a summer line-up including South African DJ Black Coffee, US rapper Tyga, and Ukrainian duo Artbat.
Blue Apple Beach
Colombia
Set on the tiny island of Tierra Bomba, just 30 minutes off the coast of Cartagena on Colombia’s Caribbean coastline, Blue Apple Beach is also certified as a B-Corp company, meaning it meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance. Inspired by beach clubs in Ibiza and on the Côte d’Azur, owner Portia Hart - who also runs an environmental social enterprise, the Green Apple Foundation - has also included a sprinkling of Colombian magic. Soak up the cosy, laid-back island vibe, where you’ll only find a handful of locals and in-the-know visitors, to a soundtrack of house, electro, latin, afro, soul and disco. Relax by the pool, take a dip in the sea, and tuck into some delicious dishes, from steamed mussels to white fish crudo, chicharrones, curried king prawns, or chicken mole. Day passes include boat transfers from Cartagena start from £27.50 per person, adding to the castaway vibe.
Da Gioia by La Palma
Capri, Italy
Channel David Gandy in a Dolce & Gabbana ad and don a pristine white bikini or trunks before draping yourself over a sunbed at Hotel La Palma’s uber-chic beach club, Da Gioia, located in Marina Piccola. Perfect for people watching, it’s the very definition of la dolce vita. Sun-drenched days morph into glittering evenings, punctuated with a long, lazy lunch on the restaurant terrace. Salt-crusted fish, lobster pasta and aubergine parmigiana will line the stomach for the inevitable indulgence of limoncello spritzes.
oetkercollection.com/hotel-la-palma
Experimental Beach
Ibiza
Ibiza never fails to deliver on beautiful beachside settings, and Experimental Beach is no different. Perched on a cliff in the Las Salinas salt reserve, it’s lauded as one of the best sunset-watching spots on the White Isle. Rather than sticking to the by-now-ubiquitous artisan wicker, bleached wood, and rattan aesthetic, Experimental shakes things up design-wise with an understated nautical theme, featuring pops of blue and turquoise, white painted timber, and a bar made from an old boat. The restaurant offers a mix of refined Mediterranean dishes and Spanish classics, and live DJs get the groove going as the sun sinks behind the mountains.
Baia Beach Club
Miami, USA
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As part of the Mondrian Hotel in South Beach, Baia is inspired by the laid-back boho energy of the neighbourhood, casual chic, with the welcoming spirit of the Med. Set on the waters of Biscayne Bay, the sizeable tropical pool is at the heart of this stylish beach club, but it also offers direct access to the marina, should you have a little dinghy, or better yet, yacht, waiting to take you for a spin out to sea. If merely lying down in the sunshine isn’t relaxing enough, there’s also an on-site spa and wellness centre, offering a range of holistic treatments from CBD massages to hydrating facials.
The Beach Club
Victoria, Australia
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Set on the beach in the sunny Melbourne suburb of St Kilda, the Beach Club forms part of the historic West Beach Pavilion which dates from 1928. Here you’ll find laid-back beats, seasonal eats, panoramic ocean views, and spectacular sunsets across the bay. You can book yourself a chic cabana, unwind in the sun lounge area, or crank it up a level within the private party lounge. Kitsch but iconic amusement park, Luna Park, is just a 20-minute stroll away, in case you need to scratch the wooden rollercoaster itch.
Cabanas start at £25; westbeachstkilda.com.au
