If your idea of a beach getaway is uncrowded sand and a peaceful swim, these five popular beaches may disappoint during busy periods. A 2025 analysis of negative TripAdvisor reviews flagged recurring crowding complaints at each, especially at two beaches in Sardinia. That does not mean they are always crowded or not worth visiting: the analysis counted complaints, not every visitor’s experience, and whether a beach suits you depends on what you want from the trip.
What the complaints can—and can’t—tell you
Cloudwards analysed more than 1.3 million TripAdvisor reviews of 200 beaches worldwide, filtering negative reviews for keywords related to dirtiness, overcrowding, long queues and noise. It assigned beaches complaint scores based on keyword frequency. Euronews reported the analysis on 7 August 2025. Read Euronews’ account of the analysis.
This is a way to identify recurring complaints, not a randomized visitor survey, a live crowd count or a comparison of prices and value. It cannot show that a beach is crowded all year, that every visitor has a poor experience or that current conditions match those reflected in reviews. The strongest supported concern for the five beaches below is crowding—not that they lack scenery or other reasons to visit.
Five beaches where crowding may affect the experience
| Beach | What the review analysis reported | What a traveler should keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| La Pelosa, Sardinia, Italy | It ranked first globally for overcrowding complaints. Nearly 87% of its negative reviews mentioned crowd-related issues, according to Cloudwards’ analysis as reported by Euronews in 2025. | The 87% figure is a share of negative reviews, not of all visitors. It signals a strong complaint pattern, not the odds that your visit will be crowded. |
| Spiaggia La Cinta, Sardinia, Italy | It ranked second in the report’s overcrowding category. | Sardinia has used measures such as daily visitor caps, advance bookings and, in some cases, towel restrictions at popular seaside spots. Check whether any rule applies specifically to La Cinta on your travel date. |
| Praia da Falésia, Portugal | It was named among the beaches following the Sardinian leaders in the overcrowding discussion. | The available account does not give a specific complaint percentage or a more precise rank for this beach. |
| Cala Comte, Ibiza, Spain | It was highlighted among beaches with overcrowding complaints. | This is a beach-specific crowding concern; it does not establish that Ibiza as a whole is a poor destination. |
| Konnos Bay, Cyprus | It was highlighted for cramped conditions and overcrowding concerns. | A report of crowding at a popular beach does not describe every time of year or every visit. |
How to decide whether one is worth your trip
“Worth it” depends on the experience you want. If a famous, scenic beach is a priority and you can tolerate other visitors, the complaint analysis alone is not a reason to rule one out. If quiet, space and an easy arrival matter most, treat the reported complaints as a reason to plan carefully—or consider a less popular beach.
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- Check access rules before you go. Sardinia’s summer measures do not necessarily apply to every beach or every date. Confirm the current beach-specific arrangements rather than assuming a cap, booking requirement or towel restriction.
- Choose timing deliberately. The analysis does not establish a reliable quiet hour or season for any beach. A visit outside the busiest period may help, but check local conditions and access information for your dates.
- Decide what “crowded” means to you. A busy shore may be acceptable if the scenery is the main draw; it may be a deal-breaker if you want room to spread out or a peaceful swim.
- Compare the whole trip, not just the beach’s reputation. The available evidence does not provide comparable current costs, transport times, accommodation prices or beach-specific visitor counts, so it cannot say which destination offers the best value.
Why popular coastlines can feel pressured
The European Commission reported in 2025 that some coastal regions in 2024—including Spanish and Greek islands and the Croatian coast—showed overtourism and high reliance on tourism, with adverse effects on residents’ quality of life. This is regional context, not proof of conditions at any one beach on this list. The Commission also reports that EU coastal tourist-accommodation nights in 2023 were 3.6% above 2019 levels; accommodation nights are not a measure of beach crowding. European Commission: Coastal tourism.
For another illustration of the difference between destination-wide tourism and a beach count, Mallorca recorded more than 51 million overnight stays in 2023, according to the European Commission in 2025. That island-level accommodation figure does not count beach visits or establish crowding at any particular beach. European Commission: Tourism.
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