Nice city/ town on a sandy beach?

[DryDay]

I would like to go for a five-day city break somewhere with a bit of history/ culture/ beautiful architecture - but also on a beach.

We’ve already been to:
Palma
San Sebastian
Barcelona
Valencia
Malaga

Is there anywhere else that you would suggest? We’ve already like to combine a bit of guided tours of historical buildings/ quarters with some sunbathing and nice restaurants. Don’t want to hire a car.

Cefalu, pretty seaside town with a sandy beach a short train ride from Palermo on Sicily

Antibes/Nice

Riga in Latvia might suit you.It's half an hour by a local train from Jumala which is a very long sandy beach.

Albufeira might suit you. There's a lovely old town and you'd be well based if you wanted to visit some of the other more historical places on the Algarve like Lagos, if you don't mind getting on a bus. There's admittedly a lot there that doesn't fit that bill at all but you just avoid those bits.

Is Crete too far for a 5 day holiday?

I once got stranded at Amsterdam ferry port. Turns out to be a nice coastal town called Imjuden, with a lovely sandy beach.
It was like an unexpected bonus holiday. 10 out of 10- would get stranded there again.

You could probably do it on purpose and take a train into Amsterdam for the beach/city crossover experience.

Athens, plenty of beaches a short bus ride away, or gorgeous islands you can easily visit in a day.

Venice, some gorgeous beaches along the coast.

Bordeaux. Cannes/Nice or Menton. Dubrovnik. Porto.

Dubrovnik

Gibraltar

In Scotland, St Andrews is nice

Venice Lido

I'd go to Cassis near Marseilles or even the beaches in Marseilles itself. You could day trip to Aix, Avignon, Arles, or Nimes. Or all of them! Roman ruins, art history, good food, plenty to see and do, and a great Med beach vibe all along the coast of the Calanques.

https://provence-alpes-cotedazur.com/en/get-inspired/towns/bouches-du-rhone/marseille/beaches/

Lisbon is the right answer

Great suggestions - thanks everyone

Gibraltar isn’t that interesting though when compared to other major cities.

Dubrovnik

Porto and Foz du Douro are a great combination, or Lisbon and Cascais.

Gdansk

Funchal - but lido not a beach
Talamanca - next to Ibiza Town

Thank you for the link @Anzena . I’m going to Cassis in September. I’m even more excited now.

Thanks for lots more great suggestions!

The Hague

I hope you have a terrific time. My sister and I will be there early October. We have a sister trip every year and go a bit mad haring around the place! I was in Cassis before but just there. This time sis and I will go to Arles, Salon de Provence, Nimes, Aix, Avignon, Pont du Gard and wherever else we can fit in. We don't mind jumping from place to place. We travel light, just a backpack each, which makes getting on and off buses and trains so much easier. We are in our late 60s, and we go for it!

We should compare notes when we return lol. 😊

Ciutedella is very nice indeed in menorca , with several gorgeous beaches close by - not a city , but a fairly big town

I think we have similar tastes @Anzena 😁 I’ve stayed in Avignon (beautiful), visited the Pont du Garde (amazing) and have Nimes booked with a friend for next year.