Europe’s coastal landscape could be completely reshaped in less than 100 years.
Sea levels are rising at an increasingly faster rate, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has warned in one of its latest reports.
It said that, between 2006 and 2018, levels rose by 3.7 millimetres a year, more than twice as fast as during the 20th century.
If emissions remain high, sea levels could reach between 0.63 and 1.02 metres by 2100.
EEA simulations also considered the worst-case scenario: a rapid disintegration of the polar ice sheet. This would lead to an increase in sea levels of up to five metres by 2150.
1. Montenegro’s iconic spot most at risk among top-rated locations
The most endangered spot among top-rated beaches seems to be Sveti Stefan, on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast, according to a study by Dutch climate company Reinders Corporation.
It’s an iconic, tiny island resort connected to the mainland just by a narrow causeway.
By the end of the century, the area could suffer a shoreline loss of over 200 metres (213.58).
2. Sardinia’s ‘tropical’ beach faces over 100-metre shoreline loss
Next, Italy’s Porto Giunco, in Sardinia. One of the Med’s most pristine stretches of sand could lose up to 107 metres of coastline.
Porto Giungo is known as “a tropical beach in the middle of the Mediterranean”, with a “shallow and sandy seabed ideal for families with children”.
The beach is nestled between headlands that act as a natural wind barrier and is surrounded by dunes covered by juniper and lentisks.
3. Algarve grotto plagued by overtourism and rising sea levels
Portugal’s Praia de Benagil is the third most at risk. The area, known for its iconic caves and already plagued by overtourism, could suffer a coastal erosion of nearly 70 metres.
Calls to better regulate tourism flows led to restrictions on sailing tours and a ban on watercrafts from landing on the beach.
Visiting time to the cave has also been capped to a maximum of two minutes per boat.
4. Lofoten’s Værøy: A soon-to-be lost paradise?
Northern Europe’s coast also faces significant risks. The enchanting Værøy island, home to one of Norway’s most remote communities, could suffer a shoreline decrease of 58 metres.
The island is also a hiker’s paradise, offering routes to abandoned villages and human hideouts dating back as far as 6,000 years.
Other treks climb up rugged terrain to the top of the island, offering spectacular views over the Lofoten archipelago.
5. Ireland’s Banshees of Inisherin film spot might disappear
Keem Bay, a former basking shark fishing site on Achill Island, defined by Lonely Planet as “one of Ireland’s most glorious, secluded strands”, might be next on the list.
This tiny stretch of white sand risks losing 40 metres by 2100.
Climate Ireland says rising sea levels are “expected to increase for all Irish coastal areas”, including “coastal cities such as Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick”.
The country’s “storm surges and extreme waves” could contribute to “magnifying” the impact of the threat, according to the agency.
6. Dangerous Iceland beach could become even more hazardous
It’s known as one of Iceland’s most dangerous destinations, with waves reaching up to 40 metres.
“When an ocean wave grabs you, it can knock you off your feet and tumble you violently in the freezing water and rocky shoreline”, Visit Iceland says about Reynisfjara Beach.
This volcanic black sand spot is sixth on the list, with a projected loss of over 35 metres.
Waves however, aren’t the only hazard. “Additional dangers include rockfalls and rockslides”, particularly on the beach’s eastern side.
Authorities vehemently discourage any swimming or surfing activity, even warning tourists not to turn their backs to the ocean.
7. France’s fancy Côte d’Azur getting tsunami-conscious
People who have passed by the French Riviera in recent years might have started noticing the presence of signposts warning tourists against the danger of tsunamis.
Although this area hasn’t yet been affected by such extreme weather events, the risk of rising sea levels is already present.
The Reinders study forecasts a nearly 35-metre erosion by 2100 at Plage des Marinières, one of the highest-rated free-access beaches around Nice.
This beautiful and narrow 700-metre-long stretch lies gently beside the iconic railway line that winds along the Côte d’Azur from the Italian border at Ventimiglia all the way down to Cannes.
8. Dubrovnik’s ‘must-go’ Pasjača beach wiped out by 2100?
Beach lovers near Dubrovnik, in Croatia, hardly get it any better than at Pasjača beach.
Voted as the world’s 39th best beach two years ago, it is an idyllic, secluded golden sand strand nestled between a backdrop of imposing cliffs and a view of crystalline waters.
However, its relatively narrow size — the spot is only 80 metres long — raises the risk of the beach being completely erased in 100 years, with a projected shoreline loss of 31 metres.
9. Kynance Cove: What future for the gem of Cornwall?
Cornwall is one of the UK’s most exposed regions to rising sea levels.
Kynance Cove, famous for its serpentine rocks and white sands, places ninth in the Reinders study with a potential erosion of 30 metres.
Low tides there often reveal a series of coves and interconnected caves, with high-sounding Victorian names such as the Ladies Bathing Pool and the Drawing Room.
The area is also a local hiking favourite due to a popular coastal path of over 2.5 kilometres linking Kynance and Lizard Point.
10. France’s ‘Billionaires’ Bay’ the next to vanish?
Closing the top 10, France’s Anse de l’Argent Faux (“Fake Silver Bay”) risks losing 28.38 metres.
Legend has it that the place was named after coin counterfeiters operating there in the 18th century.
Today, it is also known as Baie des Milliardaires (“Billionaires’ Bay”), due to the flow of yachts and the presence of high-end buildings. However, it’s also accessible on foot via a narrow hiking trail.
Despite a significant tourist presence, locals say the place has been “miraculously preserved” and remains one of the “wildest” spots near Antibes, often preferred to the glamorous but much more crowded Juan-les-Pins.
Is the rise of sea levels inevitable?
The short answer is “yes”, according to Giorgio Budillon, Oceanography and Atmospheric Physics professor and Vice-Rector at Naples Parthenope University.
“We have to be realistic. We can’t completely stop the rise in sea levels as it’s partly triggered by the climate’s ‘inertia’, the melting of the polar ice caps and the thermal expansion of the ocean itself,” he said.
“Warning calls about beaches at risk of disappearing aren’t fearmongering, but a sobering glimpse of what could soon become reality without decisive action”, Budillon added.
How to mitigate and reduce risks for coastal communities?
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, progressively fading out fossil fuels and preserving rainforests — our planet’s natural CO₂ absorbers — might not be enough, according to Budillon.
“Hard defences, such as seawalls and breakwaters, can help in critical situations but often cause side effects by shifting erosion further along the coast,” he said. “Soft solutions are much more sustainable in the long term.”
“For example, replenishing beaches with external sand, protecting seagrass meadows and restoring wetlands and lagoons that act as natural buffers against floods,” Budillon added. “However, in some cases, relocating people and infrastructure from the most vulnerable areas will be inevitable”.
Which policies should Europe adopt in the future?
Urban planning will need a different approach, according to Budillon.
“Further construction in high-risk areas should be prevented, while new coastal buffer zones should be established,” he said. “Climate preparedness should also be part of new urban and building standards, including early warning systems, constant shoreline monitoring and incentives to adopt nature-based solutions”.
Budillon said that funds to preserve coastal areas already exist at an EU level, but “we’re still far from achieving a unified, binding approach” for all countries.
“Member states often don’t coordinate among each other and tend to act only in case of emergency, or inconsistently,” he said. “We need to shift from a ‘fix after’ to a ‘prevent before’ mindset. Beginning to adapt today costs far less than rebuilding tomorrow what we’ll have lost”.
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