Sea and be seen: the best beach clubs in the world

Dreaming of your beachier self? The one with salt-tousled hair, sun-kissed skin and a permanent grin? Make the dream come true with these seaside hangouts, which occupy pearl-like positions in Sardinia, Athens, Ibiza, Mexico and Miami. Expect Insta-ready settings, plus instant access to the waves. Grab your swimwear, holiday reads and best beach companion/s and prepare to scrunch silky sand between your toes.

The va-va-voom newbie: NAMMOS Baja Sardinia, Italy

A new, sizzling-hot addition to the Euro beach-club scene, NAMMOS Baja Sardinia opened its doors to sun-seeking revellers on 13 June. The sculpted Costa Smeralda setting, a shell’s throw from Porto Cervo, is the stuff of thalassophiles’ dreams. Come for the sunset, stay for the seafood. The menu pays artful tribute to the waves, including tempting bites such as spicy crab tartare and salmon teriyaki. Channelling an eternal-summer spirit, teal sun-loungers and blue-and-white stripes galore add to the cool-kid coastal flair. (Good news, Londoners: a box-fresh NAMMOS Mayfair is set to open in autumn. Beachwear: optional.)

Jet off to Sardinia

The elegant Athenian: One&Only Aesthesis, Greece

Don’t let the Athenian jet-set have One&Only Aesthesis all to themselves – there are more than enough sun-loungers, sweeps of sand and cerulean waves to go round. Instead of a garden, the hotel has 21 hectares of protected forest reserve in glittering Glyfada, just a 15-minute drive from the city centre. You’ll feel as if you’re a world away from the capital, though, thanks to moreish Peruvian cuisine, artisan cocktails and laidback glamour at Manko Athens, the hotel’s beach club. Soak up the dazzling beauty of Mystiko beach, nibble light bites from the Sips & Bites food truck and drink in uninterrupted sea views.

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The iconic Ibizan: Nikki Beach, Spain

Ibiza – arguably the beach club’s spiritual home – has more wave-lapped, sand-dusted, DJ-toting hangouts than we have space to feature here, but it’s sensible to start with an OG: Nikki Beach (right next door to ME Ibiza). Mother Nature gave this bohemian beach club and restaurant a head start with its Santa Eulalia setting on the island’s serene east coast. Savour Balearic cuisine with global twists at the chic outdoor restaurant, make like amorous castaways in a cabana, or lounge beside the pool, enjoying ambient beats and ice-clinking drinks. Lifting a lobster taco to your lips is about as onerous as things get, unless you plan on boogying the night away. When in Ibiza…

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The Fifties starlet: Faena Hotel Miami Beach, USA

In the immortal words of Will Smith, “We’re goin’ to Miami” – for Faena Hotel Miami Beach. Art, fantasy, reality and retro vibes blur at this multihyphenate seaside magnet in the heart of Mid Beach. As enticing as Faena Pool is, unfurl your towel at even better Faena Playa, just steps from the Mammoth Garden (wave hello to Damien Hirst’s gilded woolly mammoth skeleton, too). Lounge on a chaise longue or stay cool beneath candy-striped sun umbrellas featuring Faena’s signature strawberries-and-cream colour scheme. Obliging beach butlers will cater to your every whim: tropical cocktail, rainbow-bright salad or creamy gelato, perhaps?

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The adults-only one: Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun, Mexico

Some secrets are too good to keep. Such as this adults-only, 500-acre paradise on one of Mexico’s most eye-blinkingly beautiful beaches. Picture honey-hued sands, mirror-clear aqua waters, lush tropical gardens and romantic rooms featuring cool, calm linens and pale Italian marble (if you can leave the beach behind, that is). Order cocktails, snacks and meals from Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun’s multiple drinking and dining options. We recommend refreshing cocktails from Palapa or Barracuda beach bars, juicy meat and fish from Barefoot Grill and succulent seafood from Oceana. It’s all-inclusive, after all.

Jet off to Mexico