From an island you can walk to from the shore to a stunning cove only accessible by 347 steps: The most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean revealed (5)

Elafonissi Beach – Crete, Greece

Elafonissi is perhaps best known as being a tiny island of white sand separated from the shore by a lagoon that is no more than a metre deep.

But its mainland beach is widely recognised as one of the most beautiful in all of Crete thanks to its white sand, shallow water and all of the shells that give the ocean just the subtlest hint of silver.

Best of all? You can quite literally walk to 'Deer Island' on a nice day, all the while admiring the views of the nearby Chrissoskalitissa Monastery, which is perched on a large rock.

Along the part of the Italian Riviera, there's only one sandy waterfront, located in the town of Monterosso el Mare in Cinque Terre