Six European beaches to cool off this summer

Visiting Europe in the heat can mean sweating it out with no air-conditioning, but sea breezes beckon in these refreshing spots from Croatia to Norway

- GABE CASTRO-ROOT

Another summer of blistering temperatures across Europe has tourists and locals alike looking for creative ways to beat the heat. When temperatures soar, the Acropolis and the top of the Eiffel Tower may sometimes shut down, but the beaches are open and in their prime. You can dance all night on the sand in Albania, windsurf in Sardinia or hike on a giant French dune. Or you can savor the long days of Arctic sunlight in Norway. Here are six of our favorite beaches across the continent.

Dune du Pilat, France About 40 miles from Bordeaux on the Bay of Biscay, the towering Dune du Pilat is the tallest sand dune in Europe, at nearly 300 feet high. Anyone who makes it to the top of the two-mile-long ridge can expect stunning coastal views, not to mention a good workout. Then hike, or slide on the sand, down to the Plage de la Corniche, the beach at the dune's base, to cool off in the Atlantic Ocean.