The 4 Best Beaches in the World to Play Beach Volleyball 2025
Beach volleyball is not just a sport, it is a way of planning your holidays. If you play and you want to set foot on the most iconic courts in the world, these are the four beaches to do at least once.
1. Manhattan Beach, California (USA)
The "Mecca" of beach volleyball: it hosts the Manhattan Beach Open, one of the oldest and most prestigious tournaments on the circuit. The best players in the world train here, and you can feel it on court.
2. Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
The home of Brazilian beach volleyball and probably the beach with the highest density of courts in the world. An active community every day of the year, and a very high level even in pick-up games.
3. Hermosa Beach, California (USA)
A few steps from Manhattan Beach, but with a different feel: more accessible, suited to players of every level. Tournaments and daily sessions, and it is the right place if you actually want to play rather than watch.
4. Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain)
Playable weather all year round, volcanic sand that is tougher than normal sand - and that is exactly why it trains you - and a growing international scene. Since 2024 it has been a stop on the Queen & King of the Court, held in Los Cristianos and then hosted by Beachboard Hacienda in Puerto de la Cruz.
For a European it is probably the best ratio between quality of play and distance from home: you get there on a direct flight and you play in December the same as in July.
Other beaches not to miss
- Bondi Beach, Sydney (Australia) - spectacular views and high-level tournaments
- Cagliari, Sardinia (Italy) - the Italian stop for international tournaments and camps
- The Hague, Netherlands - the European hub of beach volleyball, with major events
- Pattaya Beach, Thailand - for anyone who wants to play in a tropical setting
- Portimão, Portugal - an excellent base for training camps
- Adelaide, Australia - host of the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates - modern facilities and serious tournaments, with the skyline behind you
One thing to know before you go
On all of these beaches you will play barefoot, on soft sand, and if you come from indoor the first thing you will notice is that you jump less. That is normal: the ground absorbs part of your push and your take-off technique has to adapt.
You can put a number on it before you leave. Take the JHP jump test in the gym and then on the beach: it is free, you upload a two-second video and you get your height in centimetres. The gap between the two numbers is what the sand costs you.
Getting there prepared
Beach Volley Pre-Season is a 4-week programme with 12 sessions all built for sand: mobility, explosive strength, agility and reactivity, plus the Power Spike Workout bonus. It costs €45, and it is included in the JHP membership along with 12 other programmes at €99 a year.
The next step
Before you book, find out how high you jump on sand.
Two seconds of video, free. Take the test on a hard surface and then on the beach: the difference is the margin you can work on.
Measure your jump - free Beach Volley Pre-Season - €45You may also like: how to jump higher on sand and the jump test and rating tables.
