A great beach holiday doesn't have to begin with a long-haul flight. Many places much closer to the UK allow you to slow down by the sea and take in the beauty.

The white sand, dramatic cliffside views and turquoise water that makes Bali so appealing are not just exclusive to Southeast Asia. Spain, Portugal, Greece and many other places offer some of the best beaches in Europe.

They are also much easier to reach, with no direct flights available to Bali from London. Malaga and Faro in particular offer the best Reward Flight availability year-round if you are looking to use your Avios to reach the beaches like Bali on short notice.

Each of these magical beaches has an airport which you can reach with Reward Flights. And from there, you can spend any extra Avios you have left over on car hire to help make the connecting journey from the airport to the beach much smoother, while also allowing you to explore the surrounding areas much further.

So if Bali feels a little too far away for your next trip, have a think about these five alternatives.

Playa de Bolonia feels a long way from your typical Spanish resort.

The beach is a broad stretch of pale sand on the Atlantic coast, backed by one of its defining sights: the huge Duna de Bolonia. Climb towards the top and the beach opens out beneath you, with the Strait of Gibraltar beyond and Africa visible across the water on clear days.

The shores are steeped in history too, with the remains of the Roman town of Baelo Claudia sitting right next to the beach. A day in Bolonia can quickly move from sea and dunes to ancient ruins without having to travel elsewhere.

That mix of open coastline, natural landscape and clear water gives Bolonia the sense of escape you might normally associate with somewhere much further away.

You can get an off-peak Reward Flight from London to Málaga from 13,000 Avios plus taxes and fees, one-way. From Málaga Airport, Bolonia is around 155km away. You could redeem any spare Avios you might have left on car hire, giving you the freedom to make the journey at your own pace.

The optimal time to relax at Playa de Bolonia is in late spring or early autumn when there is less intense heat and fewer crowds. But if you want stronger sunshine and a busier beach atmosphere, the middle of summer might be the best time to visit.

Palombaggia has the fine pale sand and clear blue water that you might expect to travel much further to find.

With white dunes and smooth red rocks framing the shore, and Corsica's distinctive pines bring deep green into the picture behind them, Plage de Palombaggia offers spectacular views.

To make the trip even more worthwhile, you can visit the Cerbicale Islands. Sitting on the horizon with more beautiful, clear waters and only a short boat ride away, it's an excellent spot for either snorkelling or scuba diving. You can book your boat trip with GetYourGuide and collect Avios too.

For anyone drawn to Bali for colourful coastal scenery and days spent beside clear water, Palombaggia offers its own unique Mediterranean version.

You can fly directly from London into Figari–South Corsica Airport using an off-peak Reward Flight from 13,000 Avios, plus taxes and fees, one way. Being just over 27km from the airport, you can find yourself relaxing at the beach within an hour!

You can also explore Avios Hotels in Porto-Vecchio, Corse-du-Sud and find a place to relax after spending a day at Plage de Palombaggia beach, with the option to either spend, collect, or part-pay with Avios.

June and September are good months to visit for warm weather, comfortable water temperatures and more manageable crowds. July and August are much hotter and livelier, but parking in particular can be more difficult to find.

Praia da Rocha makes an impression before your feet even reach the sand.

More than a kilometre of beach sits beneath tall, warm-coloured cliffs on the Algarve coast. Rock formations rise from the sand and water, while the Atlantic reflects different shades of blue beneath them.

For the full view, start above the beach. The viewpoints at Fortaleza de Santa Catarina and Três Castelos look across the coastline, where golden rock, broad sand and blue water stretch out below.

Then head down to the beach itself. Its size gives you room to explore, while wooden walkways run across the sand with lots of places to eat and drink nearby.

Starting from 13,000 Avios, you can board a one-way, off-peak Reward Flight London to Faro, plus taxes and fees. If you need any luggage or travel accessories for your trip? You can pay up to 75% of the price using your Avios on the Avios Shop.

May and June offer more moderate temperatures and fewer crowds for those that like to experience the beach at a quieter time. If you choose to visit in the height of summer, July and August bring warmer weather, a livelier atmosphere and busier roads, resorts and car parks.

At the southern end of Lefkada, Porto Katsiki is a beach with a sense of scale.

Enormous pale cliffs and a long strip of light-coloured beach meets Ionian water that starts turquoise near the coast and deepens through changing shades of blue towards the horizon, it is easy to see why Porto Katsiki is regularly described as one of the Mediterranean's standout beaches.

The cliffs, bright water and relatively untouched setting give it the dramatic, far-from-everything feel that makes destinations like Bali so tempting.

If you plan to visit using your Avios, you can reach Aktion Airport in Preveza, Lefkada Airport on a one-way, off-peak Reward Flight from London from 15,000 Avios, plus taxes and fees. From there, it is 65km to Porto Katsiki, which means hiring a car is your best option to cross onto Lefkada and travel south to Porto Katsiki.

Swimming and sunbathing are best from May to October. In the peak of summer, the beach and parking area can get very busy, so it is usually best to arrive either early or late in the day to avoid delays.

Myrtos is one of those beaches that is almost as impressive from above as it is from the shore.

Stop at the viewpoint on the road above and you get the whole scene at once: the white sweep of the shore, the blue water and the green landscape rising sharply around it. The panoramic view from above is one of the most photographed locations in Greece - and it's easy to see why.

June is a particularly good time to visit. If you can, arrive after 15:00, when the sun clears the cliffs and fully lights the white pebbles, making the colour of the water stand out even more. It's also key that you take extra care in the sea as Myrtos can experience strong undercurrents, especially on breezy days.

The best way to visit using your Avios is to get Reward Flight to Kefalonia Airport. This costs 15,000 Avios, plus taxes and fees, one way, off-peak. Myrtos is around a 45 to 50-minute drive from the airport, making car hire a useful way to time your visit around the light.

Search Reward Flight availability for the nearest airport and book as early as possible to avoid missing out on your desired dates. If you wish to incorporate a road trip too, make sure you collect or spend Avios with car hire through Avis or Budget.

If you are ever wondering about where you can visit with Reward Flights, our Reward Flight map is available to showcase over 200 locations where you can fly to using your Avios.

You can complete the full package with Avios by making a booking through Avios Hotels, which allows you to spend your Avios, collect when paying with just cash, or part-pay. You can choose from various options and filter for hotels, apartments, villas and much more in the Algarve for example, or do the same for any of the other destinations with tropical beaches.

After that, all that is left is deciding which beach gets the first spot on your shortlist.