Malmö's Ribersborg runs as a long city beach below the Turning Torso, with the wooden kallbadhus open for sea baths in every season.
What makes a beach destination worth the trip?
Water quality and shelter come first: a swimmable, clean shore beats a long but exposed one. After that it is the town — places that live year-round keep their restaurants and transport when the season ends, which is what separates a beach resort from a beach with a car park.
Helsingborg's sands start at the Fria bad and Pålsjö's cold-bath house north of the harbour, with Denmark in view across the sound.
Tylösand's broad sands west of Halmstad headline Sweden's beach summer, with Östra stranden's dunes closer to town.
Ystad's Sandskogen beach runs east from town under planted pines, the start of the sand coast that peaks at Sandhammaren.
Trelleborg faces due south, with Skåre's harbour sands west of town and Beddingestrand's long swimming shore to the east.
Ängelholm's beach curves along Skälderviken in a six-kilometre arc of sand and dunes, backed by the Kronoskogen pine forest.
Varberg mixes its Moorish-styled cold-bath house on stilts with Apelviken's surf bay, where boards outnumber bathers on windy days.
Vättern's water runs cold, but Varamon's wide, shallow sands at Motala warm fast in the sun, which is why the bay fills with families.
Skrea strand gives Falkenberg a long sweep of swimming sand south of the Ätran's mouth, with bathing jetties over shallow water.
Simrishamn's Tobisvik beach starts at the town's edge, opening Österlen's run of coves below apple orchards and fishing hamlets.
Lysekil swims off pink Bohus granite at Stångehuvud, with the Pinnevik cove's sand and a string of bathing ladders around the cape.
Ulricehamn's beach is freshwater, on lake Åsunden below the town slope, with jetties and a long shoreline path toward Marbäck.