BestBeaches
Beaches picked for the sand, water and setting rather than the resorts behind them. What you actually want depends on the water: reef-sheltered lagoons are calm, warm and shallow enough for children; long Atlantic strands are wide, wild and genuinely cold; volcanic black sand holds heat and can be too hot to cross barefoot by midday.
Half Moon Bay
Antigua
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A crescent-shaped bay on Antigua's remote southeastern coast, enclosed by rocky headlands, with a calmer reef-sheltered end and a more exposed, surf-prone stretch.
Eagle Beach
Aruba
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A wide, low-density beach on Aruba's western coast, known for its soft white sand, gently shelving water, and the two weathered fofoti trees that stand at its edge.
Turquoise Bay
Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
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A beach in Cape Range National Park on the Ningaloo Coast, where a fringing coral reef sits just offshore and can be reached by snorkelers straight from the sand.
Bondi Beach
Sydney, New South Wales
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Sydney's best-known ocean beach, a wide sweep of sand in the eastern suburbs backed by a promenade and the start of the coastal walk to Coogee.
Hyams Beach
Jervis Bay, New South Wales
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A small beach on the sheltered shore of Jervis Bay, noted for very fine, bright white sand and calm, clear water backed by bushland.
Cable Beach
Broome, Western Australia
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A very long white and red-tinged sand beach on Broome's Indian Ocean coast, famous for camel rides at sunset and dramatic tidal flats that expose broad mudflats at low water.
Pink Sands Beach
Harbour Island, Bahamas
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A long beach on the Atlantic side of Harbour Island whose sand carries a soft pink tint, produced by crushed red foraminifera shells mixed into the white coral sand.
Pig Beach (Big Major Cay)
Exumas, Bahamas
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A small sandy cove on an uninhabited Exuma cay, reached by boat and known for the feral pigs that wade and swim in its shallow turquoise water.
Sandy Lane Beach
St. James, Barbados
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A calm white-sand beach on the sheltered Caribbean west coast of Barbados, part of the upscale Platinum Coast, with clear water suited to swimming and snorkeling.
Baía do Sancho
Fernando de Noronha
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A cliff-enclosed bay on the volcanic Fernando de Noronha archipelago, reached by ladders set into a rock crevice, with clear water and abundant marine life.
Baía dos Porcos
Fernando de Noronha
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A tiny rock-pool beach on Fernando de Noronha, framed by dark volcanic rock and looking out to the archipelago's twin Dois Irmãos sea stacks.
Lopes Mendes
Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro
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A long white-sand beach on the car-free island of Ilha Grande, backed by Atlantic rainforest and reached only by boat or a forest hiking trail.
Ipanema Beach
Rio de Janeiro
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A wide golden-sand Atlantic beach in Rio's Zona Sul, divided informally into social zones and framed by the rocky headlands of Arpoador and Dois Irmãos at each end.
Praia Mole
Florianópolis, Santa Catarina
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An open Atlantic beach on the east side of Santa Catarina island, framed by green headlands and backed by dunes, with a consistent beach break that makes it Florianópolis’s main surfing beach.
Praia do Futuro
Fortaleza, Ceará
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Fortaleza’s longest urban beach, an eight-kilometre run of open Atlantic sand with strong shore break and steady trade winds, lined by the large beachfront barracas the city is known for.
Praia do Gunga
Maceió, Alagoas
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A palm-backed spit south of Maceió where the Roteiro lagoon meets the Atlantic, giving warm still water on one side and open surf on the other, with red cliffs rising behind the sand.
Praia de Ponta Negra
Natal, Rio Grande do Norte
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Natal’s main urban beach, closed at its southern end by the Morro do Careca — a 100-metre sand dune running straight into the sea between two walls of vegetation, and the city’s emblem.
Koh Rong (Long Beach)
Sihanoukville, Cambodia
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A long white-sand beach on Cambodia's largest island in the Gulf of Thailand, backed by jungle and known for calm water and bioluminescent plankton at night.
Seven Mile Beach
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
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A coral-sand beach running along Grand Cayman's western shore, lined with resorts and condominiums and fronting calm, clear water protected from open-sea swells.
Aitutaki Lagoon
Cook Islands
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A large triangular lagoon in the Cook Islands, dotted with small uninhabited islets (motus) and sandbars ringed by shallow, vividly coloured water.
Manuel Antonio Beach
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
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A calm Pacific beach bordering Manuel Antonio National Park, where rainforest meets the sand and monkeys, sloths, and iguanas are commonly seen among the trees.
Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn)
Brač, Croatia
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A distinctive white-pebble spit projecting from the island of Brač into the Adriatic, its tapering tip shifting shape with the prevailing winds and currents.
Bávaro Beach
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
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An extraordinarily long Atlantic beach on the Dominican Republic's eastern coast, anchoring the Punta Cana resort zone, with fine white sand and clear, calm water sheltered by a coral reef.
East Beach, Vomo Island
Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
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A soft white-sand beach on a small private island in Fiji's Mamanuca group, fronting a shallow coral lagoon with snorkeling directly off the shore.
Matira Beach
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
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The main public beach on Bora Bora's southern tip, with soft sand, shallow water shelving gently into the lagoon, and a view of Mount Otemanu.
Navagio Beach (Shipwreck Beach)
Zakynthos, Greece
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A cliff-enclosed cove named for the rusting hull of a smuggling ship beached on its white sand. Landing on the beach and swimming in the bay remain prohibited for safety; boat tours view it from offshore.
Elafonissi Beach
Crete, Greece
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A shallow lagoon beach on Crete's southwestern corner, where pale pink-tinged sand and a small islet are separated by wadeable, warm turquoise water.
Nusa Penida (Kelingking Beach)
Bali, Indonesia
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A remote cove on the island of Nusa Penida below a T-shaped limestone headland resembling a dinosaur, reached by a steep, exposed cliffside descent.
Cala Brandinchi
Sardinia, Italy
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A shallow white-sand bay on Sardinia's northeastern coast, backed by pine woods, with gently shelving turquoise water often compared to Caribbean shallows.
Diani Beach
Kwale County, Kenya
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A long white-coral-sand beach south of Mombasa on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, backed by coastal woodland and fronted by a reef lagoon that keeps the water warm and calm for swimming.
Nosy Iranja
Madagascar
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Two small islets off northwestern Madagascar joined at low tide by a wide white sandbar, surrounded by shallow, clear water and reached by boat.
Fulhadhoo Beach
Baa Atoll, Maldives
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A quiet white-sand beach on a small local island in the Maldives' Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, fronting a shallow reef lagoon.
Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach)
Marietas Islands, Nayarit, Mexico
Playa de los Muertos
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
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The social heart of Puerto Vallarta's Zona Romántica, a wide sandy beach lined with palapa bars and beach clubs, backed by the colourful rooftops of the old town and the Sierra Madre.
El Médano Beach
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico
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Cabo San Lucas's main swimmable beach, a broad arc of golden sand fronting the Sea of Cortez, with gentler conditions than the Pacific-exposed shores and direct access from the marina district.
Entalula Beach
Palawan, Philippines
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A small white-sand beach on an island in the Bacuit Archipelago near El Nido, ringed by dramatic limestone karst cliffs and reached by boat.
Benagil Sea Cave Beach
Algarve, Portugal
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A small sand floor inside a sea cave on the Algarve coast, lit through a circular opening in the rock ceiling. Entry is limited to licensed guided boat, kayak, or paddleboard tours; swimming into the cave and landing on its beach are prohibited.
Praia da Marinha
Algarve, Portugal
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A cliff-backed Algarve beach framed by ochre limestone rock formations and sea arches, reached by a stairway down from the clifftop and a coastal trail.
Praia do Guincho
Cascais, Portugal
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An exposed Atlantic beach inside the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, backed by dunes and the Serra de Sintra, where the reliable summer nortada wind has made it a World Windsurfing Championship venue.
Flamenco Beach
Culebra, Puerto Rico
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A horseshoe bay on the island of Culebra, reached from the Culebra ferry terminal or airport by local transport, with fine white sand and calm, clear water set among low green hills.
Anse Source d'Argent
La Digue, Seychelles
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A shallow beach on the island of La Digue famous for its sculpted pink granite boulders, which frame stretches of soft white sand and clear, calm water.
Anse Lazio
Praslin, Seychelles
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A curved white-sand bay on the island of Praslin, bracketed by granite headlands and forested hills, with clear water for swimming and snorkeling.
Maho Beach
Sint Maarten
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A narrow beach at the end of Princess Juliana Airport's main runway, where arriving aircraft pass at extremely low altitude directly over swimmers on the sand.
Boulders Beach
Simon's Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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A sheltered beach of large granite boulders and small sandy coves near Simon's Town, home to a resident colony of African penguins on the shore.
Camps Bay
Cape Town, South Africa
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A white-sand beach beneath the Twelve Apostles mountain range in Cape Town, backed by a palm-lined promenade; the Atlantic water here stays notably cold.
Ses Illetes
Formentera, Spain
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A fine white-sand beach on a narrow spit at the north of Formentera, backed by dunes and pine, with shallow, exceptionally clear Mediterranean water.
Unawatuna Beach
Galle, Sri Lanka
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A curved bay on Sri Lanka's south coast near Galle, partly sheltered by a reef and headland, backed by palms and a cluster of beachfront guesthouses.
Nungwi Beach
Zanzibar, Tanzania
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A beach at Zanzibar's northern tip where, unlike much of the island, the tidal range is small enough for swimming through the day; a hub for dhow sailing and diving.
Railay Beach
Krabi, Thailand
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A peninsula in Krabi accessible only by boat, cut off from the mainland by towering limestone cliffs that draw rock climbers to its sandy, palm-backed shore.
Koh Lipe (Sunrise Beach)
Satun, Thailand
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The eastern beach of a small island in the Andaman Sea near the Malaysian border, with fine white sand, clear water, and coral reefs offshore.
Maya Bay
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
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A sheltered cove on Phi Phi Leh enclosed by steep limestone cliffs. The beach closes annually from August through September for rehabilitation, and swimming in the bay remains prohibited when visitor access resumes.
Lanikai Beach
Oahu, Hawaii
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A soft white-sand residential beach on Oahu's windward coast, fronting calm, shallow water and looking out to the twin Mokulua islets offshore.
Kailua Beach
Oahu, Hawaii
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A wide crescent of powdery white sand on Oahu's windward coast, with consistent trade winds that make it one of the best kiteboarding and windsurfing beaches in the state.
Waimea Bay Beach Park
Oahu, Hawaii
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A wide bay on Oahu's North Shore, calm and ideal for swimming in summer, then home to some of the largest rideable waves in the world when the winter swells arrive.
Ka'anapali Beach
Maui, Hawaii
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A long golden-sand resort beach on West Maui, backed by hotels and a shoreline path, with a rocky point at Black Rock popular for snorkeling.
Hamoa Beach
Maui, Hawaii
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A remote half-moon bay on Maui's eastern Hana coast, reached by a winding road, with grey-sand fringed by sea cliffs and surf that draws bodysurfers.
Big Beach (Oneloa)
Maui, Hawaii
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A large, largely undeveloped beach of white sand in Makena State Park on South Maui, known for its bodyboarding shore break and the small rocky cinder cone at its southern end.
Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach
Maui, Hawaii
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A jet-black volcanic pebble beach in Waianapanapa State Park near Hana, surrounded by dramatic lava sea arches, caves, and a freshwater spring fed from the cliffs.
Hapuna Beach
Big Island, Hawaii
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A wide sweep of white sand on the Big Island's Kohala Coast, consistently ranked among the finest beaches in Hawaii, with clear water for swimming and snorkeling and strong shore break in winter.
Punalu'u Black Sand Beach
Big Island, Hawaii
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A black volcanic-sand beach on the Big Island's southeastern coast, fringed by coconut palms and frequented by green sea turtles that rest on the shore.
Papakolea Green Sand Beach
Big Island, Hawaii
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A small beach in a collapsed volcanic cinder cone on the Big Island's Ka Lae coast, where the sand is tinted olive-green by olivine crystals eroded from the surrounding lava walls.
Hanalei Bay
Kauai, Hawaii
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A wide crescent bay on Kauai's north shore backed by the fluted green ridges of the Na Pali coast, with calm water for swimming in summer and large surf in winter.
Ke'e Beach
Kauai, Hawaii
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A small reef-sheltered beach at the end of Kauai's North Shore road, at the trailhead of the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, with snorkeling inside the reef when seas are calm.
Polihale Beach
Kauai, Hawaii
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A remote, undeveloped beach at the western end of the Na Pali cliffs, reached by a dirt road across sugar-cane fields, with broad dunes and dramatic views of the sea cliffs above.
Siesta Key Beach
Sarasota, Florida
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A wide Gulf of Mexico beach on a barrier island near Sarasota, known for its cool, powdery quartz sand that stays soft underfoot and calm, gently sloping water.
Clearwater Beach
Tampa Bay, Florida
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A lively Gulf-coast barrier-island beach west of Tampa, with wide white sand, a pedestrian promenade, and a marina district at its northern end.
La Jolla Cove
San Diego, California
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A small protected cove framed by sandstone bluffs in La Jolla, part of an ecological reserve, with clear water popular for swimming and snorkeling among sea life.
El Matador Beach
Malibu, California
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A Malibu state beach reached by a stairway down the bluff, known for its sea caves, rock arches, and weathered sandstone sea stacks rising from the sand.
Cape Cod National Seashore
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
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Forty miles of Atlantic-facing barrier beach, dune and salt marsh protected since 1961, where Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach sit below eroding glacial cliffs.
Marco Island Beach
Marco Island, Florida
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A four-mile crescent of soft Gulf-coast sand at the head of the Ten Thousand Islands, backed by shallow warm water and known for the shelling on the Tigertail Beach sandbar at the north end.
Santa Monica State Beach
Santa Monica, California
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Three and a half miles of wide, flat sand under the Palisades bluffs, with the 1909 pier and its Ferris wheel at the centre and the beachfront bike path running the length of it.
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