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The 25 best beaches in the world

ByPaul Johnson Hours
Comments 25 Comments
Ever wondered what are considered to be the best beaches on the planet?  According to online reviewers on Tripadvisor, the best beach in the world – where even the sharks are supposedly friendly – is in Brazil. Baia do Sancho lies on the fantasy archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, just a short flight from Sao Paolo.  In fact, Brazil can lay claim to three of the best beaches in the top 25, as can Australia.  Collectively, Europe performs surprisingly well with six more beaches from the 25, whilst the likes of the Maldives and Mauritius are notable in their absence, and only two beaches in the whole of Asia make an appearance. Anyway, for what it’s worth, these are the top 25 beaches in the world according to Tripadvisor reviewers: Fernando de Noronha, Brazil 1. Baia do Sancho Fernando de Noronha, Brazil Best time to go: Year-round 2. Grace Bay Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Best time to go: Year-round 3. Flamenco Beach (Playa Flamenco) Culebra, Puerto Rico Best time to go: Year-round 4. Rabbit Beach Lampedusa, Islands of Sicily Best time to go: May-September 5. Whitehaven Beach Whitsunday Island, Whitsunday Islands Best time to go: Year-round 6. Playa de ses Illetes Formentera, Balearic Islands Best time to go: Year-round 7. Anse Lazio Praslin Island, Seychelles Best time to go: Year-round 8. Lanikai Beach Kailua, Hawaii Best time to go: Year-round 9. Rhossili Bay Swansea, United Kingdom Best time to go: July – September 10. Playa Norte Isla Mujeres Best time to go: Year-round 11. Playa Paraiso Beach Cayo Largo, Cuba Best time to go: Year-round 12. Praia dos Carneiros Tamandare, Brazil Best time to go: Year-round 13. Lopes Mendes Beach Ilha Grande, Brazil Best time to go: December – March 14. The Baths Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands Best time to go: Year-round 15. Playa de las Catedrales Ribadeo, Spain Best time to go: July – August 16. Ka’anapali Beach Lahaina, Hawaii Best time to go: Year-round 17. Elafonissi Beach Elafonissi, Greece Best time to go: May – October 18. Cala Mariolu Baunei, Italy Best time to go: May – September 19. White Beach Boracay, Visayas Best time to go: December – May 20. Turquoise Bay Exmouth Exmouth, Australia Best time to go: May – October 21. Anse Source d’Argent La Digue Island, Seychelles Best time to go: Year-round 22. Cable Beach Broome, Australia Best time to go: Year-round 23. Playa Manuel Antonio Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica Best time to go: Year-round 24. Camp’s Bay Beach Camps Bay, South Africa Best time to go: November – April 25. Radhanagar Beach Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Best time to go: November – April Have you been to any of these beaches?  Have you been to some that you would think would be worthy additions to the list? Please tell us in the comments!

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.

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25 Comments

  1. I saw the beach that was ranked #1 (the one on Fernando de Noronha) on one of my favourite TV shows in Canada, Departures. The water, waves, and the physical surroundings make for a beach that just takes your cares away. I gotta get there soon!

  2. A tour to visit all the 25 beaches of the list would be a great travel idea.. I have seen only #10 and #18 and they are gorgeous!

  3. Thanks for the superb list! Now I know where I’ll be headed. It will definitely be one of those on the list. i’ve been to 8, 10 and 16. Now I have 22 more to go. :)

  4. Awesome to see one of my hometown’s best beaches are featured – Camps Bay! And agree on Anse Lazio and Anse Source D’Argent in Seychelles being featured although Seychelles can just be listed as a whole as every beach I have visited on my seven trips there have been exquisite! :) Seychelles, and Praslin island in particular, is affected though by seaweed washing up on the beaches during certain seasons so I don’t agree wholeheartedly with the ‘year-round’ pointer for Anse Lazio.
    Thanks for a super blog! Thoroughly enjoy the posts.

  5. I have been to Radhanagar beach listed at 25. It is out of the world.Thete is so much to explore in and around theisland. Still a virgin place with very few visitors. Great place.

  6. Great list! Turks and Caicos is truly amazing, glad to see it ranked so highly! I’ve never even heard of Rabbit Beach, have just added that to my list:)

  7. Fantastic list – thank you! There are definitely a few on here to add to my bucket list. My favourite (so far) is definitely #5 Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays – stunning.

  8. I love Rhossili Bay near Swansea. Hopefully there wont be too many more visitors though now it’s in the top 10!
    Off to research Turquoise Bay now..

  9. I think I would have to add Bamburgh beach to this list – amazing white sands, gorgeous dunes, the fantastic backdrop of the iconic Bamburgh Castle and the mystical Holy Island. Lush.

  10. I couldn’t resist looking at your list and dreaming. One beach which was out of this world – it felt like paradise to me – was a private beach south of Mombasa in Kenya. The waters were clear, the snorkling was wonderful, the beach was unspoilt and the place was idyllic! I am taking my teenage sons to Kenya in the summer and hope they really love it too.

  11. Surprised the KZN North Coast of Ballito isn’t amongst them! One of the best beaches to swim in South Africa!

  12. A beach that definitely needs to be on this list is Galloways Beach on Long Island, Bahamas, also home to the world-class beach Cape Santa Maria (rated #2 by Islands Magazine). Galloways is a secluded beach that is surrounded by whispering pines & has sand as soft as flour. The waters are an incredible aqua marine-glowing turquoise & are perfect for swimming, snorkelling, sea kayaking, & hiding away. Honestly, I shouldn’t be giving out this information.

  13. Diani beach in Mombasa Kenya is another one to check out too. With it’s awesome weather and incredible sandy shores, world class resorts and the well preserved swahili culture will make it more than just a holiday destination.

  14. The Radhanagar beach is a treat for the mind and the soul. Though it is one of the most crowded beaches in the Andaman Islands, nothing can take away the beauty it has in store for its visitors.
    The vast expanse of white and golden sand, the clean water, the amazing sunset all combine to make the beach a heaven on Earth.
    Everyone who visits the Island should make it a point to visit the Radhanagar beach,at least once.

  15. I certainly agree with comments above that this list constitutes the trip of a lifetime! Meanwhile I consider myself fortunate indeed to be able to visit number 9 (Rhossili) on a regular basis. Off again soon to recharge the batteries. Any beach helps but this one is certainly special!

  16. I’ve been to #3, Playa Flamenco. Beautiful indeed, but even more beautiful to me because of their lack of crowds are Playa Zoni, also on Culebra, and Playa Tortuga on nearby Culebrita. You have to hire a charter boat to get to Culebrita, followed by an easy hike across the island to access Playa Tortuga, so that explains the lack of crowds! Worth the extra effort though.

    I would love to go to the Seychelles! The beaches look gorgeous.

  17. Great to see Havelock Island being listed in this article. Yes for sure its one of a kind in India. Infact the best one you will find in India. The white sand beach with a backdrop of a jungle is just amazing.
    Sometimes you may find an elephant here. Well, the best part is that the Elephant can swim :)

  19. This is something i was looking for since many years. Thank you so much for sharing.I would love to go to the Seychelles! The beaches look awesome.

  20. Thank you for including Radhanagar Beach in your list. I have heard about this beach that it is so tempting and amazing. We are planning ti visit Andaman Nicobar this winter :)

  21. Wow Radhanagar Beach have Made to the list. Amazing ! It’s surely one of the best beaches in Asia. The beauty of the beach is still intact what it used to be 5 years ago. It’s huge, white sands, peaceful beach perfect for honeymooners and tourists alike.

    Whitehaven Beach is my another favorite beach. It’s superb and one of the best beaches in have seen in my life.

  22. I would definitely put Formentera Playa de ses Illetes first, not so much because of the pristine beach or crystal clear waters but the whole vibe that comes with it all. Amazing views on Ibiza and great food, make this truly a great beach destination!

  23. Great work. Thank you for sharing such an informative article. I must visit at least 5 beaches on this list. Because I am also interested in travelling

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