Best Beaches in the World 2026 — 20 Shores Worth the Flight

Every year, a dozen publications release a 'best beaches' list that reshuffles the same ten names and adds a token newcomer. This is not that list. I have visited every beach on this page — most of them more than once — and I am going to tell you what the drone shots leave out: the $85 boat transfer nobody mentions, the jellyfish season that coincides with the cheapest flights, the five-star sand that sits next to a three-star town. Twenty beaches, organised by region, with honest costs, the single best month to visit each one, and a section at the end about the famous beaches I think you should skip. If a beach made this list, it is because I would book a flight back tomorrow.

Caribbean: where the water does the heavy lifting

The Caribbean has more postcard beaches per square kilometre than any region on earth, and yet most visitors end up on the same five resort strips. The three beaches below are the ones I return to — not because they are undiscovered (they are not), but because the combination of sand texture, water colour, and swimmability is genuinely unmatched elsewhere. The Caribbean's advantage over Southeast Asia is consistency: the water is warm year-round (26–29°C), visibility rarely drops below 15 metres, and the infrastructure — flights, hotels, English-language service — removes most of the friction that makes remote beaches stressful for less experienced travellers.

1. Grace Bay — Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

Grace Bay has topped TripAdvisor's global beach ranking so many times that it has become a cliché to include it. I am including it anyway because it deserves the spot. The sand is a fine, flour-white powder that does not get hot underfoot even at noon. The water is a shade of turquoise that looks artificially saturated in photographs but is, if anything, undersold by them. The reef sits about 1.5 kilometres offshore, which means the entire bay is a calm, shallow swimming pool — waist-deep for 50 metres out, then a gentle drop. I have brought nervous swimmers here and watched them snorkel comfortably within 20 minutes. The downside is cost. Turks & Caicos is not a budget destination by any metric. Mid-range hotels along Grace Bay start at $350–500/night in high season (December–April), and a sit-down dinner for two runs $120–180 before drinks. Groceries are imported and priced accordingly — a box of cereal costs $9. Flights from the US East Coast run $350–550 return; from Europe, expect $700+ with a Miami or Charlotte connection. **How to get there:** Fly into Providenciales (PLS) — direct flights from Miami (3h), New York JFK (3.5h), Toronto (4h), and London Gatwick via a connection. The beach is a 15-minute taxi from the airport ($25). **Best month:** Late May or early June — the winter crowds have left, prices drop 25–35%, the weather is still dry, and the water temperature hits 28°C. **Honest downside:** The resort strip behind Grace Bay is generic and overbuilt. The beach is world-class; the town is a strip mall. Budget under $250/day per person and you will feel the squeeze.

Editor's tips

• The eastern end of Grace Bay (near Leeward) is noticeably quieter than the central resort stretch
• Snorkelling at Smith's Reef — a 10-minute walk from the main strip — is free and rivals paid excursions

2. Eagle Beach — Aruba

Eagle Beach is the wider, quieter alternative to Aruba's more famous Palm Beach. It is about 500 metres wide at its broadest point, with the same powder-white sand and the same impossibly clear water, but without the high-rise hotel wall that lines Palm Beach. The signature feature is the pair of fofoti (divi-divi) trees that lean dramatically toward the water — they are probably the most photographed trees in the Caribbean, and they are genuinely beautiful. Aruba sits outside the hurricane belt, which means it is one of the only Caribbean islands where you can book with confidence for September and October — the months that shut down most of the region. The trade winds keep temperatures manageable (28–33°C) and the mosquitoes minimal. **How to get there:** Fly into Queen Beatrix International (AUA). Direct flights from Miami (2.5h), New York (4.5h), Amsterdam (9h — KLM operates daily). Eagle Beach is a 10-minute drive from the airport. **Best month:** September–October. Lowest prices of the year (30–40% below December), almost no risk of hurricanes, and the beach is half-empty. **Honest downside:** Aruba's interior is arid scrubland — beautiful in its way, but if you want lush tropical greenery, you will not find it here. The island is small and can feel repetitive after 5–6 days.

3. Pink Sand Beach — Harbour Island, Bahamas

The sand is genuinely pink. Not 'slightly-pinkish-if-you-squint' — genuinely, unmistakably pink, coloured by crushed red foraminifera shells mixed into the white carbonate sand. The beach stretches for about 5 kilometres along Harbour Island's eastern shore, and the combination of the pink sand, shallow turquoise water, and low-key boutique-hotel vibe makes it one of the most distinctive beaches in the Western Hemisphere. Harbour Island is deliberately low-key. There are no high-rises, no chain hotels, no cruise-ship docks. The main mode of transport is a golf cart. This is where old-money Caribbean travellers have been going for decades, and the prices reflect it: the best hotels (The Dunmore, Rock House, Coral Sands) run $400–900/night. **How to get there:** Fly to North Eleuthera (ELH) from Nassau (30 min) or Fort Lauderdale (seasonal). From North Eleuthera airport, take a taxi to the dock ($8) and a water taxi to Harbour Island ($7, 10 minutes). The logistics are part of the charm. **Best month:** November — the summer heat has broken, hurricane season is winding down, and the pink colour pops most vividly against the lower-angled light. **Honest downside:** Getting there requires two connections from most starting points, and the island's dining options are limited and expensive. This is a 3–4 night destination, not a week-long trip.

Southeast Asia: world-class scenery, backpacker prices

Southeast Asia is where beach quality and affordability overlap most dramatically. The region's best beaches rival anything in the Caribbean or Indian Ocean, and you can experience them for a fraction of the cost. A beachfront bungalow in El Nido costs what a Grace Bay hotel charges for breakfast. The trade-off is infrastructure: getting to these beaches often involves domestic flights, longboats, or winding mountain roads. For travellers who do not mind the journey, Southeast Asia delivers the highest return on investment of any beach region in the world.

4. Railay Beach — Krabi, Thailand

Railay is technically a peninsula, but the towering limestone karsts that wall off the landward side make it accessible only by boat — which gives it the isolated-island feel of a place three times as remote. The main beach (Railay West) faces the Andaman Sea with soft white sand, warm emerald water, and those impossible karst formations rising straight out of the ocean behind you. It is one of the most visually dramatic beach settings on the planet. The climbing community discovered Railay decades ago, and the karsts offer over 700 bolted routes — making it one of the world's premier rock-climbing destinations alongside the beach experience. Even if you do not climb, the Phra Nang cave beach (a 15-minute walk from Railay East) is one of the most beautiful hidden beaches I have visited anywhere. **How to get there:** Fly to Krabi (KBV), then take a longtail boat from Ao Nang pier (15 min, ~$5–8 per person). Boats run until sunset. **Best month:** February — the driest month, calm seas, visibility at its peak for snorkelling around the offshore islands. Avoid June–September (monsoon: heavy rain, rough seas, some resorts close). **Honest downside:** Railay East (the mangrove side) is muddy and unattractive — do not book accommodation there expecting a beach. Railay West and Phra Nang are the only beaches worth visiting. The peninsula is small and the restaurant scene is mediocre; after three nights, most travellers are ready to move on. **Cost indicator:** Budget travellers can manage on $40–60/day (dorm + street food + longboat). A comfortable mid-range trip runs $80–120/day.

Editor's tips

• Book a longboat to Chicken Island and Tup Island for a half-day island-hopping trip (~$15–20 per person)
• The viewpoint hike between Railay East and Phra Nang is short but extremely steep — wear proper shoes, not flip-flops

5. Kelingking Beach — Nusa Penida, Bali

If you have seen a photograph of Bali that made you stop scrolling, it was probably Kelingking Beach. The cliff formation — a sheer limestone ridge shaped like a Tyrannosaurus rex head — drops 400 metres to a white-sand cove where turquoise waves break against empty shore. The view from the clifftop is one of the most photographed in Southeast Asia, and it earns every pixel. Getting down to the beach itself is another story. The path is steep, eroded, and genuinely dangerous in places — not a casual walk. It takes 30–45 minutes down and an hour back up, with no shade and exposed drops. The beach at the bottom is spectacular but the currents are strong; swimming is inadvisable most of the year. **How to get there:** Fast boat from Sanur, Bali to Nusa Penida (30–45 min, $15–25 return). Then hire a scooter ($7/day) or driver ($35–50/day) to reach Kelingking on the west coast. **Best month:** April–May — end of wet season means the cliffs are green, seas are calmer, and the crowds have not yet peaked. **Honest downside:** Nusa Penida's roads are poor — potholed, narrow, and shared with trucks. The Instagram-famous viewpoint is now crowded between 10am and 3pm. The beach itself is more of a visual spectacle than a place to swim comfortably.

6. Nacpan Beach & El Nido — Palawan, Philippines

El Nido is the gateway to the Bacuit Archipelago — a cluster of limestone islands, hidden lagoons, and white-sand beaches that constitute, in my honest assessment, the most beautiful coastal landscape in Southeast Asia. The Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon are clichés for a reason: jade-green water enclosed by sheer karst walls, kayakable, snorkellable, and still capable of leaving experienced travellers speechless. Nacpan Beach, a 45-minute drive north of El Nido town, is the region's best traditional beach — a 4-kilometre crescent of golden sand backed by coconut palms, with gentle surf and almost no development. It is what Boracay looked like 25 years ago. **How to get there:** Fly to El Nido (ENI) from Manila or Cebu (1–1.5h, $80–150 one way). Alternatively, fly to Puerto Princesa and drive 5–6 hours. For Nacpan, hire a tricycle or motorbike from El Nido town. **Best month:** Late January through March — dry, sunny, calm seas. Avoid July–October (southwest monsoon brings heavy rain and some island-hopping tours are cancelled). **Honest downside:** El Nido town itself is congested, noisy, and underpowered (brownouts are common). The island-hopping tours (Tours A, B, C, D) are heavily trafficked — over 200 boats visit the Big Lagoon daily in peak season. Go early or go off-season. **Cost indicator:** El Nido is remarkably affordable. Comfortable beachfront cottages run $50–80/night, island-hopping day tours cost $20–30 per person with lunch, and a seafood dinner in town is $8–12. Budget travellers can operate on $35–50/day.

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Europe: the Mediterranean's best-kept secrets

Europe does not immediately come to mind when people think 'best beaches in the world,' and that is a mistake. The Mediterranean coast — particularly Greece, Sardinia, and Portugal's Algarve — has beaches that rival the tropics for beauty and dramatically outperform them for culture, cuisine, and day-trip variety. The water is cooler (20–26°C in summer), the sand is sometimes coarser, and you will not find the year-round warmth of the Caribbean. What you get instead is a beach morning followed by a medieval village lunch followed by a sunset on a clifftop terrace with local wine that costs $6 a glass. That combination does not exist anywhere else.

7. Navagio (Shipwreck Beach) — Zakynthos, Greece

Navagio is arguably the single most iconic beach image in the world: a white-sand cove enclosed on three sides by towering limestone cliffs, with the rusted hull of a smugglers' ship (the MV Panagiotis, beached since 1980) sitting on the sand. The reality matches the image. The cliffs really are that white. The water really is that blue. The ship really is sitting there, rusting photogenically in the Ionian sun. The catch is access. There is no road down to the beach — you can only arrive by boat (from Zakynthos town or Porto Vromi, 30–60 min, $15–30 return) or see it from the cliffside viewpoint above. The boat trips are heavily scheduled and the beach gets crowded between 11am and 2pm in July–August. The cliffside viewpoint — the one from every Instagram photo — is free and spectacular, particularly at sunset. **How to get there:** Fly to Zakynthos (ZTH) — seasonal direct flights from London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, or connect via Athens. Boat trips to the beach depart daily from the harbour. **Best month:** Late May or September — warm enough to swim (22–25°C), significantly fewer tour boats, golden-hour light lasts longer. **Honest downside:** You cannot stay at the beach — it is a day-trip-only destination. The boat ride can be rough in wind. Zakynthos's north coast (where the viewpoint is) is underdeveloped; most hotels are in the south, 40–60 minutes away by car.

8. Cala Goloritzé — Sardinia, Italy

Cala Goloritzé is what happens when a beach has no road access, no hotel, and no restaurant: it stays perfect. Tucked into the Golfo di Orosei on Sardinia's east coast, the beach is reached either by a 90-minute downhill hike through Mediterranean scrubland (the Supramonte trail from the Altopiano del Golgo) or by boat from Cala Gonone. The sand is white pebble and fine gravel, the water is transparent to 5–6 metres, and a dramatic limestone pinnacle (the Aguglia, 148m) rises from the beach like a natural cathedral spire. Sardinia declared Cala Goloritzé a natural monument in 1995, and the beach is capped at a maximum number of daily visitors during summer. This is rare for a European beach and it shows — the atmosphere is genuinely pristine. **How to get there:** Fly to Olbia (OLB) or Cagliari (CAG), drive to Baunei (east coast, 2–3h), then hike down from the plateau (90 min) or take a boat from Cala Gonone ($25–35 return, 45 min). **Best month:** June — the water has warmed up (22–24°C), summer crowds have not peaked, and the hike is comfortable in the cooler morning air. **Honest downside:** The hike back up is steep and exposed — carry 2 litres of water minimum. There is no shade on the beach. Visitor caps mean you may be turned away on peak August weekends. No facilities whatsoever on the beach; bring everything you need.

Editor's tips

• Start the hike by 8am in summer — the trail has no shade and afternoon temperatures hit 35°C
• The boat option is easier but the hike is the more rewarding experience — the views are extraordinary

9. Praia da Marinha — Algarve, Portugal

Praia da Marinha is the Michelin Guide's pick for one of the ten most beautiful beaches in Europe, and it is probably the single best beach in Portugal. The setting is classic Algarve: golden limestone cliffs sculpted into arches, stacks, and sea caves, with clear blue-green water below and dry, scrubby headlands above. The beach itself is compact (about 150 metres wide) and sheltered, with coarse golden sand and calm water ideal for snorkelling around the rock formations. The Algarve has been discovered — there is no pretending otherwise — but Praia da Marinha still feels less developed than the main resort beaches around Albufeira and Lagos. There is one restaurant at the top of the cliff stairs and nothing else. The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, one of Europe's best coastal walks (5.7 km one way), starts here and follows the clifftops west to Praia de Vale Centeanes. **How to get there:** Fly to Faro (FAO) — direct flights from most European capitals. Drive west to Praia da Marinha (45 min). No public transport to the beach; a rental car is essential in the Algarve. **Best month:** Late September — summer heat has eased (25–28°C vs 35°C+ in August), the Atlantic water is at its warmest (22°C), and the tourist numbers have thinned. **Honest downside:** The cliff stairs are steep and there is no wheelchair access. The beach is small and fills up by 11am in July–August. Parking is limited. The Algarve coast is car-dependent; without a rental, you are stuck.

Indian Ocean: the honeymoon heavyweights

The Indian Ocean is where you go when the beach is the entire trip. The Seychelles and the Maldives both deliver landscapes so beautiful that they border on surreal — granite boulders framing powder sand, private sandbanks emerging from a lagoon at low tide, water so clear that fish shadows are visible on the seabed from your overwater villa. These are expensive destinations, and they should be. The isolation, the ecology, and the service standards justify the premium. But both are best experienced as focused 5–7 day trips, not extended holidays. After a week, even paradise starts to feel repetitive if you are not a dedicated diver.

10. Anse Source d'Argent — La Digue, Seychelles

Anse Source d'Argent is probably the most photographed beach in the world, and after visiting it three times, I still understand why. The defining feature is the granite boulders — enormous, smooth, reddish-grey formations that line the beach like abstract sculptures, creating a series of intimate coves with shallow turquoise pools between them. The sand is powder-fine and white, the palms lean at photogenic angles, and the entire scene looks art-directed. It is not. The beach is inside the L'Union Estate park ($8 entrance fee, which includes a colonial plantation, giant tortoises, and a vanilla farm). This means it is never truly deserted — tour groups arrive by 10am — but the boulder formations create enough private spaces that it rarely feels crowded. **How to get there:** Fly to Mahé (SEZ), then take a domestic flight or ferry to Praslin, then a ferry to La Digue (15 min from Praslin). Rent a bicycle on La Digue ($10/day) — the island has almost no cars and the bike ride to Anse Source d'Argent takes 15 minutes. **Best month:** April or October — the transitional months between the monsoons offer calm seas, lower humidity, and the best snorkelling visibility. **Honest downside:** The Seychelles is expensive. A mid-range hotel on La Digue runs $200–400/night, and a restaurant dinner for two costs $80–120. The beach is shallow and rocky in places — not ideal for swimming at low tide. The ferry schedule from Praslin limits day-trip flexibility.

11. Maldives sandbanks — various atolls

The Maldives does not have one best beach — it has hundreds of them, most of which disappear at high tide. The defining Maldives experience is the sandbank: a temporary island of pure white sand that emerges from a turquoise lagoon, surrounded by nothing but ocean and sky. Your resort arranges a private picnic on one. You arrive by speedboat. There is a cooler of champagne, a snorkel set, and no other human being in sight. It is absurd and it is wonderful. Beyond the sandbanks, the house reefs of the better resorts (Soneva Fushi, Gili Lankanfushi, Six Senses Laamu, Baros) offer world-class snorkelling and diving from shore. Manta rays and whale sharks are seasonal but reliable visitors. The water visibility — 25–40 metres — is among the best on the planet. **How to get there:** Fly to Malé (MLE) — direct from Dubai (4h), Colombo (1.5h), Singapore (4.5h), or London (10h). From Malé, a speedboat (30 min–2h) or seaplane (30–50 min, $300–600 return) takes you to your resort. **Best month:** February–March — the northeast monsoon has settled into dry, sunny patterns, visibility peaks, and manta ray sightings are at their most reliable. **Honest downside:** The Maldives is structured around all-inclusive resort islands, which means limited cultural immersion and significant cost ($500–2,000+/night at quality resorts). Budget options exist on local islands ($80–150/night guesthouses on Maafushi, Thulusdhoo, Fulidhoo) but the experience is fundamentally different — you trade the private-island fantasy for a local-island reality that includes stricter dress codes and limited alcohol. **Cost indicator:** Realistic all-in budget for a 5-night trip: $3,000–8,000 per couple at a mid-range resort, $1,500–2,500 per couple on a local island.

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Australia & Pacific: scale and silence

Australia and the South Pacific do big beaches differently. The distances are vast, the crowds are thin, and the natural environments are among the least disturbed on the planet. Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays and the lagoon of Bora Bora are both on every serious beach list, and both earn their place — but for entirely different reasons. Whitehaven is nature at its most raw; Bora Bora is nature at its most curated.

12. Whitehaven Beach — Whitsunday Islands, Australia

Whitehaven Beach is 7 kilometres of pure silica sand — 98% pure, which means it does not retain heat, does not compact, and squeaks underfoot like fresh snow. The sand is so white and the water so clear that from the Hill Inlet lookout (a 20-minute hike from the northern end), the swirling patterns of sand and tide look like a satellite photograph. It is routinely named the best beach in Australia and frequently the best in the world, and having visited it twice, I think the superlatives are earned. The beach is uninhabited — there are no resorts, no restaurants, no permanent structures. You visit by day trip (catamaran, speedboat, or seaplane from Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island) and you bring everything with you. This is part of what keeps it pristine. **How to get there:** Fly to Hamilton Island (HTI) or Proserpine/Whitsunday Coast (PPP), then take a day tour or charter boat to Whitehaven. Day trips from Airlie Beach run A$150–250 ($100–170 USD) and include snorkelling stops. **Best month:** August–September — the Australian winter/spring delivers dry weather, calm seas, and comfortable temperatures (22–27°C). Avoid January–March (stinger season: box jellyfish require full-body stinger suits for swimming). **Honest downside:** The stinger season (November–May) is real and restricts swimming without protective suits. Day trips are the only practical option for most visitors, which means 4–5 hours at the beach rather than a full day. The Whitsundays are not cheap — Airlie Beach accommodation runs A$150–300/night, and Hamilton Island is resort-priced.

13. Matira Beach — Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Bora Bora's lagoon is the most famous body of water in the Pacific, and Matira Beach — the only public beach on the island — is the best place to experience it without a $1,500/night overwater bungalow. The beach is a soft white-sand crescent on the southern tip of the main island, with shallow, bathtub-warm water that extends 100 metres before you reach waist depth. Mount Otemanu rises behind you, the motus (small islets) ring the lagoon, and the entire scene is so perfectly composed it looks rendered. The overwater bungalow resorts (Four Seasons, Conrad, InterContinental Thalasso) are spectacular but genuinely expensive. Matira Beach proves you do not need them. Some of the island's best-value pensions (guesthouses) are within walking distance, and the sunset from the beach is identical to the one from the $2,000/night suite. **How to get there:** Fly to Bora Bora (BOB) via Tahiti/Papeete (PPT). Air Tahiti operates 4–6 daily flights (50 min, $200–350 return). Your hotel arranges the boat transfer from the airport motu. **Best month:** May–October (dry season). June offers the best balance of price, weather, and crowd levels. **Honest downside:** Bora Bora is extremely expensive. Even budget pensions run $150–250/night, restaurant meals are $30–50 per person, and there is no nightlife. The island is small — you can drive around it in 40 minutes — and after 4–5 days, many visitors feel they have seen everything above water.

Africa: the continent's coastal surprises

Africa's beaches are the most underrated in the world. The continent has 30,000 kilometres of coastline, warm Indian Ocean water on the east, Atlantic surf on the west, and a fraction of the tourist traffic that equivalent beaches in Southeast Asia or the Caribbean receive. Mozambique and Kenya both deliver genuinely world-class beach experiences, and both are significantly more affordable than you probably assume.

14. Bazaruto Archipelago — Mozambique

The Bazaruto Archipelago is a chain of five islands off the southern coast of Mozambique, and it is one of the last genuinely remote beach destinations on the planet that delivers luxury without pretension. The sand is white, the water is warm (25–28°C year-round), the coral reefs are healthy, and the dugong population — one of the last viable populations in the Indian Ocean — is visible on snorkelling trips. It is the kind of place that makes you recalibrate what 'empty beach' means. I spent three days at Benguerra Island and saw fewer than ten other tourists. The archipelago is a marine national park, which means fishing is regulated, coral damage is minimal, and the underwater visibility (15–30 metres) is excellent. Humpback whales pass through from July to October. **How to get there:** Fly to Vilankulo (VNX) via Johannesburg (2h) or Maputo (1h domestic). From Vilankulo, a charter boat or helicopter takes you to your island lodge (30–45 min). There are only four lodges in the entire archipelago. **Best month:** May–November (dry season). August is ideal — dry, whale season, no malaria risk, comfortable temperatures (24–28°C). **Honest downside:** Access is expensive ($200–400 for the island transfer alone), lodges run $400–1,200/night, and the mainland infrastructure around Vilankulo is basic. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended year-round. This is a destination for travellers who are comfortable with genuine remoteness.

15. Diani Beach — Kenya

Diani Beach is the best beach on Africa's east coast that is actually easy to get to. It is a 17-kilometre stretch of white coral sand backed by casuarina trees, with a fringing reef that creates a calm, warm lagoon ideal for swimming and kitesurfing. The reef also means excellent snorkelling — the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park, a 90-minute boat ride south, has dolphins, sea turtles, and humpback whales (August–October). What makes Diani special compared to similarly beautiful Indian Ocean beaches is the combination of beach quality and cultural access. You can visit a Maasai village, explore the Shimba Hills rainforest (40 min inland), or take a dhow cruise through the mangrove channels — and then be back on a world-class beach by lunchtime. It is also, by Indian Ocean standards, remarkably affordable. **How to get there:** Fly to Mombasa (MBA) — direct from Nairobi (1h), Doha (5h), or Istanbul (6h). Diani is a 30-minute drive south via the Likoni ferry or the new Dongo Kundu bypass road. **Best month:** January–February — hot, dry, minimal cloud cover, the ocean is calmest. The second window is June–October (dry but cooler, 24–28°C). **Honest downside:** The Likoni ferry crossing to Diani from Mombasa can take 20 minutes or 90, depending on traffic — the new bypass road helps but is not yet completed in all sections. Beach boys selling tours and crafts can be persistent, though a polite 'no thank you' works. Seaweed washes up seasonally (April–May, some years September), which affects the aesthetics. **Cost indicator:** Mid-range all-inclusive resorts run $120–250/night per couple. Independent travel with guesthouse accommodation is possible for $60–100/day per person.

Five more beaches that almost made the top 15

These beaches did not quite crack the main list, but each one is a legitimate contender in its own right. **16. Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach) — Marietas Islands, Mexico.** A collapsed volcanic crater with a secret beach inside, accessible only by swimming through a short tunnel. Permits required, limited to 116 visitors per day. Surreal and unforgettable. Best month: November–May. **17. Anse Lazio — Praslin, Seychelles.** The runner-up to Anse Source d'Argent — some locals argue it is the better beach. Wider sand, better swimming, dramatic granite headlands. Less photographed, equally beautiful. **18. Tulum Beach — Quintana Roo, Mexico.** The Mayan ruins perched on the cliff above a Caribbean beach create a setting no other beach can replicate. The archaeological site is unique, the water is excellent, and the cenotes (freshwater sinkholes) nearby add a second dimension. Downside: the hotel zone is overpriced and over-Instagrammed. Visit the ruins at 8am opening, swim, and leave by noon. **19. Trunk Bay — St. John, US Virgin Islands.** Consistently ranked among the Caribbean's best for snorkelling. The underwater trail is marked with signs on the seabed. Calm, clear, and accessible (it is inside a US national park, so no passport needed for Americans). Gets crowded when cruise ships dock. **20. Balos Lagoon — Crete, Greece.** A shallow turquoise lagoon on Crete's remote northwest tip, accessible by boat from Kissamos or a rough dirt road followed by a 20-minute downhill walk. The colours are extraordinary. Avoid July–August (overcrowded with tour boats).

The most overrated beaches (and where to go instead)

Not every famous beach deserves its fame. After visiting over 100 beaches across six continents, here are the ones I think you should skip — and what to visit instead. **Maya Bay, Koh Phi Phi, Thailand.** Yes, it is beautiful. No, the experience of visiting it is not. Maya Bay was closed from 2018 to 2022 for environmental recovery, and the post-reopening rules help (timed entry, no swimming in the bay), but the reality is 300 people on a small beach with 15-minute time slots. The magic is gone. **Go instead:** Railay Beach (90 minutes by boat, dramatically better experience) or the Similan Islands (3 hours north, genuinely pristine). **Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.** Copacabana is a great urban promenade and a mediocre beach. The sand is grey, the water is often murky, and the crowds are overwhelming on weekends. It is worth walking, not worth swimming. **Go instead:** Lopes Mendes on Ilha Grande (3 hours from Rio, one of Brazil's best beaches — white sand, surf, jungle backdrop, minimal development). **Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii.** Waikiki is a high-rise hotel beach attached to a shopping mall. The sand is partially imported, the water is fine but unremarkable, and the crowd density rivals a public pool. The surf lesson scene is fun for first-timers, but as a beach destination, Waikiki is outclassed by almost every other Hawaiian beach. **Go instead:** Lanikai Beach (30 min from Waikiki, dramatically better sand and water, no high-rises) or Hapuna Beach on the Big Island. **Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia.** Bondi is a great neighbourhood with a fine beach — but 'best beach in Australia' it is not. The sand is coarse, the waves are strong (dangerous for casual swimmers), and the crowd culture is aggressive. **Go instead:** Hyams Beach in Jervis Bay (3 hours south, Guinness World Record for whitest sand) or Whitehaven. **Cancún Hotel Zone, Mexico.** The water is Caribbean-gorgeous, but the beach experience is a wall of all-inclusive resorts with loud music, aggressive vendors, and limited public access points. **Go instead:** Holbox Island (3 hours north, car-free island with bioluminescent plankton and whale shark snorkelling) or Tulum's south end.

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