Full List of Winning Beaches Revealed, Canada Reviews

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is right around the corner, meaning it’s about time to start planning a proper beach holiday. And what better place to start than with the annual global rundown of the World’s 50 Best Beaches? 

The 2026 hotlist has just dropped, featuring 50 stunning shorelines across the globe. There are beaches of all stripes on this year’s list, from a tiny teardrop-shaped island in the Philippines to an Australian cove frequented by dolphins and a pink sand beach named after Princess Diana in Barbuda. 

How are the World’s 50 Best Beaches selected?

The ranking is created on the back of a vigorous selection process. Over 1,000 travel pros nominate their favourite beach, which are then vetted by the team at World’s 50 Beaches in collaboration with a dedicated team of ‘Beach Ambassadors’ (who each nominate three beaches themselves).

Each beach is then ranked across eight criteria: uniqueness, wildlife, untouched nature, soundtrack of nature, easy to enter water, calm water, lack of crowds and the odds of perfect conditions. 

What is the world’s best beach in 2026?

Topping the list as the best beach in the world this year is Entalula Beach in the Philippines, an ‘overlooked slice of heaven’ in the province of Palawan. It’s not hard to see why this place clinched the gold: a picture-perfect white sand stretch, backed by limestone cliffs and shaded by towering palms, with some of the most crystalline water you can find.

It fringes a small, wild island of the same name, and has retained its beauty thanks to its seclusion (it’s only accessible by boat). Unique, untouched and not too crowded: the winning formula for the world’s best beach, according to the ranking.

RECOMMENDED: The best beaches in Europe in 2026, according to

Second place this year goes to Fteri Beach on Kefalonia in Greece, praised for its white pebble-and-sand beach and dramatic limestone cliffs. In third is Western Australia’s Wharton Beach, known for dolphin-spotting and surfing, while fourth place is claimed by Nosy Iranja in Madagascar, where two islets are connected by a 2-kilometre sandbar that disappears in high tide.

World’s 50 Best Beaches in 2026: The full list

Here are all 50 beaches that made the ranking this year (and you can check out the 2025 best beaches list here).

1. Entalula Beach, Philippines
2. Fteri Beach, Greece
3. Wharton Beach, Australia
4. Nosy Iranja, Madagascar
5. East Beach, Vomo Island, Fiji
6. Shoal Bay East, Anguilla
7. Dhigurah, Maldives
8. Playa Balandra, Mexico
9. Koh Rong, Cambodia
10. Donald Duck Bay, Thailand
11. Cayo De Agua, Venezuela
12. Cala Macarella, Spain
13. One Foot Island, Cook Islands
14. Princess Diana Beach, Barbuda
15. Turquoise Bay, Australia
16. PK 9 Beach, French Polynesia
17. Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos
18. Cala Dei Gabbiani, Italy
19. Saadiyat Beach, UAE
20. Canto De La Playa, Dominican Republic
21. Wineglass Bay, Australia
22. Pink Beach, Indonesia
23. Paradise Beach, Thailand
24. Anse Sourse d’Argent, Seychelles
25. Kalanggaman, Philippines
26. Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands
27. Freedom Beach, Thailand
28. Siesta Beach, USA
29. Kaputas Beach, Türkiye
30. Cayo Zapatilla, Panama
31. The Baths, British Virgin Islands
32. Cabo San Juan Del Guia, Colombia
33. Baia Do Sancho, Brazil
34. Porto Katsiki, Greece
35. Santa Giulia, France
36. Blue Lagoon, Fiji
37. Playa Xpu Ha, Mexico
38. Ofu Beach, American Samoa
39. Playa Cofete, Spain
40. Le Morne Beach, Mauritius
41. Flamenco Beach, Puerto Rico
42. Grand Anse, Grenada
43. Praia Da Falesia, Portugal
44. Pontal Do Atalaia, Brazil
45. Boulder Beach, South Africa
46. Porto Timoni, Greece
47. Paje Beach, Zanzibar
48. La Pelosa, Italy
49. Cas Abao, Curaçao
50. Keem Beach, Ireland

Did you see that these are the world’s best new hotels in 2026?

Plus: The affordable Lake Como ‘dupe’ named the prettiest place in Europe. 

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