There are plenty of beautiful places on this planet that feel more like heaven than earth, but some of the most heavenly are the long stretches of gleaming white sand with calm, blue waves lapping at the shore.
So, where can we find these paradise-like beaches? Well, the World’s 50 Best Beaches might be a good place to start. The annual list is back for another year with a shiny new ranking, created with the input and expertise of more than 1,000 travel professionals.
Each beach has been assessed on its wildlife, unique characteristics, how untouched it is, the frequency of idyllic conditions, business, accessible water, calmness of water and the soundtrack of nature, and these 50 ranked the best.
Recommended: These are the 30 best beaches in the world, according to .
Claiming first place as the world’s very best beach is Cala Goloritzè, a beautiful stretch of coast in east Sardinia, Italy. It was formed back in 1962 after a landslide, and has been a UNESCO-protected site since 1995 – boats cannot venture any closer than 200 metres from the shore, so you’ll either have to dock and swim inland to make the most of it, or go via the hiking trail.
It’s worth noting that entry to the beach costs €7 per person, but with the rugged limestone backdrop and glimmering blue waters, getting in to see the views is a no-brainer.
In second place is Entalula Beach in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines, which has steep, cliffy backdrops and coral reefs just offshore, and in third place is Bang Bao Beach on the Thai island of Koh Kood. Read on for the full top 50, and check out last year’s ranking here.
These are officially the 50 best beaches in the world
- Cala Goloritzè, Italy
- Entalula Beach, Philippines
- Bang Bao Beach, Thailand
- Fteri Beach, Greece
- PK 9 Beach, French Polynesia
- Canto de la Playa, Dominican Republic
- Anse Source D’Argent, Seychelles
- Nosy Iranja, Madagascar
- Ofu Beach, American Samba
- Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos
- Turquoise Bay, Australia
- Boulders Beach, South Africa
- Pink Beach, Indonesia
- Shoal Bay East, Anguilla
- Detwah Lagoon, Yemen
- Voutoumi Beach, Greece
- One Foot Island, Cook Islands
- Playa de Rodas, Spain
- Playa Balandra, Mexico
- Pontal do Atalaia, Brazil
- Wharton Beach, Australia
- Cayo de Agua, Venezuela
- Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands
- Cayo Zapatilla, Japan
- Baia Do Sancho, Brazil
- Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda
- Pulau Palambak, Indonesia
- Freedom Beach, Thailand
- The Baths, British Virgin Islands
- Anse Georgette, Seychelles
- Ffryes Beach, Antigua & Barbuda
- Grand Anse, Grenada
- Le Morne Beach, Mauritius
- Bahía de las Águila, Dominican Republic
- Meads Bay, Anguila
- Porto Katsiki, Greece
- Nudey Beach, Australia
- Bon Bon Beach, Philippines
- Saadiyat Beach, UAE
- Goyambokka Beach, Sri Lanka
- Playa Punta Uva, Costa Rica
- Siesta Beach, USA
- Paje Beach, Zanzibar
- Klein Bonaire Beach, Bonaire
- Cathedral Cove Beach, New Zealand
- Santa Giulia, France
- Gardner Bay, Ecuador
- Keem Beach, Ireland
- Kuramathi Sand Bank, Maldives
- La Pelosa, Italy
Oh, and these are the world’s 30 best beaches, according to us at .
Did you see that these are the world’s 100 best new hotels, according to Travel + Leisure?
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.
