Each year, the publication The World’s 50 Best Beaches lists the top coastlines around the world.
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Travel professionals from across the globe band together to nominate, discuss, and finalize selections. Their criteria? Factors like uniqueness, wildlife, the ‘soundtrack of nature’, accessibility, water calmness, and crowds regularly influence the final picks.
That means the best beaches in the world are unique, home to wildlife, unspoiled by humans, accessible, swimmable, not too crowded, and picturesque.
Not too high of a charge, huh?
Back in 2024, The World’s 50 Best Beaches decided to aggregate its first-place results from previous rankings. This mega-list is known as the Best of the Best List—and I’m counting down its top locations for you.
Here are the top beaches in the world according to the data—all of which I bet you haven’t heard of. (I certainly hadn’t.)
Lucky Bay, Australia
No. 1 Beach in the World (2023)
You won’t find an ugly beach on this list, so I won’t spend too much time expounding on pristine white sands and clear waters at Lucky Bay. (Although, seriously, I have never seen sand whiter than this beach. It almost burns the eyes.)
And anyway, at Lucky Bay, you’ll probably be more focused on the kangaroos, instead. These guys are friendly little beach hippies, from what I can tell. So if you make it to Lucky Bay, don’t be afraid of the wildlife—and don’t forget to snap some pictures.
Whitehaven Beach, Australia
Previously voted World’s Best Beach
Whitehaven Beach, similar to Australia’s Lucky Bay, has leagues of bright white sand—a full 7 km’s worth, in fact.
Most of the beach is extremely shallow thanks to sprawling sandbars, meaning you can wander through a half-real world of electric blue waters. The sand here is so microscopic that some visitors can even hear it squeaking as they walk.
Apparently, it’s also as soft as silk. Thanks to these sandbars, the waters are almost perpetually calm and bathwater warm. I’m physically relaxing just writing about it.
Navagio Beach or Shipwreck Beach, Greece
Previously voted World’s Best Beach
Greece isn’t short on stunning beaches. Actually, it might be suspicious to visit this Balkan country and not spend some time on a world-class beach.
But Navagio Beach is a bit different. I’d classify it as a cove; the only way to reach it is by boat, as the beach is surrounded by vertical, pale cliffs.
Oh, there’s also a shipwreck to explore. The rusted old ship is located square in the middle of Navagio Beach. You can explore the rusted old landmark while enjoying the crystal waters.
But keep in mind that this cove is sheltered by tall cliffs, which means the sunshine won’t last all day. Also, I’d imagine this spot gets crowded, especially during high season.
Honopu Beach, Hawaii
Located on Hawaii’s Na Pali Coast, you probably won’t be visiting Honopu Beach anytime soon.
First, it’s sacred to native islanders, which means day tours for tourists aren’t usually encouraged. Second, it’s highly remote and almost impossible to reach.
The beach itself is small and surrounded by towering mountains with orange-ish cliffsides. It’s a beautifully remote and rugged corner of Hawaii.
Keep in mind that if you plan on visiting, you’ll need to be an expert swimmer. The tides aren’t especially mellow at Honopu.
Hidden Beach, Philippines
Previously voted World’s Best Beach
I’ve covered the Philippines Palawan archipelago before. If it’s not on your list, it should be. Think of it like a tropical Ha Long Bay or China’s Zhangjiajie Mountains.
El Nido’s Hidden Beach is penned in by dark limestone rocks. Similar to Maya Bay (below), they’re draped with greenery.
The cove is almost entirely surrounded, meaning you’ll need to carefully find your way there by boat and then swim your way to shore. When you arrive, you’ll be treated to bathwater-warm and crystal-clear waters.
Maya Bay, Thailand
Previously voted World’s Best Beach
Ever heard of Koh Phi Phi? Nearby is another island called Koh Phi Phi Le, which is home to one of our world’s most iconic beaches.
According to The World’s 50 Best Beaches, it’s sometimes called ‘THE Beach’. (It’s where Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach was filmed…)
Similar to Greece’s Navagio Beach, this cove is surrounded by near-vertical cliffs. These dark-rock cliffs are covered in ripe, lush plantlife, similar to the Philippines’ Palawan region.
Unfortunately, over-tourism saw Maya Bay close a few years ago. It was reopened back in 2022 with new sustainability initiatives in place. Still, I’d say you might run into a few dense crowds here.