The sky is pitch black when you start work. It’s pitch black when you finish work. And, the small slice of daylight sandwiched between layers of darkness can often feel goth AF. It’s not unusual in this shades of gray world to spend a considerable amount of time thinking about lying on soft sand beneath a bright blue sky as turquoise waters lap against the shore. But, if you’re going to take travel a dream and turn it into reality, you want to pick the premiere destination, right?
Well, we have some suggestions. Recently, Flight Network – a Canadian website that specializes in providing travelers worldwide with deals on all aspects of travel – released a list of The World’s 50 Best Beaches, and they did their due diligence before naming names. Over 600 of the world’s best travel writers, editors, agencies, and bloggers were consulted for insights, making it both accurate and trustworthy. Beaches were scored based on their sheer untouched beauty, remoteness, sand and water quality, annual days of sunshine, and average annual temperature. In short: They took beaches very seriously.
We’ve gathered Flight Network’s top 15 favorites and some beach porn from Instagram and put together a visual tour for you. Learn about beaches worldwide, and start looking for some flight deals, because you deserve your time in the sun. Hell, maybe try and hit all of them, then you can join a world traveler’s club.
15. Muri Beach (Cook Islands)
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Muri Beach covers the full spectrum of beach activities — from the completely sloth-like to the fully active. For people whose fun in the sun skews toward adventure, it’s perfect for kite surfing, deep sea fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. For others, the warm weather and water are ideal for lying on a towel under the sun or floating on your back in the sea. Each year, 150,000 people are drawn to its teal waters and white sand with good reason; it’s the definitive getaway.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYwh24pAIha/
14. El Nido (Phillipines)
People looking for beachy perfection want blue-green lagoons in the shadow of massive cliff walls and rambling pearly white sand beaches. El Nido delivers it all. Plus, you have the chance to island hop among the other land masses in the Bacuit Archipelago. There’s a lot of exploration to do, including taking a boat rides to scout rock formations, visits to neighboring towns with beachfront bars and mouthwatering restaurants, and treks through remote terrain.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcCn6kVH9ic/
13. Blue Lagoon (Fiji)
Settled on the shores of Nacula, a hilly volcanic Fijian island, Blue Lagoon welcomes you to dig your toes into the silky white sand and snorkel in crystal clear water. You can only access the beach via seaplane or boat, and either option means gorgeous views of verdant crests rising from the turquoise waters of the sea. This wild, untouched heaven also includes paths leading to coves, a lagoon, and mangrove swamps — so you have a lot of recreational opportunities on land.
In the water, get your snorkel on and explore the colorful, shallow coral just off the coast.
12. Pig Beach (Bahamas)
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Red Alert!! This is not a drill. There are feral pigs, and you can hang out with them, nestled amongst the Exumas, a chain of 300, largely uninhabited islands known primarily for their transcendent beaches. You can only get there by boat, so you may find yourself with more friendly pig companions than people. Swim with the spotted little swine in crystal clear teal water, look past them to the swaying palms, and relax next to them on the soft sand beaches as they nap and sun themselves.
And of course, take a million pictures of them because they are adorable.
11. Maya Bay (Thailand)
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Maya Beach was the filming location of Danny Boyle’s The Beach, which indicates that it’s a quintessential destination. On the coastline of Ko Phi Phi Leh, this reserve of paradise is exactly what a person expects when they think of beachy perfection: while, pillowy sands; brilliantly colored coral, and unbelievable green cliffs. With ten hours of sun a day, you can get your tan on for sure, but you can also snorkel in the turquoise waters and take private boat trips. This is one of the most accessible beaches on the list though, so you won’t be soak up rays by your lonesome (unless you camp overnight so that you can wait out the daytrippers).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbRZq66l9KJ/
10. Trunk Bay (US Virgin Islands)
More than fifty years ago, Trunk Bay was donated to the National Park Service because it was so beloved and revered by visitors. Thanks to that action, it’s now one of the best maintained beaches on earth. The silky sands invite beach goers to lie down and watch the azure water creep up the coral beach. But, you can also take a ton of pictures because colorful sea life abounds and the clear water lets you pimp your Instagram account like crazy.
There’s also a 205 meter underwater snorkeling trail. Yes. That’s a thing.
9. Hidden Beach (Mexico)
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Hidden Beach’s name points pretty clearly to how remote this beach is. Literally, you have to take an hour-long boat ride from Puerto Vallarta on the Islas Marietas. Then you have to spring from the boat and swim or kayak through a tunnel to even reach the shore — because this beach is located inside a cave with a large opening, perfect for sunbathing in the roof. The hole is leftover from World War I bombing practices engaged in by Mexican forces. And, the number of visitors is really limited, so you can expect to have this unbelievable destination all to yourself.
8. Hyams Beach (Australia)
Located along the Jervis Bay on the South Coast of New South Wales, Hyams Beach is covered in lush white sands that invite visitors to bask in the sun’s rays. And, you wanna talk white sands? These were awarded the Guinness record for being the whitest in the word. Beachcombers can sink their toes into the bright sand or dive into the crystal clear water for some underwater exploration.
Alternatively, the neighboring Jervis Bay National Park is punctuated with craggy rocks and lush foliage, making it great for hiking.
7. Playa Paraiso (Mexico)
There are a lot of beaches in Mexico, but Playa Paraiso in the Riviera Maya is the best — with it’s startlingly white sands and dazzling blue-green waters. The beach itself is ideal for relaxing with a cocktail, and the coral reef resting offshore is ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling. There are 290 annual days of sun shining on this beach, so you have a lot of travel dates available to you.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcAtwXvhLj4/
6. Baia Dos Porcos
Hey, it’s another beach with “pig” in the name, so that’s clearly a thing. But, this beach is sans actual pigs, which feels like a downer. However, there are turtles and other wildlife that are also exciting to watch and photograph. You can let your inner zookeeper run wild. Well, if you have the energy after you hike in. It’s sincerely remote and if you choose to hike, you should get a guide because the terrain can get rough.
The upside of the difficult trek is that you will have it all to yourself.
5. Navagio Beach (Greece)
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This exposed cove on the coast of Zakynthos is home to the famous wreck of a ship called Panagiotis, and people come from across the globe to grab snapshots and hot pics for their ‘gram. Fine white gravel sands sit between pastel blue waters and large cliffs, gilded with sunlight. Experts recommend traveling to the beach over the water, so the views can slowly captivate you on your approach. But, you can also hire a personal driver to take you by quad or motorbike and that’s pretty rad, too.
4. Pink Sands Beach (Bahamas)
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Pink sands! Hot damn. Need we even say more? At nearly 5 kilometers of gorgeous coastline, Pink Sands Beach offers beautiful colored sands as far as you can see. Made of the vivid red and pink shells of the microscopic Foraminifera insects, the sands are silky and offer a lovely contrast to the turquoise waters along Harbour Island.
As you can imagine, the freaking sunsets are dope. We are talking once in a lifetime vistas that you won’t easily top.
3. Anse Lazio (Seychelles)
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Generally considered one of the most stunning beaches on Earth, Anse Lazio boasts clear, warm waters and a swath of coconut palms settled against massive granite boulders. It’s a sunlit tropical paradise that offers golden sands and teal waters to charm visitors. You can just as easily lounge in powdery, warm sand or dive into warm waters (they average 27ºC annually) for some swimming or snorkeling.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA-uDrPnHfs/
2. Whitehaven Beach (Australia)
At 98 percent silica, the sands of Whitehaven Beach are among the whitest in the entire world. But, will take some work to experience it as you can only access this specific seven kilometers of coastline by seaplane, boat, or helicopter. That is some baller beach going. Plus, the beach is backed by tree-covered mountains that house green rainforests, giving the expanse of coast a spectacular background.
INSIDER TIP: You can camp right on the beach! And it’s cheap!
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1. Grace Bay (Turks and Caiscos)
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With a whopping 319 days of annual sunshine and perfect scores in both sand/ water quality and sheer untouched beauty, Grace Bay is unquestionably a valid recipient of the award for best beach on Earth. It is iconic amongst beachgoers, in part because of a protective and colorful barrier reef limits the swells and makes it an perfect place to soak in warm, clear water.
And the sand is soft and beautiful — without seaweed, rocks, or pollution. It’s legit pristine.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcC7oiZDxo_/
