Best Beach in the World 2026

A limestone-enclosed bay on Phi Phi Leh whose access is carefully managed to protect its recovering marine environment.

A Whitsundays beach famous for extremely white silica sand and the swirling turquoise patterns of Hill Inlet.

A Seychelles beach on La Digue distinguished by giant granite boulders, pale sand and shallow turquoise water.

A dramatic Fernando de Noronha cove enclosed by green cliffs and facing clear Atlantic water rich in marine life.

A sheltered Cape Peninsula beach where granite boulders, clear water and a protected African penguin colony meet.

A compact Menorcan cove surrounded by pine-covered limestone slopes and clear blue Mediterranean water.

A palm-backed beach on Saona Island with pale sand, shallow Caribbean water and a largely natural setting.

A Maldivian island beach with a long sandbank, shallow turquoise lagoon water and a relaxed local-island setting.

A wide Aruba beach known for soft white sand, warm clear water and its distinctive wind-shaped fofoti trees.

A protected Cretan lagoon beach known for shallow turquoise water and stretches of naturally pink-tinted sand.

A secluded beach in Palawan framed by dramatic limestone cliffs, fine white sand and exceptionally clear water.

A crescent-shaped beach on Culebra with bright sand, clear Caribbean water and green hills surrounding the bay.

A remote Kefalonia cove surrounded by pale limestone cliffs, white pebbles and vivid turquoise Ionian water.

A wide stretch of soft white sand on Providenciales facing calm, exceptionally clear Caribbean water.

A Mauritius beach beneath Le Morne Brabant with a turquoise lagoon, reef-protected water and a mountainous backdrop.

A striking Madagascan island beach linked by a long white sandbar and surrounded by shallow tropical water.

A small tropical island in Aitutaki Lagoon with palm-lined white sand and intensely clear blue water.

A broad Zanzibar beach with white sand, warm Indian Ocean water and conditions popular with kitesurfers.

A Komodo National Park beach known for its naturally pink-tinted sand, clear water and rugged island scenery.

A protected bay near La Paz with shallow turquoise water, desert hills and distinctive white-sand coves.

A long Algarve beach bordered by distinctive red and ochre cliffs and an expansive Atlantic shoreline.

Grand Cayman's signature shoreline, combining soft pale sand, clear Caribbean water and a long walkable coast.

A long Caribbean beach in Anguilla with bright white sand, calm turquoise water and wide open sea views.

A spacious Florida Gulf Coast beach known for unusually fine quartz sand and a broad, gently sloping shoreline.

A broad, remote stretch of white sand in Western Australia known for clear turquoise water and an uncrowded coastline.