With all due respect to mountain people, there's simply nothing in this world like a beautiful beach. Whether your personal beach style is rustic and remote or well-equipped and lively, our curated list offers a peek into some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. On any of these beaches, you can find some of the world's softest sand, clearest waters, or dramatic views that feel downright cinematic.
Saud Beach, Philippines
If you're searching for Southeast Asian beach bliss, super-mellow Saud Beach on the island of Luzon is a sure thing. Its white sand pitches gradually into the clear-as-glass water, like a real-world example of a zero-entry swimming pool. Swim in the peaceful waves, lunch under a thatch-roof cabana under the palms, or hire an outrigger for excursions on the water.
Hanalei Bay, Hawaii
Long before Hollywood put it on the tourist map (first with "South Pacific" in 1958, then "The Descendants" half a century later), Kauai's Hanalei Bay attracted locals for its near-mystical beauty. Its beaches — Wai'oli, Hanalei Pavilion, and Black Pot — are framed by jade-colored mountains rising 4,000 feet high. The area is popular with surfers in the winter, when the waves pick up size and speed.
Copacabana, Brazil
Perhaps the most famous beach in the world, glam Copacabana Beach has just about everything going for it: three miles of glorious golden sand, a party vibe, and a dazzling skyline of jagged mountains and Art Deco and modernist architecture. Even the beach boulevard, a Portuguese-inspired black-and-white mosaic design by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, is a visual knockout. The beach acts as Rio de Janiero's social hub (especially on weekends), with locals sunbathing, promenading, and playing volleyball, and vendors selling everything from popsicles and shrimp skewers to caipirinhas and ice-cold beer. Copa's glory days may be behind it — Leblon and Ipanema are now the chicer "it spots" — but the vintage appeal is part of its charm.
Cape Le Grand National Park, Australia
On the remote southern coast of Western Australia, 39 miles from the nearest city of Esperance, Cape Le Grand National Park is home to several distinctly beautiful beaches and bays. The Coastal Trail winds through heath-covered bluffs, visiting Hellfire Bay's granite boulders and clear blue waters and Lucky Bay, home to some of the world's whitest sand. For a bird's-eye view, hike the 1.5-mile, wildflower-strewn Frenchman Peak Trail.
Grayton Beach, Florida
There is no shortage of beautiful beaches in Florida, the peninsula-state that boasts 1,350 miles of coastline shared between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea. Since beaches in Florida can get quite busy, we recommend going off the beaten path and into the panhandle to Grayton Beach in South Walton, between Pensacola and Panama City. Boasting 400 acres of fine white sand and a unique lake within the sand dunes that's perfect for kayakers, you can enjoy a less developed Florida beach and the adjacent town scores extra points for its quirky persona.
Anse Source D'Argent, Seychelles
The word "Seychelles" conjures the very image of a dreamy, far-flung paradise. Luckily, the Seychelles reality every bit measures up to the fantasy, with exquisite beaches, intensely green nature reserves, and majestic wildlife at every turn. Anse Source D'Argent exemplifies the unique Seychellois beach formula, defined by a translucent lagoon perfect for snorkeling and wavy granite boulders that seem tossed onto the shore by ancient giants.
Whitehaven Beach, Australia
In terms of must-visit sites in Australia, Whitehaven Beach is up there with Sydney Opera House and Noosa National Park. From above, the destination's ever-shifting swirl of salt-white sand and brilliant blue water resemble a precious marbled jewel. Made of extremely fine, silica-rich quartz, the squeaky-soft sand is some of the smoothest and whitest in the world. To reach this paradise, you can fly into the Hamilton Island Airport and take a ferry to the Whitsunday Islands.
Le Morne, Mauritius
Go to just about any shore in Mauritius, and you'll find a reef-protected beach with calm, clear water ideal for swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling. Le Morne is particularly noteworthy for its two-and-a-half miles of sugar-soft sand (beaches in Mauritius are often rough with broken-up coral) densely lined with palm and pine-like filao trees. The sheltered lagoon waters stretch to the horizon and the kitesurfing conditions are perhaps the best in the world. For dramatic effect, the nearby Le Morne Mountain looms large.
Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands
Sand as soft as talcum powder; turquoise water as calm as a lake; water sports, beach bars, and luxury resorts: World-renowned Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman has it all. The beauty in a miles-long beach (albeit not quite seven miles — it's closer to five and a half) is that everyone's happy. Travelers looking for a social atmosphere and high-octane fun can find it in a snap, while those just wanting to plop under an umbrella with a good book have no shortage of quiet hideouts on the sand.
La Pelosa Beach, Italy
On the island of Sardinia, here's a beach that's beautiful and knows it. Between June and September, prospective beachgoers must pre-book and pay an entry fee online. There are also rules upon arrival, such as using beach mats under towels, no smoking, and wearing your wristband at all times. These rules prevent overcrowding so everyone can enjoy La Pelosa's bone-white sands and shimmering clear shallows. An Aragonese stone watchtower on neighboring Asinara island completes the scene. Other must-see Sardinian beaches include Porto Giunco, Spiaggia La Cinta, Cala Mariolu, and Spiaggia di Cala Coticcio.
Matira Beach, French Polynesia
The islands of French Polynesia are associated with beachy, tropical splendor. Matira Beach gets an honorable mention for its size, cleanliness, and incredible beauty — picture fluffy white sand, calm turquoise water as far as the eye can see, and lush volcanic hills peaking in the distance. Matira is Bora Bora's biggest public beach, yet its scene is mellow and subdued. Beachgoers are usually napping on towels, wading in the knee-deep water, or visiting the beach's boutiques and cafes.
Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos' Grace Bay Beach is consistently rated one of the top beaches in the world, and really, it's no wonder why. This magnificent beach has the sublime combo of white sand and warm azure sea. Topping it off is Princess Alexandra Marine Park just offshore, where snorkelers can peer in on the underwater world populated by majestic rays, green and hawksbill turtles, and dazzling fish of all colors of the rainbow. This may be one of the most popular beaches in the world, but there's plenty of room for everyone — between Grace Bay and neighboring Leeward and Bight beaches, visitors have seven continuous miles of beach to explore.
Praia de Marinha, Portugal
Golden sand and striking limestone cliffs are calling cards for beaches in Portugal's southern Algarve region. Picking the most beautiful is like splitting hairs, but special honors go to Praia de Marinha for its rustic, end-of-the-world appeal and lack of commercial build-up. Other quintessential Algarve must-visit beaches include Praia dos Três Irmãos, Praia de Benagil, Praia da Falésia, and the super-sheltered Carvalho Beach.
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