My “The Worlds Best Beaches” Ranking List is the list of my personal favorites. And I know that probably many gorgeous beaches are still missing – this certainly being true for all the great atolls and beaches in Polynesia, on Mauritius, the Seychelles, the Caribbean Islands…and many more. But I keep working on it. And the list will be extended eventually.
Anzeige*
There are several reasons why you like a beach or not. You may like big waves, which usually restricts the swimming. You may love to snorkel (as I do), but this is best in calm water and preferably no waves at all. So, very obviously there’s no perfect “got it all” beach.
My “Worlds Best Beaches Ranking List” contains a bit of everything – the great snorkeling beach (at the top – my personal favorites!), the picturesque, turquoise water beach, the white sand beach, the beach with medium sized waves to enjoy…
…and here’s my Top 20 “Worlds Best Beaches”, no. 11-22:
| No. | Beach | swimming | snorkeling | waves | comment | picture |
| 11 | Kiwengwa Beach, Zanzibar, Tanzania | + | + | – | Swimming only at low tide; otherwise nice for a beach walk and spotting star fishes |  |
| 12 | Plage de Palombaggia, Corse, France | ++ | + | + | Famous, beautiful – and pretty crowded |  |
| 13 | Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia | + | + | 0 | Spectacular white sand banks at low tide, | Picture coming soon! |
| 14 | Picnic Bay, Wilsons Promontory, Victoria, Australia | ++ | 0 | + | Cool water, beautiful serene setting |  |
| 15 | Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii | +++ (in summer) | 0 | +++ (in winter) | Calm sea in summer, famous big waves in winter – and one of the most famous surf spots in the world |  |
| 16 | Maenam Beach, Koh Samui, Thailand | ++ | 0 | 0 | Calm water, not as crowded as many other beaches on Koh Samui |  |
| 17 | Captiva Island, Florida, USA | ++ | + | 0 | Caribbean atmosphere in the gulf of Mexico, and wimming with dolfins, if you’re lucky |  |
| 18 | Plage de l’île Saint-Nicolas,
l’archipel des Glénan, Brittany |
+ | 0 | 0 | Spectacular colors, Carribean looks, but a lot cooler |  |
| 19 | Burning Palms Beach, near Figure 8 Pools, New South Wales, Australia | ++ | 0 | ++ | Waves, turquois water, and the spectacular figure 8 pools just around the corner |  |
| 20 | Cathedral Cove, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand | ++ | 0 | + | Spectacular rock and cave – if you dare to disregard the signpost and walk through the cave to the beach |  |
| 21 | Arena Gorda beach, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | ++ | ++ | + | Carribean beach, just as you imagine from picture books, coral reef close by, inlcuding a ship wreck |  |
| 22 | Maragas Beach, Naxos, Greese | ++ | 0 | + | Kilometers of sandy beach, always windy, great spot for wind surfing – and for sunsets |  |
| No. | Beach | swimming | snorkeling | waves | comment | picture |
…my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 10: Plage de Trévignon, located near the village of Trégunc in Brittany, France.
The beaches in Brittany are famous for the almost Caribbean appearance. Unfortunately, the appearance is deceptive – they don’t share the water temperature of their Caribbean sisters. That’s basically the reason why I cannot rank them higher – they look nice, but swimming is only for the hart-bitten. The same is true for the likewise beautiful beaches on the Glénan islands, nearby the Trévignon beach and as beautiful. Go for the view and prepare for refreshing experiences.
…my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 9: Thong Nai Pan Yai, Koh Phangan, Thailand – the most relaxing one
This beach is the most relaxing one I ever visited. Calm, warm water, sunbeds under palm trees and a “hippiesque” atmosphere. And for dinner tables are just placed onto the sand. Forget about time and space and just relax, live in the day and don’t worry about anything. Especially not about finances – holidays in Thailand are REALLY inexpensive.
…my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 8: the Three Tables Beach on the Oahu North Shore, Hawaii – representative for all the other great North Shore beaches (see also my related post)
There’s a reason why Hawaii is a dream destination for many people – beautiful beaches in front of an impressive volcanic jungle landscape. And that’s true. Despite their beauty and even on Oahu, the most populated Hawaiian island – the beaches are pretty serene (even more true for my no. 4, the Waimanalo beach) and deliver the picture postcard view that you’d expect. You’ll just have to pay for it – Hawaii does not come cheap. For more details, photos and descriptions, please view the post ” USA – Oahu, Hawaii: Skyscrapers at the beach and Jurassic Park jungle around the corner”
…my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 7, the Twilight Beach near Esperance in Western Australia – as beautiful as your imagination (see also my related post)
This looks pretty much like the perfect beach: long, open bay, fantastic white sand, turquois water at the beach, a deepening blue ocean, pictorial granite rocks. If…there wouldn’t be so many people on the beach. Twilight Beach is famous, and thus there are numerous tourists everyday populating the wonderful beach. Including the obvious concomitants: rackety kids, fishing adults, fuming barbeques (even if not allowed)…it could be so nice without. Nevertheless, Twilight beach is consistently found among the “best beaches of the world”, and for a good reason – the beach itself is absolutely stunning. For more details, photos and descriptions, please view the post “Australia – part 4, Western Australia: Fraser Range to Perth: the whitest beaches and a great city“.
…my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 6: Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula of the Northern island of New Zealand – the most special beach ever
This beach gets on the list for being pretty unique. During low tide, you can dig a hole in the sand and create your own hot spa – due to the omnipresent thermal activities on New Zealand’s Northern Island. This is most exceptional, if not unique in the world. The entire beach stretches for more than a kilometer. However, the thermal zone is restricted to small area towards the southern end of the beach. You can easily see the crowds at low tide. Just keep in mind to check the tides before going – during high tide it’s just a normal beach like hundreds on New Zealand’s east coast.
…my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 5: Lavezzi Islands, close to Corsica, France – serene (at least off-season) and of exceptional beauty
OK, it’s not easy to get there – you will probably have to come by boat. There is no accommodation except a five star hotel on the Île de Cavallo (with a small airstrip for private planes…). However, the island that is accessible for “the common” tourist” is as beautiful as the five-star one. Granite rock formations, colorful meadows in between, and small sandy coves – you’ll find it there. My advice is to go as early as possible in the morning – the later the day, the more tourists accumulate. As the Lavezzi islands are located south of Corsica and belong to France, July and especially August are the most crowded (and expensive) times of the year – better go in June or September.
…my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 4: Waimanalo Beach on the southeastern coast of Oahu – again Hawaii, and even more beautiful (see also my related post)
My no. 8 was on Oahu’s North shore, my no. 4 is located more south. It does not look completely different, but – in my eyes – is less famous and more recommendable. Less populated – in fact, there’s a good chance being the only person on the beach. Nice surf, turtles passing by, the picturesque landscape in the back – this beach does not leave a lot to be desired. As long as there are no “man-o-war” jellyfish. For more details, photos and descriptions, please view the post ” USA – Oahu, Hawaii: Skyscrapers at the beach and Jurassic Park jungle around the corner”
…my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 3: Fihalhohi Island, belonging to the Maldives – a tropical island dream coming true, if…
There’s no need to say a lot about the Maldives – they are undisputable some of the most beautiful places on earth. Small islands, surrounded by turquoise water and a colorful coral reef; palm trees swaying in the breeze. Just as you imagine a tropical paradise. Fihalhohi as it all, in particular the palm trees: there are almost 1000 trees on the small island, each with a number plate on it. Unfortunately, for some years now the island is afflicted by too many tourists, some of them even being carried to the island on a daily basis from cheaper places nearby. So, the beach definitely ranks among the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, but the view is disturbed – this being a plea towards the resort management to reconsider their “day tourist business”.
…my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 2: Hellfire Bay and Lucky Bay in the Cape Le Grand National Park in Western Australia – yes, again. For good reasons (see also my related post)
My no. 7 belongs to the “Esperance beaches” and my no. 2 as well. I’ve seen many beaches, but the beaches around Esperance definitely and objectively belong to the absolute top group. In fact, no. 2 splits in 2a and 2b – Lucky Bay and Hellfire Bay are two distinct beaches (as you can see in the pictures). But they are located next to each other, and that’s why I count them as one. I ranked especially Hellfire Bay so high, because it adds serenity to its beauty (in contrast to my no. 7, the more famous Twilight Beach). Taking into account the unique experience of getting in contact to kangaroos on the beach and dolphins in the water, no. 2 on my hit list is well deserved. For more details, photos and descriptions, please view the post “Australia – part 4, Western Australia: Fraser Range to Perth: the whitest beaches and a great city“.
…and finaly, my “Worlds Best Beaches” no. 1: Velidhu Island, Maldives – as close to the tropical island dream as it gets
All I said about the Maldives above (my no. 3) is true for Velidhu (http://velidhu.com.mv/) as well, and even more. On Velidhu, there are no day tourists spoiling the Robinson Crusoe feeling. You will sleep in small round houses, just footsteps away from your private beach (and sunbeds) next to the most turquoise water you can imagine. Millions of tropical ocean inhabitants complete the picture perfectly. There are more expensive islands among the Maldives with – probably – even more serene settings (like private pool above a private part of the ocean), but I’m not convinced they can top the feeling.
Therefore, here’s another appetizer from Velidhu: “my personal beach” during our vacation there.
*According to a German Court decision, all texts containing links to commercial pages (e.g. links to Tripadvisor, Airline, hotel or restaurant websites) have to be identified as “commercial” (in German “Anzeige”). As my texts do contain links like that, I therefore identify each post and page containing a link as “Anzeige”. However (and referring to the “About Me” page) I would like to point out that I do NOT post any sponsored content in my texts; I pay for all my trips myself.
