A beach holiday is one of the best ways to completely change your surroundings, restore frayed nerves, and return from vacation tanned to the envy of your "pale-faced" colleagues.
For your inspiration, we have prepared for you Top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. The list includes beaches from all over the world, from Australia to Russia – there's plenty to choose from.
10. Australia, Darwin, Lee Point Beach
Lee Point in Australia opens our list of the world's best beaches. The beaches around Darwin are quite popular with locals. It's no wonder—when a day with a temperature of 29°C is considered mild, it's especially pleasant to step out onto the beach, where a constant cool breeze blows from the sea. The wide expanses of sand, picturesque sunsets, and vibrant nature attract contemplative types. The sandy stretch alternates between busy areas with well-developed infrastructure and semi-wild spots where there's only sun, sand, rocks, and you.
Advice: Sunlight in Australia is not only a joy but also a pain: the country has the highest skin cancer rate in the world. So, be sure to pack sunscreen with the highest SPF and cover all exposed skin with it, even if the sky is overcast.
9. Anguilla, Shoal Bay Beach
All the Caribbean islands are beautiful, but Anguilla stands out even among the rest. The terrain is gentle, and the beaches are incredibly long and wide. It's a popular vacation spot for the rich and famous, who want to escape the limelight. The average life expectancy for the local population is 80.8 years, which is hardly surprising given such a beautiful environment.
Anguilla's true gem is Shoal Bay Beach, with its ultra-white sand and crystal-clear water. The weather is perfect almost year-round, crowds are few, and since there's no industry on the island, there's no air pollution. Many tourists feel like they've entered paradise.
Luckily, for those of us without a million-dollar bank account, the nearby island of Saint Martin has equally beautiful beaches. Getting there is easy—just a pleasant hour's boat ride.
8. England, Saunton Sands Beach
Situated near Croyde Beach, a famous English surfing destination, Saunton Sands is a typical English beach, about three and a half kilometers long, with soft, golden sand. It's bordered by the sea on one side and a chain of dunes on the other, where locals and tour companies rent out small cottages to tourists.
The beach is quite crowded – locals and tourists alike wander around, dogs chase Frisbees, and sometimes you might even stumble across a band playing Bob Marley. It's a great place to spend a couple of days enjoying the resort atmosphere and the mild, pleasant Devon sunshine.
Bring a surfboard, make friends with the neighbor's dogs who throw balls at your feet and look expectantly into your eyes, bask in the sun in the dunes, or indulge in strawberries and cream on the terrace of one of the beach cafes. And if you're looking for a fun and intellectual experience, there are more than enough attractions nearby for the area.
7. Spain, Cies Islands, Rodas Beach
The Cíes Islands are part of the Atlantic Ocean Islands Marine National Park. There are actually three islands: Monteagudo, Faro, and São Martinho. Faro is connected to Monteagudo by a long sandy strip stretching for over a kilometer. This sandy strip is called Rodas Beach.
This beach is recommended for nature lovers, especially those who enjoy taking photos and videos of animals. Due to the unique natural conditions, it's teeming with all sorts of creatures, from the ubiquitous seagulls to dolphins. It's a wonderful place for hiking and diving. The wonderfully clean air (the islands are completely devoid of industry), beautiful landscapes, and pristine beach make it ideal for a family vacation.
However, the national park imposes its own restrictions:
- up to two thousand people can visit the islands per day;
- You can only move along specially laid paths;
- It is forbidden to spend the night on the islands or make fires;
- and the garbage must be taken with you and thrown away on the continent.
6. Cambodia, Koh Rong Samloem, Sunset Beach
Getting to one of Cambodia's most beautiful beaches isn't easy. First, you need to catch a ferry from the mainland, then walk about an hour through the forest from the island's main port (beware of fire ants, they bite hard). Luckily, there are comfortable places to stay on the beach, so you might even fall asleep to the soothing sound of the ocean that same night. Hammocks are everywhere, so finding the perfect spot for an Instagram selfie is easy.
The beach's fine orange sand contrasts pleasantly with the blue water, and the silhouette of an abandoned pier adds a touch of romance (again, it looks beautiful in the photo against the sunset sky). But the real life is just beneath the surface. As soon as you dip your toe in, a curious fish will swim up and begin studying you as intently as you do them.
The deeper you go, the larger, more diverse, and more astonishingly colorful the fish are. Sunset Beach is rightly named—it offers stunning views of the bay. The view for miles ahead is unobstructed, allowing you to admire the richness of the tropical sunset's colors without interruption.
5. Costa Rica, Playa Chiquita Beach
Costa Rica is bordered on both sides by two oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic, and boasts a wealth of beautiful beaches. Playa Chiquita is no exception – its soft, golden sand, smooth bottom, and clear water are ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
The beach's unique feature is that, thanks to its unique coastline, it's divided into several sections, where coves alternate with open spaces. So, if one section seems too crowded, you can find hidden passages to secluded, uncrowded spots where you can swim and sunbathe in near-total solitude.
4. Russia-Lithuania, Curonian Spit
One of the most beautiful places in Russia, with white sand beaches, picturesque dunes, pine forests fragrant with sun-warmed resin, delicious smoked fish, and excellent bike paths. This is the place for you if you don't enjoy crowds or tropical sun, but enjoy nature, the sometimes cool Baltic breeze, and an inspiring environment.
The spit is a narrow strip, only 3-4 kilometers wide, but it stretches for more than 100 km and is distinguished by a variety of landscapes - here forests border the desert, and the desert - with a well-equipped beach or a picturesque fishing village.
The spit is also one of the best places to admire sunsets. In the north, sunsets aren't as lightning-fast as at the equator, so grab a blanket, a bottle of beer, and some smoked fish, and settle into a cozy spot in the dunes. Then you'll witness a wondrous spectacle: the sky lights up with rich gold, red, and purple hues before turning a deep blue with a dense scattering of stars.
3. Türkiye, Kusadasi beach
A list of the most beautiful beaches would be incomplete without mentioning Turkey, a favorite destination among Russians. One of the most beautiful beaches in this country (and there are many) is Kusadasi. The water there has a rich, deep blue-green hue; it's easy to see why this part of the country is called the "Turquoise Coast." The hills lining the beach are covered with pine and cedar trees, making the entire coastline literally fragrant on a sunny summer day.
The resorts on the Turquoise Coast are secluded but very pleasant – quite a few beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag for cleanliness and well-maintained conditions. And if you're a misanthrope, you can take a yacht ride to hidden coves, where you can swim and bask in the sun to your heart's content without the annoying presence of other bipeds nearby.
2. Philippines, Surigao del Sur, Barobo, Cabgan Island
There are approximately seven thousand islands in the Philippines, so there are many, and very beautiful, beaches. The most famous of them are located in Kalibo, Palawan, and Cebu, but few know about Kabgan. This beach is located near the quiet, sleepy town of Barobo in the district of Surigao del Sur.
There are few people there, the beach is long and clean, bordered by deep-colored water on one side and coconut trees on the other. It's a perfect spot for those who enjoy unexplored, quiet places where they can be alone with the world around them without annoyingly loud music or the antics of entertainers.
Incidentally, Kabgan isn't the only island; nearby are Turtle Island and the unique Vanishing Island, which actually disappears from view at high tide.
1. South Africa, Cape Town, Bloubergstrand beach
This beach has long been a favorite of two groups: surfers and photographers. Surfers and photographers choose Bloubergstrand for its excellent kitesurfing opportunities – the combination of wind and waves on this beach can provide a wealth of enjoyment for both beginners and seasoned kitesurfers.
Photographers are primarily drawn to the bizarre local rock formation, Table Mountain. The beach offers excellent views. On sunny days, the beach is bustling with life, with families picnicking, adults swimming and sunbathing, and children playing in the waves. And on less crowded days, if you're lucky, you might spot a seal in the distant waves.