's Top 50+ Beaches
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Bentota // Sri Lanka
Amila Tennakoon Bentota Beach is famous for its breathtaking scenery. Backed by tall cocnut palms, this is a secluded beach with beautiful golden sand stretching out to the clear blue waters. This is low-key and chilled out spot with quiet surroundings, and people come here to relax.
The water is safe for swimming unless you see red flags which indicate there are strong… read more »
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Sandhammaren // Sweden
Olaf2 The expansive, white sands of Sandhammaren beach are rated among the best in Skåne, if not Sweden. Sitting in at the very southerly tip of Sweden the beach here is unsurprisingly wild. Shaped by the wind coming off the Baltic Sea the backdrop here is an expanse of low sand dunes, and very little sign of human activity. In fact… read more »
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Mission Bay // New Zealand
gérard Mission Bay Beach lies on the southern coastline of Waitemata Harbour in Auckland's Eastern Bays region, roughly seven kilometres from the heart of New Zealand's biggest city. It is generally reached by enjoying the stunning vistas along Tamaki Drive. Those with an eye for landscapes will also want to visit Bastion Point, overlooking the expanse of the harbour, while even… read more »
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Whangamata Beach // New Zealand
Simon Morris Recently voted the best beach in the country by New Zealanders, Whangamata Beach is also famed for its breaks, and welcomes surfers from across the globe eager to tackle the left hand break of Whangamata Bar. But if you're not expert enough on a board to try your hand at this just yet, there are plenty of gentle peaks for… read more »
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Caesarea Aqueduct Beach // Israel
Shai knaani Roughly halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa is Caesarea, a coastal town bursting with history. Dating back to the reign of King Herod, 2000 years ago, Caesarea was a major port. Today the remains of the harbor are one of several surviving archaeological gems to be found here.
One such surviving ancient structure is the Caesarea Aqueduct which carried water… read more »
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Zuma Beach // USA
tmastro One of largest and most popular beaches in Los Angeles County, Zuma Beach has clean waters and wide sands that extend for a total of around two miles. The location for the famous final scene in the original 1968 version of Planet of the Apes, it is now better known by the surfing community for its breaks, with Zuma Beach… read more »
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Yelapa // Mexico
Jordan Schwartz One of the more traditional and quaint beaches in Mexico, Playa del Yelapa is an old hippy hangout that still retains much of its old world charm with its laid back vibe and rustic atmosphere around the pier.
It occupies a beautiful position on a charming bay and backed by tropical hills and fringed with coconut palm trees.
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Anchor Bay // New Zealand
Nick Allen North facing Anchor Bay lies approximately 1.5 hours north of Auckland in Tawharanui Regional Park. Found on a peninsula of land of the same name, it sits between Kawau Bay to the south and Omaha Beach to the north.
One of Auckland's east coast beaches, grassy dunes shaded by pohutukawa trees slip down onto a wide expanse of pale sand… read more »
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Unawatuna Beach // Sri Lanka
Bernard Gagnon Unawatuna Beach is one of the most popular and best-known tourist destinations in Sri Lanka. The beach, with its golden sands, is backed by palm trees interspeersed with cafes and bars. The waters here are sheltered, clear and blue. Some say the beach is shaped like a banana, although most would probably call it a crescent.
On the west end of… read more »
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Hiriketiya Beach // Sri Lanka
Hiriketiya Beach is another Sri Lankan spot with fantastic surfing and a slow-paced beachy life. The small horseshoe-shaped bay is lined with coconut palms, and beginner surfers can learn on one side while the more advanced surfers can catch bigger, more powerful waves on the other.
Arugam BayThere are a few cafes along the beach as well as a… read more »
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Sveti Jakov // Croatia
dronepicr Within a stone's throw of Dubrovnik's Old Town a the beautiful bay which is home to Sveti Jakov Beach. Beyond the translucent, sapphire waters are views to Dubrovnik's Old Town itself. This makes it a great spot for escaping the crowds and basking in the afternoon sun after a day's sightseeing in the city.
More local sites include the historic Sv.… read more »
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Rainbow Beach // Australia
© Daniel Jurin Situated a half hour drive north from Noosa, Queensland's Rainbow Beach offers a world of attractions beyond its light-coloured sands stretching on seemingly to infinity beyond the bay's natural curve.
Its name comes from the mineral rich cliffs that surround the beach forming an array of colours, which local aboriginal folklore says is the result of a rainbow spirit crashing… read more »
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Stinson Beach // USA
Mark Gunn Situated within California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Stinson Beach lies approximately 30 kilometres northwest of San Francisco along Highway 1, making it a popular day trip for residents of the city.
This long stretch of sand offers a relatively shallow entry into the waters of the Pacific, which can be a little on the cold side. However, as one… read more »
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Playa de las Catedrales // Spain
© makasanaphoto Playa de las Catedrales is subdivided into two parts by a series of majestic natural rock arches from which the beach in northern Spain takes its name. A Galician Natural Monument under its official name of Praia de Augas Santas (Beach of the Holy Waters), it is located approximately 10 kilometres (six miles) west of the town of Ribadeo.
During high… read more »
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Vikingsholm Beach // USA
Jonathan Fox Set on the shores of an almost closed-in Lake Tahoe bay, Vikingsholm Beach is located within Emerald Bay State Park on the southwest of the lake. Overlooked by a 1920s mansion now open to the public between May and September each year, the beach is reached via a steep trail not recommended for those with limited mobility.
Those who do make… read more »