North America's Top 50+ Beaches

• Will Rogers State Beach // USA

  

  Will Rogers sits between two illustrious neighbours, Malibu and Santa Monica, just to the north of Los Angeles. Stretching for nearly 3 miles this is a great option when the city beaches become too busy.

  The long sandy beach here is everything you would imagine of a South Californian beach. Surf from the deep blue pacific, permanent sunshine… read more »

• Miami Beach // USA

  

  Located on a barrier island, Miami Beach is a continuation to the north of the white sands that Miami's South Beach is famous for. Miami beaches are said to be the best in the USA, and arguably the most famous.

  Miami Beach stretches from 21st to 45th Street and is a mecca for tourists, dog walkers, sunbathers and anyone… read more »

• Sandy Neck Beach // USA

  

  Set in the relative shelter of Cape Cod Bay, Sandy Neck Beach is a large, long beach with pebbly sand. In fact it is six miles long, and you can get an off-road permit for the 4x4 vehicle trails. Thse trails lead to the tip of the sandy spit and around the southside of the extensive sand dunes.

  If you… read more »

• Joseph Sylvia State Beach // USA

  

  This glorious Joseph Sylvia State Beach has soft white sand and shallow water and is one of the most popular public beaches on Martha's Vineyard (many of the beaches are privately owned or for residents only).

  Stretching 5 miles between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, this easterly facing beach is on a spit, accessed across a bridge. It's a local landmark and… read more »

• Horseneck Beach // USA

  

  Horseneck Beach, located in Westport, is a popular two-mile stretch of sandy shoreline at the mouth of Buzzards Bay. 

  The beach is part of the larger Horseneck Beach State Reservation, which features sand dunes, salt marshes, and walking trails teeming with wildlife. The waves here are typically gentle, making it a great spot for swimming, while the steady winds attract… read more »

• Newport Beach // USA

  

  Home of the biggest recreational harbor on the west coast, the classic California surf town of Newport Beach offers sandy beaches, water sports, and incredible views of the sunset. This is a place you will never run out of ways to fill your day, and you can experience a real slice of Southern California beach life.

  The sand stretches for… read more »

• Seabright Beach // USA

  

  Situated just along the coast from Main Beach and the boardwalk, Seabright Beach runs from the mouth of the San Lorenzo River to the entrance of Santa Cruz Harbour. The beach is accessed via the western end of East Cliff Drive, near the Museum of Natural History, and where there is free parking.

  Seabright Beach is a wide stretch of… read more »

• Muir Beach // USA

  

  Twenty-five kilometres from San Francisco, Muir Beach is the first beach you'll come across heading north into Marin County. One of the cleanest beaches in California according to official data, it is a part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

  While not the longest of beaches, at around 300 metres in length, it is wide, at 60 metres. The broad… read more »

• Pescadero State Beach // USA

  

  A great all-round beach, Pescadero State Beach incorporates sands perfect for sunbathing with rocky cliffs, tidal pools, picnic facilities, and sites for shore fishing. The latter you might expect with a beach that takes its name from the Spanish for "the place to fish".

  The beach covers a length of around a mile in total, divided into two areas separated by… read more »

• Tennessee Beach // USA

  

  Tennessee Beach is located on the west side of the Marin Headlands in San Francisco's Marin County. It is named after the SS Tennessee, a ship which ran aground here in 1853 while trying to enter Golden Gate Bay. Though all 500 passengers on board escaped, its iron carcass can still be seen during the lowest tides of the month.

  Only… read more »

• Gunnison Beach // USA

  

  Washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Gunnison Beach is a beach that is difficult to fault. It is situated within Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Its views include those of Verrazano Narrows Bridge, connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York. During the summer months there are even… read more »

• Playa Carrizalillo // Mexico

  

  Playa Carrizalillo is one of the most popular beaches on the Puerto Escondido coast of Oaxaca. Located at the end of a bay of the same name, Playa Carrizalillo may only be roughly 100 yards in length but has the facilities much larger beaches would be proud of.

  One downside is that the main access point to the beach is… read more »

• Higgs Beach (Key West) // USA

  

  Set between Smathers Beach and Fort Zachary Taylor Beach is the somewhat lower key and smaller Higgs Beach. A very pleasant stretch of perfect white sand backed by tall palm trees Higgs is everything you would expect from a tropical beach.

  However, not everything is as it seems - in fact the sand is actually imported from the Caribbean,… read more »

• Coney Island Beach // USA

  

  Brooklyn's iconic seafront is home to a generous stretch of sand backed by a boardwalk and vast array of amusements. This is the beach people instantly think about when you mention NYC beaches, and judging by the summer crowds it is the one they go to as well!

  Only marginally less busy than nearby Rockaway, Coney Island beach is guaranteed… read more »

• Apollo Beach // USA

  

  Located on Florida's eastern Atlantic coastline in New Smyrna, Apollo Beach is on the Canaveral National Seashore (National Park). Great for beach lovers, it has an endless strip of pristine golden sand and, being more secluded, it is one of the top nudist beaches in Florida. (This should not to be confused with the other Apollo Beach on Florida's… read more »

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