North America's Top 50+ Beaches
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Harris Beach // USA
© Bonnie Moreland Appropriately, Harris Beach is located within Harris Beach State Park, on Oregon's rugged southern coastline. It is just off the coastal Highway 101, north of the town of Brookings. Backed by verdant hills, this relatively quiet sand beach stretches for several hundred metres. Also relatively wide, a small gentle stream flows into the Pacific Ocean here, making it an attractive… read more »
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Lighthouse Point // USA
© Stu99 The beach at Lighthouse Point forms a dog-leg around the southern and western end of Lighthouse Point Park, in the East Shore district just south of downtown New Haven. This city beach is therefore an ideal spot from which to admire the natural beauty of Long Island Sound, in addition to Five Mile Point Light, a lighthouse dating from 1847.
Lighthouse… read more »
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Akumal Beach // Mexico
© Alexander Shalamov Akumal Beach is located between Playa del Carmen and Tulum in the heart of the Riviera Maya on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It is a long white sand beach that is lapped by the warm turquoise seas of the Caribbean. Behind the palm trees lies a charming little town that is well equipped to meet the needs of visitors.
Often seen… read more »
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English Bay Beach // Canada
© Kenny Louie / CC BY Originally known as First Beach, English Bay Beach is in downtown Vancouver along Beach Ave (of course!) between Gilford and Bidwell Streets. The curving sandy beach is where the shores of Vancouver meet the Pacific Ocean.
The eastern edge of the beach is bounded by the Stanley Park Seawall which is popular for walking, bicycling and running. This wide… read more »
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Jericho Beach // Canada
© GoToVan / CC BY Located just west of Kitsilano, Jericho Beach is a well-used sandy beach and grassy park in Vancouver. It's a great place for a picnic overlooking the water and watching sail boats in the waters of English Bay from the local Sailing Centre.
The beach is named after Jeremiah Rogers who ran a logging camp in the area in the… read more »
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Qualicum Beach // Canada
© GoToVan / CC BY Qualicum Beach is located 48 km northwest of Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Bordering the Strait of Georgia, this beautiful beach has plenty of parking along the Oceanside Route (Hwy 19A) with a promenade, changing rooms, picnic tables and restaurants. The Qualicum Beach railway station is open from late May to September and is located on Beach… read more »
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White Rock Beach // Canada
White Rock Beach is actually a trio of beaches known for their fine weather and stunning sunsets. The beach is part of the Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area.
Together, West Beach, East Beach and Crescent Beach make up White Rock Beach and between them they offer 5 miles (8km) of clean sand and ocean fun. An area known as "The Hump"… read more »
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Gimli Beach // Canada
© Robert Linsdell / CC BY In Norse mythology, Gimli is the most beautiful place in the afterlife so Gimli Beach has it lot to live up to!
Located in Manitoba, the heart of "New Iceland", the curving light sandy bay at Gimli Beach is pretty perfect, especially in summer. Earlier settlers brought their Icelandic heritage and traditions and they are remembered in the towering… read more »
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Mispec Beach // Canada
© Bill Lapp / CC BY Located 15 minutes southeast of the town of Saint John, Mispec Beach is always crowded in summer. Accessed from Red Head Road down a manmade staircase, it is one of the best beaches in New Brunswick.
Overlooking the chilly waters of the Bay of Fundy, it has a massive tidal range of around 43 feet (13 metres) with some of the… read more »
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South Kouchibouguac Dune // Canada
© Yasehtor / CC BY South Kouchibouguac Dune lies to the south of the Kouchibouguac River estuary where it empties into the Northumberland Strait. Located in Kouchibouguac National Park, it is on the east coast of New Brunswick.
Pronounced "kooshi-boog-wac", the word "Kouchibouguac" in Mi'kmaq means "River of long tides". Like the neighbouring North Kouchibouguac Dune, this south dune is an offshore island or sand… read more »
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North Kouchibouguac Dune // Canada
© Larry / CC BY Located in Kouchibouguac National Park, North Kouchibouguac Dune is a famously long sandy dune beach stretching for 25km. Named after the Kouchibouguac River, the word in Mi'kmaq appropriately means "River of long tides".
The sensitive dunes and bogs are protected by the park system since 1969 when the land was expropriated from local families with one notable exception; Jackie Vautour refused… read more »
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Morro Rock Beach // USA
© David Mark Nestled in a secluded spot along California's northern coastline, Morro Rock is one of the state's most naturally beautiful beaches.
The Morro Rock itself stands at around 576 feet tall and was formed millions of years ago from volcanic rock. Until the mid-sixties it was regularly mined, partly for breakwaters, but by the end of the decade it had been recognised… read more »
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Palisades Beach // USA
© Milan Ashley This narrow strip of soft white sand is just along the coast from the ever-popular Santa Monica.
Unlike its next-door neighbor, there aren't a whole host of beachfront bars and restaurants, which helps to keep the crowds away, and means there's plenty of wriggle room for a spot of sunbathing.
Lifeguards are on duty every day and there are loads of places… read more »
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Gay Head Town Beach // USA
Many continue to call Gay Head Town Beach by its original name, although Gay Head Town has been known formerly as Aquinnah (meaning ‘land under the hill') by its population of 440 since 1997. At the end of Massachusetts' famed island of Martha's Vineyard, the beach is best known for its dramatic cliffs and the ocean views they deliver.
Designated a… read more »
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Avila Beach // USA
Scooterboss This secluded little spot sits on California's central coast, approximately halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The beach itself is a stunning unspoilt stretch of white sand and crystal clear water that's around half a mile long, with a near 1700-feet pier at the heart of it that's been standing for more than a century.
It's partially closed for… read more »
