North America's Top 50+ Beaches

• Mussel Shoals Beach // USA

  

  Situated in the north of Ventura County, just off Highway 101 is Mussel Shoals Beach. A pleasant stretch of golden sand backed by a clutch of low rise beachfront properties, the beach here has a fairly laid back vibe.

  Probably the most recognizable feature of Mussel Shoals Beach is the long pier stretching out from mid beach. The pier leads out to… read more »

• Torrance County Beach // USA

  

  Nestled between Redondo Beach and Malaga Cove, you may hear the locals refer to this stretch as RAT Beach - as in, Right After Torrance or Redondo & Torrance. 

  The soft white sands here sit at the bottom of a picturesque cliff, so snapping some Insta-worthy photos is a breeze.

  When it comes to amenities, you'll find loads of parking spaces close… read more »

• Black Beach // Canada

  

  When we think of black sand beaches we tend to think of tropical islands with jungle-fringed volcanos rising precipitously from the ocean - or at least not Canada. But here we are, in New Brunswick, not far from Lorneville looking at a beach with undeniably black sand.

  The point is not all black sand beaches are volcanic. The imaginatively named Black Beach… read more »

• Playa Negra // Costa Rica

  

  Costa Rica is home to not one, but two beaches named Playa Negra, meaning "Black (sand) beach". Both are fairly well known but are located on opposite coasts. This Play Negra is situated near Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast.

  Black sand may seem the absolute antithesis of a Caribbean beach and this phenomena is quite specific to Playa Negra. Neighboring… read more »

• Santa Rosa Beach // USA

  

  Powdery white sand and the clear waters of the Gulf are all par for the course along Florida's Emerald Coast and Santa Rosa beach is no exception. Situated less than ten miles away from the ever popular beaches of Destin, what you get at Santa Rosa is a more laid back, and dare I say, upmarket experience. You can instantly… read more »

• Playa Pilar // The Caribbean

  

  The one kilometre of finely-graded white sand of Playa Pilar sits on the northwest coast of Cayo Guillermo, itself off the northwest coast of Cayo Coco. Part of the cluster of keys which stretch along Cuba's north coast, Playa Pilar makes for a perfect escape, given its sparkling blue shallows. Protected by an offshore coral reef, which is a… read more »

• Grace Bay // The Caribbean

  

  Grace Bay rightfully ranks as one of the world's most alluring beaches, with an idyllic tropical setting playing its part. It is at the western end of the Turks and Caicos Archipelago, on the north shore of the island of Providenciales, known less formally as Provo. Cuba lies to the west and Miami to the northwest. At Grace Bay, the… read more »

• Trunk Bay // The Caribbean

  

  Trunk Bay is considered one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, if not the world. A regular contender for the best beach spot in Condé Nast Traveler magazine and cited most beautiful beach in the world by the National Geographic Society, Trunk Bay certainly has a lot to live up to.

  Trunk Bay has everything you would expect from… read more »

• Tunnels Beach // USA

  

  Tunnels beach is set on the north coast of Hawaii's most northerly main island, Kauai. Originally known as Makua beach, the name Tunnels could be from one of two possible sources; most likely is it comes from the maze passages that wind their way through the big coral reef which sits just offshore. Alternately, it could be from the shape… read more »

• Ke'e Beach // USA

  

  Located at the end of the road, Ke’e Beach is the last accessible beach from the north shore of Kauai. This stunningly majestic beach is a prime spot for snorkeling and sightseeing, with spectacular views of the entire coast. 

  The beach connects to the Kalalau Trail, an infamously treacherous route spanning 11 miles along the coastline. The rugged trail is widely… read more »

• Honopu Beach // USA

  

  Honopu Beach is a remote and secluded beach on Kauai's spectacular Na Pali Coast. The only way you can get there is by boat or swimming to it. The incredible beach is backed by 1200-foot high sea cliffs, and they are separated by the Honopu Arch. There is a huge waterfall that comes down the sea cliff and goes through… read more »

• Ocracoke Beach // USA

  

  Ocracoke beach is amongst the best in North Carolina, and some say the whole of America. It is indeed a beautiful stretch of pristine coastline and forms part of the protected Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

  Set on the 16-mile long Ocracoke island which froms part of the Outer Banks, the beach is accessible only by boat. This secluded, unspolit cast… read more »

• Maho Beach // The Caribbean

  

  The small beach of Maho on the western shore of St Maarten is a pleasant enough although by Caribbean standards, fairly unremarkable. Yes, there is white powder sand and yes, the water is crystal clear aquamarine - but around these parts that doesn't make it anything special.

  What puts Maho beach on the map is that it sits right at the… read more »

• Haulover Beach // USA

  

  White sand, clear turquoise sea - nothing unusual there for a Florida beach. Oh, and clothes are optional! That's right, the northern third of Haulover is an officially sanctioned nude beach.
  But there is more to Haulover beach than getting naked - this beach has a fantastic array of amenities and things to do making it one of the… read more »

• Fort De Soto Park // USA

  

  Fort de Soto Park is more than just a beach. It is a collection of five interconnected keys (islands) just off the coast of St Petersburg in the Gulf of Mexico. The beaches of Fort de Soto constantly appear on lists of America's best beaches, even occupying the number one spot in one poll.

  This is little surprise given the beautiful… read more »

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