North America's Top 50+ Beaches

  • Black Beach // Canada

    Black Beach

    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 »

  • Santa Rosa Beach // USA

    Santa Rosa Beach
    © Barbara Reddoch

    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

    Playa Pilar
    © Andromachos Dimitrokallis

    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
    © BlueOrange Studio / 123RF

    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
    © Sean Pavone

    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
    © Sekar Balasubramanian

    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

    Ke'e Beach
    Ben K

    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
    dronepicr

    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
    © VisitNC.com

    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

    Maho Beach
    © alljengi / CC BY

    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

    Haulover Beach

    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
    © Pinellas County / CC BY

    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 »

  • Madaket Beach // USA

    Madaket Beach
    Eric Gross

    On the far west coast of Nantucket, the beautiful beach of Madaket has soft sand that stretches seemingly endlessly along the Atlantic coast. Despite its obvious appeals the beach never get crowded with sunbathers and those looking to just relax tending to stay near the village.

    Madaket beach has the strongest waves on the island, and there can be very… read more »

  • Playa del Amor // Mexico

    Playa del Amor
    © Daniel Conde

    Near the popular tourist town of Cabo San Lucas is Playa del Amor, also known as Lover's Beach, one of the the most striking beach in Mexico thanks to its natural geology. The golden sands here are surrounded by two imposing rocks that rise out of the sea, but it is just around the corner that you'll find the… read more »

  • Crystal Crescent Beach // Canada

    Crystal Crescent Beach
    Ben MacLeod

    Roughly 30 kilometres south of Halifax, Crystal Crescent Beach sits at the mouth of the provincial capital's harbour within a provincial park. But this does nothing to take away from the natural beauty of this area of coastline.

    Crystal Crescent Beach is actually formed of three white sand beaches dotted with oversized pebbles, each of which are backed by low shrubs.… read more »